Scripture Reading - John 13:21-38

John 13:21-38: Jesus’ Betrayal, the New Commandment, and Peter’s Denial

Our afternoon scripture reading will be from John chapter 13, verse 21 through 38. You can find this on page 900 in the Pew Bibles. So the context of this passage brings us to Jesus having supper with his disciples and having just washed their feet.

I will be reading in the ESV starting in verse 21. This is the word of the Lord. After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit and testified. Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.

The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus's side. So Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus, of whom he was speaking.

So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it. So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.

Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, What you are going to do, do quickly. Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the money bag, Jesus was telling him, buy what we need for the feast, or that he should give something to the poor.

So after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out, and it was night. When he had gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.

The New Commandment to Love One Another

Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, where I am going, you cannot come. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

You also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Simon Peter said to him,.

Lord,.

Where are you going? Jesus answered him, Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward. Peter said to him,.

Lord,.

Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you. Jesus answered, Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me, three times.

This has been the reading of God's word. So in summary, three events take place. The first, the disciples are all together with Jesus, and Judas leaves and betrays Jesus. From this we see that Jesus is troubled.

He was a human just like you and me. He had emotions, and we see his humanity through that. In addition, we see his divinity, and that he knew very well who it was from his disciples who would betray him.

It's also noteworthy to mention that none of Jesus's disciples knew who it would be that would betray Jesus. Judas played the part very well, and it goes to show that even us as Christians at times can be deceived into perceiving someone to be a true believer when in reality they're not.

Judas’s Betrayal and Jesus’ Humanity and Divinity

The second event, we see that Jesus gives the disciples a new commandment. This commandment is to love one another as he has loved us. And you might be wondering, how is this a new commandment? Weren't the disciples already called to love one another?

Yes,.

But Jesus takes it further than that. You see, Jesus calls us to love one another not only as ourselves, but as he has loved us. And he has demonstrated his love for us through the scriptures, that it is a love that is selfless and self-sacrificial.

And that is the kind of love that he has called us to emulate toward one another. And thirdly, Jesus foretells about Peter's betrayal of him. And notice how Jesus foretells of two instances in which he's going to be betrayed.

And in between all of that, he gives us this new commandment to love one another. Why does Jesus do this? The answer can be found in verse 35 as it reads,. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

You see, Judas, he demonstrated that he was not a true disciple by not loving Jesus and not loving the disciples, by ultimately betraying them and never coming back. But Peter, on the other hand, demonstrates that he is a true disciple as we learn later on after denying Jesus, he does come back and does love the disciples.

So brothers and sisters, let us obey Christ by loving one another as he has loved us. Amen.