“31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in Him. 32 If God has been glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for Me;
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ 36 Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow afterward.’ 37 Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.’ 38 Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for Me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied Me three times’” John 13:31-38.
When Jesus gave His permission to Judas to start the process that would put Jesus to death it began His rise to glory. In His own words Jesus said:
“Now (that Judas is on his way to betray Me) the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in Him. 32 If God has been glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him at once”
John 13:31-32. Then Jesus announces His departure promising to remain just “a little longer” telling everyone that they cannot come where He is going, news that was surely threatening to the Jews and upsetting to the disciples. But before Jesus does anything else He gives them a new commandment, a farewell gift, indeed a new Love Commandment. This is a gift not for everyone but only for His followers: “34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:34-35. Jesus gives them a gift that will identify them as disciples of Jesus Christ: we are to love others as Jesus loves us. No longer are we to love others as they love us but we are to love others as Jesus loves us! BIG difference! And
Peter responds to all that Jesus is saying by promising Jesus that he will “lay down his life” which is an implicit appeal to be a good shepherd. At this time, however, such a Petrine promise is reckless, while later it will come to fruition.
I invite you to prayerfully consider all the reckless promises you too have made to Jesus, just as Peter did. Genuine perhaps, but fraught with one stumble after another. Join me in praying for the grace of God to avoid our stumbling habits and instead embrace the Lord and others with the same love He has for each of us.
Oh dear Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner. I want more than anything else to love others as you love me. Forgive me when I fail to love as You love. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
From the Bible:
“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother”
1 John 4:19-21.
“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” Philippians 2:3-4.
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses” Proverbs 10:12.
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins”
1 Peter 4:8.
““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same” Matthew 5:43-48?
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”
John 15:12.
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