John 13:31–38 - 31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 33 “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men 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 go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.
What does today’s passage say?
In today's passage, just after Judas left, Jesus gathered His disciples and spoke about what was coming next. The time had arrived, He explained, for God's glory to be revealed through everything about to unfold (vv. 31-32). Then Jesus gave them some difficult news: He would soon leave them, and they couldn't follow where He was going. But He also gave them a new command - to love each other with the same sacrificial love He had shown them. This love, He said, would mark them as His true disciples (vv. 33-35). When Peter boldly declared he would die for Jesus, Jesus responded with a stark truth: before the next morning, Peter would deny Him three times (vv. 36-38).
How can I apply John 13:31-38 to my life?
Jesus was just hours from the cross. But these verses show us how He prepared His disciples for what was coming. In these verses, Jesus teaches His disciples and us profound truths about God’s glory, genuine love, and human nature. As He spoke of His coming death, He explained to them that the apparent defeat and humiliation He was about to face would actually be used to display God’s glory in an amazing way. In the process, He gives His disciples a ‘new command’ – that they love others with the same kind of sacrificial love that He demonstrates. Even as Peter makes some very bold claims about his loyalty, Jesus shows how He understands human weakness better than we understand ourselves. His teachings in these verses speak directly to believers today who want to grow in their faith. Jesus shows us that the difficult times we face in this life are, in fact, opportunities for God’s glory to shine, for us to love others sacrificially, and to face our own weaknesses honestly. Following Jesus means trusting His wisdom even when it goes against our natural instincts. Here are some basic principles from this passage that we should apply to our lives:
1. See God's Glory in Jesus's Sacrifice (vv. 31-32): Jesus explains to His disciples that the time has come for Him to be glorified and that in that, God would be glorified in Him and, ultimately glorified Himself. Think about what Christ is saying: He is about to be crucified and yet in that, God will be glorified. That is how God often works in the lives of believers. In our hardships and our times of sacrifice, His glory is revealed to others because of how He sees us through. So, whenever we face trials, difficulties, or painful circumstances, we need to look for how God might want to display His glory, His power, and His character through our challenges. Often, following Jesus means that the way to spiritual victory is going to require us to go through valleys of sacrifice and service. Jesus took every challenge He faced and turned it into an opportunity for others to see God and He expects the same from us. This truth should change how we see our own difficulties – instead of bemoaning, fearing, or even running away from our hard times and challenges, we can stand firm in the power of the Holy Spirit and endure knowing that God’s grace and His power are being revealed to others in the process. The way we react to trials speaks volumes about our faith to those around us. When we stay faithful in difficult circumstances, when we trust God’s purposes in painful situations, when we maintain and protect our witness through every trial, we give others a glimpse of God’s glory in our lives. Just as Jesus transformed the cross from a symbol of shame into a display of divine glory, He can use our challenging circumstances to reveal His power and presence to a watching world. The way we handle the hardships we face becomes a powerful testimony that points others toward God (Philippians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Peter 4:12-13).
Food for Thought: How does knowing that God can use difficult circumstances to display His glory change your perspective on current challenges? In what specific ways could your response to trials become a testimony that shows others God's greatness?
2. Love Others with the Same Self-Sacrificing Love Jesus Showed (vv. 33-35): After washing the disciples feet and dealing with Judas, Jesus drops a couple of bombshells on them. First, He tells them He is leaving, and they cannot follow Him. Then, He gives them a "new commandment". He tells them that they must love one another the same way He has loved them. This command applies to every believer today. This kind of love calls us to sacrifice our own interests, comfort, and desires for the good of others. Jesus showed us exactly what it looks like. He washed His disciples' feet. He touched lepers. He forgave those who cursed Him. Then He went to the cross and died for people who hated Him. Now, He is telling us to love others with that same intensity and selflessness. This command goes completely against our human nature. We want to protect ourselves, to hold back, to love only those who love us first. It goes beyond the kind of emotional love the world seeks after. It requires real effort and intentional choice. It means forgiving the person who hurt you deeply. It means serving someone who cannot pay you back. It means giving up your Saturday to help a neighbor move. Jesus demonstrated this perfect love even to those who rejected and crucified Him - and He expects His followers to do the same. When Christians love others this way, it stands out from the self-centered world we live in. Jesus said that when we love others this way, people would recognize us as His followers (John 15:12-13; Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 John 3:16-18).
Food for Thought: In what practical ways can you show the sacrificial love of Christ to others in your life? What specific changes do you need to make to love others more like Jesus loves you?
3. Acknowledge Your Weakness Before God's Truth (vv. 36-38): Peter's bold declaration of loyalty reminds us that we often overestimate our own spiritual strength. When we don’t know what is around the corner, it is easy for us to make grand commitments to God and then fail spectacularly. Sometimes, it only takes a small challenge to trip us up; other times, it is the crushing failure that teaches us what Jesus already knows – we are never as strong s we think we are. Our pride all too easily sets us up for the fall. It is when we are humble and honest with ourselves that we can recognize our spiritual strengths and limitations. And it is that humility that will keep us close to God and the strength of His Holy Spirit. Think about Peter in this passage – Jesus knew and told him that he would fail and run away in fear when the going got tough. But that same Peter would become a fearless leader as an apostle in that first century church. After his restoration by Christ, Peter began to understand that following Jesus had nothing to do with having enough willpower or making grand promises. It is about walking in the Spirit moment by moment. We cannot do it on our own and God does not want or need our all to often empty promises of obedience. In fact, when we try to prove our spiritual maturity and toughness, more often than not, we end up proving our weakness instead. We cannot do it on our own and God does not want or need our all too often empty promises of obedience. He wants us to recognize and admit that we desperately need Him! And the amazing thing is that even when we turn from Him, even when we try to live a spiritual life through our own efforts, He remains faithful to us and continues to work in our lives. He takes our failures, our difficult circumstances – all of it – and teaches us to depend on Him and become more like Jesus. The truth is that being spiritually mature does not mean that we won’t face struggles. It means that we are honest about those struggles, and we turn to God to help us through them. Like many of us, Peter had to learn this truth the hard way (2 Corinthians 12:9-10; James 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:5-6).
Food for Thought: What areas of your spiritual life have you been trying to handle in your own strength rather than depending on God? How can acknowledging your weaknesses actually lead to greater spiritual growth?
Living out these truths takes today takes real faith, courage, and commitment. Following Jesus is going to involve hardships that we do not expect and most certainly, don’t want. But God promises to use these very challenges for our good and to show His glory. When those around us see us staying levelheaded and maintaining our faith as we face difficulties, they are seeing God’s power and His glory at work in us. Jesus’s command to love others sacrificially gives us a clear direction for our daily decisions and choices. And every time that we choose to put others needs ahead of our own, we are demonstrating how Christ and Christianity are so different from the world’s self-focused way of life. Most significant though is the fact that our spiritual growth accelerates when we stop pursuing our own desires and stop trying to prove ourselves. God already knows our weaknesses and when we admit how much we need His strength, we open the door to the Holy Spirit’s powerful transformation of our lives, and we begin to depend on Him fully. As we put these truths into practice, God works through us to draw others to Himself and make us more like Jesus.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that You would teach me to see Your glory even in my darkest valleys. Sometimes the pain feels overwhelming, and I struggle to understand Your purposes - but I want to trust You more deeply through every challenge. Lord, the way Jesus faced the cross shows me that victory often comes through sacrifice. Help me to stand firm when everything in me wants to run away.
I pray that You would give me a genuine love for others that goes far beyond mere words or feelings. Take away my selfish tendencies and show me practical ways to put others first, even when it costs me something real. Father, just like Peter, I know that I make bold promises but often fall short. Thank You that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. I need Your power every single moment of every day. Remove my pride and help me to depend fully on Your grace. I pray that You would use me to show others the difference Jesus makes in a life surrendered to You. Let everything I do point people to Your greatness.
I pray these things in the most precious name of Jesus, Amen.
John 13:34 - “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
With His Blessings,
Pastor Corby
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