Welcome to Day 29 of our 40 Day challenge! John 13:21-38

(Catch up with us, with our reading list March, reading list for April,  and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15, Day 16, Day 17, Day 18, Day 19, Day 20, Day 21, Day 22, Day 23, Day 24,
Day 25, Day 26, Day 27, Day 28)

Today we are reading John 13:21-38

John 13:21-38

²¹ After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

²² His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. ²³ One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. ²⁴ Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

²⁵ Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” ²⁸ But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹ Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. ³⁰ As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him,^[c] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

³³ “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another.As I have loved you, so you must love one another.³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

³⁶ Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

³⁷ Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

³⁸ Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

Jesus gives His disciples a new command, to love one another as He has loved them. Jesus raised the standard of the Old Testament command to love your neighbor as yourself, to loving everyone, even enemies, with the kind of love He showed them.

Self-sacrificing, serving, agape love is the defining characteristic of His followers. Living like Jesus, sacrificing for the good of others (even our enemies), giving more than is required, and placing ourselves last are non-negotiable if we want to be His disciples. In the same breath, Jesus used the words command and must. He was serious.

For three years the disciples experienced this kind of love, and then it was their turn to do the same. Now it’s ours. The standard is no longer to love our neighbor the same amount we love ourselves. This is good, because self hatred is a common attack on people these days. Our standard is to love as Jesus loves. If we are His disciples, we will be known by our love.

This is an overwhelming command, and it’s impossible without His help. Praise God, we have His Spirit dwelling within us to make it possible. Just as with His first disciples, we give what we have first received from Him.

We also have an immeasurably patient Father who meets us right where we are, His heart filled with compassion. Remember, when Jesus first spoke to Peter after his betrayal, Jesus accepted what he could give at that moment. Peter was restored without being able to say agape back. Jesus met Him right there, not with judgment or condemnation, not even annoyance or irritation, with only love. That’s how Jesus will meet us too.

And it’s this love we receive from Jesus, that is meant to fill us up to overflowing so that it spills out onto all around us.

Options for further  journaling or discussion throughout the challenge:

• Choose a part of the passage to write out by hand. Writing by hand helps us slow down and focus on what the Lord might highlight for us in the passage. Our brains can focus and remember better by writing than just reading alone.
• Journal about what the passage brings to mind. Does the passage tell us anything about God? Does it tell us anything about our response to Him?
• Does your heart respond in gratitude to any part of the passage? Write or pray your gratitude to the Lord.

We’ll see you next time, for Day 30 and John 14:1-20

♥ Samantha