After Judas’ departure, Jesus unveils some details and instructions about the future. Although the disciples could not comprehend the complexity of what would soon follow, Jesus tried His best to prepare them so that when He had departed they might remember His words. Jesus says, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately” (13:31-32). His talk of glorification looked beyond His death and burial to the time when He would be resurrected and regain His rightful place beside the Father (see John 17:4-5). Of course when Jesus would take this position beside God the Father, He would have paid for the sins of all mankind in order to bring eternal life to all who would repent and believe in Him. However, what Jesus would say next brings some confusion to His disciples, “Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you” (13:33). Jesus announces His departure but the place where He was going, they could not go. Simon Peter cannot keep quiet in response to Jesus’ departure (13:36a), but Jesus repeats what He has already said, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward” (13:36b). Although the disciples could not follow Him in death, they would soon give their lives for the sake of Jesus’ message. Peter continued to argue with Jesus saying, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake” (13:37). Responding to Peter’s confidence, Jesus speaks about his upcoming failure, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times” (13:38). Peter thought his love for Jesus was strong enough to stand in the face of death, but he was not fully aware of the circumstances which were to follow and eventually Peter would deny Jesus just as He had said (18:15-27).
Amongst all the talk of His departure, Jesus says something which He hoped would characterize His followers after He had left, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (13:34-35). Although loving others was not a brand new commandment (Leviticus 19:18), it would certainly take on a new dimension as Jesus’ death for the sins of men would become the supreme example of sacrificial love for others. Jesus was asking His disciples and all those who believe to love others as He had loved them. This love is not normal – it loves even when the other is unlovable (Romans 5:8). Human speaking, this type of love is impossible to lavish upon others, but the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, whom Jesus would soon promise to them (Galatians 5:22), would enable them to manifest a self-sacrificing love. When Jesus’ followers demonstrated this type of love, it would become the identifying factor that they were His disciples. Jesus had displayed His love a multitude of people throughout His ministry, but His departure would now leave this responsibility in the hands of His disciples; in fact, John would later write, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us” (1 John 4:11-12). Others cannot see God with their eyes, but they can see God in us as we love one another.
Dear God, help others to see God through me as I display love toward them.
