Bible Strands
John 13:20
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his disciples during the Last Supper, speaking after promising future belief and immediately before revealing that one of them will betray him.
The words — λαμβάνων (lambanōn) translates literally to "receiving," indicating the active acceptance of a sent representative. ἀμήν (amēn) appears twice as a solemn declaration marking the statement as authoritative and unchangeable.
The thread — The verse’s chain of representative authority parallels Luke 10:16 on apostolic reception, Luke 9:48 on welcoming the least, and Matthew 25:40 on serving the marginalized.
Why it lands — The text states that accepting Jesus’s sent agents is equivalent to accepting Jesus and God the Father. It requires the reader to treat their response to those Jesus commissions as a direct evaluation of their stance toward Christ.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Cross-references
- Luke 10:16 Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
- Luke 9:48 And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
- Matthew 25:40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
- Mark 9:37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”
- Matthew 10:40 He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.
- Galatians 4:14 And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself.
- John 12:44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me.
- Colossians 2:6 Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him,
- 1 Thessalonians 4:8 Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.