Where I am Going, You cannot come

John 13:31–38 LEB

Then, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and will glorify him immediately. Children, yet a little time I am with you. You will seek me and just as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I say also to you.” “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this everyone 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 replied, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why am I not able to follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!

Luke 22:31–34 LEB

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. And you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!” And he said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me!”

Mark 14:26–31 LEB

And after they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” But Peter said to him, “Even if they all fall away, certainly I will not!” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that today—this night—before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times!” But he kept saying emphatically, “If it is necessary for me to die with you, I will never deny you!” And they all were saying the same thing also.

Matthew 26:30–35 LEB

And after they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me during this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” But Peter answered and said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that during this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times!” Peter said to him, “Even if it is necessary for me to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

Zechariah 13:7 LEB

“O sword, awake against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate,” declares Yahweh of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, so that the sheep may be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the small ones.

1 Peter 5:5–14 LEB

In the same way, younger men, be subject to the elders, and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the right time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares for you. Be sober; be on the alert. Your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, because you know the same kinds of sufferings are being accomplished by your community of believers in the world. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered for a short time, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. Through Silvanus, the faithful brother (as I consider him), I have written to you briefly to encourage you and to attest that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is in Babylon, chosen the same as you, greets you, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Where I am going you cannot follow

The shepherd is going to be struck and the sheep will be scattered and not follow him.

John 13:33 (LEB): 33 Children, yet a little time I am with you. You will seek me and just as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I say also to you.

John 13:34–35 (LEB): 34 “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat": In agricultural practices, sifting wheat involves shaking or tossing it to separate the grain from the chaff. Metaphorically, Jesus is saying that Satan has asked to test Simon Peter (and the other disciples, as "you" in the original Greek is plural) intensely, aiming to shake his faith and reveal whether he was genuine faith or mere chaff. It implies a period of severe trial and temptation, designed to test the strength and authenticity of his discipleship.

You won't follow me. You'll deny me.

John 13:37–38 (LEB): 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why am I not able to follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!

"But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail": Jesus then offers a word of hope and assurance. Despite the forthcoming trials, Jesus has prayed specifically for Simon Peter that his faith will endure these challenges. It's important to note that Jesus prays for Peter's faith not to fail, indicating that while Peter might stumble or falter (as he did when he later denied Jesus three times), his overall faith and loyalty to Jesus would not be utterly destroyed. Jesus is assuring Peter that he has divine support and that his faith, though tested, will ultimately be resilient.

BUT...

John 14:1 (LEB): 14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.

1 Peter 5:10–11 (LEB): 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you* have suffered for a short time, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power ⌊forever and ever⌋. Amen.

"Where I am going you cannot come." We can't do what only he can do. That's a relief! Our response should be to recognize our dependence on him.

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ChatGPT

John 13:31-38 captures a poignant moment during the Last Supper, focusing on Jesus' interaction with His disciples, particularly the prediction of Peter's denial. Here's a summary of the passage:

Jesus Speaks about His Glory (31-32): After Judas Iscariot leaves to betray Jesus, Jesus begins to speak about His imminent glorification. He mentions that the time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, and through this, God will also be glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify the Son in Himself, and will glorify Him at once.

A New Commandment (33-35): Jesus tells His disciples that He will be with them only a little longer and that where He is going, they cannot come. He gives them a new commandment to love one another as He has loved them. By this love for one another, all people will know that they are His disciples.

Peter’s Denial Predicted (36-38): Simon Peter asks Jesus where He is going, and Jesus responds that where He is going, Peter cannot follow Him now but will follow later. Peter insists he is willing to lay down his life for Jesus, but Jesus predicts that before the rooster crows, Peter will deny Him three times.

This section of John's Gospel emphasizes themes of love, loyalty, and betrayal. Jesus introduces the central commandment of Christian love, setting the stage for His crucifixion and the challenges His followers will face in His absence. Peter's bold claim of loyalty and Jesus' sobering prediction of his denial highlight the human struggle with faithfulness under trial.