The Gospel of John: Come and See a New Culture

John tells us that Jesus “loved his own,” but he shows us the breadth of that love in John 13. He has every reason to withdraw, after all his disciples are debating who should be first in his kingdom, Judas is planning to betray him, and Peter is going to disown him. But Jesus loves his own and presses forward to provide the cleansing they need from his cross-work. John expands the expression of that love through Jesus’ interaction with Judas and Peter.

Jesus could have outed Judas as the betrayer he was, but he doesn’t. Instead, he quietly says to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” He could have shielded Peter from his impending denial, but he tells him so that when he disowns him, he remembers Jesus knew this was coming. In the midst of these difficult conversations, Jesus teaches his followers the functional principle of his kingdom: love for one another.  He says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another” (John 13:34).

Lest we think Jesus is being culturally soft, the text shows us that love isn’t afraid to say what’s appropriate in the moment, whether confrontation or assurance. As you prepare to worship Jesus Sunday, consider what it means to be loved by him.