“God’s Glory and the Present Church”(John 13:31–38)

Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name”Text: John 13:31–38

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: March 31, 2024

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: AM Service

Introduction

This is Easter Sunday, a day when we remember the resurrection of our Lord. It’s common for some churches to have an early morning service on this day, sometimes at sunrise. That’s pretty early for some of us who are more of night owls, but getting in early is nonetheless an interesting change of pace. Seeing the early morning and contemplating the rising of our Lord from the grave reminds us that we have more than a new day before us — we have new life in Jesus Christ.

Of course, that new life means that we must apply the gracious gifts of our Lord to our circumstances. As such, it’s fitting that we come to this text today. As we are continuing our trek through the Book of John, the Lord worked it out in His providence that we would be in this text, and that you would be here to hear it. We should seek to understand how new life in Christ changes our outlook on the day.

Just as the sun rises with a stunning glory, the work of Jesus Christ is filled with the glory of God the Father, as we see in our text this morning. Hearing and believing Jesus’s words calls us to embrace this glory in our lives, and we’re going to see three ways to do just that. First, we’ll see we can embrace God’s glory by trusting in the finished work of Christ. Second, we’ll see we can embrace God’s glory by loving the church of Christ. Third, we’ll see we can embrace God’s glory by trusting in the timing of Christ. Let’s consider the first of these.

First, Embrace God’s Glory by Believing in the Finished Work of Christ (vv. 31–32)

Therefore 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 will glorify Him immediately.

This is a confusing time for the disciples. They believe Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah or anointed one. Yet, they still associate the glorification of Christ with the establishment of the earthly kingdom. They aren’t entirely wrong about that; Christ will return one day to establish His Millennial Reign, as Revelation 20 and other places note. However, they can’t miss the vital step before that.

Remember that Jesus just sent Judas away, as we considered last week. Judas, remember, had in mind to betray Jesus (v. 2) and became possessed by the devil for this purpose (v. 27). This betrayal will set the final events in motion for Jesus’s arrest, trials, and execution at the cross.

None of this was outside of Jesus’s control. Some people who profess to be Christians claim that Jesus was taken by surprise by these events, but we’ve seen over and over that Jesus accurately predicted what was coming. Though some hate the idea that Jesus came to die, that’s exactly what happened. He said back in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” He was glorifying God by going to the cross in fulfillment of the prophecies of Scripture, for the sake of all believers.

Yet, the work of Christ doesn’t end at the cross. That’s what we remember at Easter: the Lord is risen from the grave! Moreover, Jesus will then ascend back to the right hand of the Father, taking up again His glory. In John 17:4–5, Jesus prays, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Scripture records that after the Lord bore the shame of the cross, He “sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). This is what Jesus focused upon before the cross.

In fact, Jesus describes this as already having happened. He says, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” Now that He allowed Judas to go, the wheel is set into motion. Jesus can speak of the work as though it were done.

The concept of glory is important here, which is why Jesus uses the verb five times. The cross was going to be a curse (Gal. 3:13), but it would ultimately prove to be a path of glory. Its work makes salvation available, atoning for our sins, the reason Jesus came. As one commentator notes, Christ’s death displayed God’s power, justice, holiness, faithfulness, and love. This is true glory, and Jesus isn’t afraid to claim that His life has glorified God.

He knew the connection between Him and the glory of God from the beginning. All the way back in John 1:51, He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Now, He sees His status as the Son of Man as full of the glory of God. We would do well to see it as the same.

Jesus says the Father will glorify the Son. This points not only to the cross but also to the resurrection. It would happen “immediately,” which Jesus said elsewhere would be three days. The Father proves that He glorifies the Son by raising Him from the grave and exalting Him above every name that is to be named in heaven or on earth.

This is the message that the disciples needed to hear. They will be shocked in a few hours to see Jesus arrested. They will scatter and hear of His condemnation and crucifixion. However, all of it is according to Scripture, and they should see it as the means of glory. We have the benefit of knowing the whole story today, but many people don’t see the cross and resurrection as a means of God’s glory in their own lives. I hope you see the weight and worth of the work of Christ on your behalf!

All disciples of Christ must see this, especially since Christ is about to be physically absent. That will provide the greatest heartache. Because of their loss of Christ, they will need each other for encouragement, as we see in the next verses.

Second, Embrace God’s Glory by Loving the Church of Christ (vv. 33–35)

“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.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Some call this whole section Jesus’s farewell discourse, running all the way through the end of chapter sixteen. That’s a good way of looking at the words we’re reading. They aren’t going to be together much longer, so Jesus gives them His final teaching. Whatever we call this section, it’s clear that the time is short.

Jesus begins by addressing them as “little children.” It’s not an insult, but a term of endearment. It was a “common way for a teacher to address disciples.” The Apostle John will use it often in 1 John (2:1, 12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21), following Jesus’s lead. One commentator notes, “ ‘My dear children’ would not be an over-translation.” Jesus here speaks to His disciples with the care parents have for children.

Jesus warns them with familiar words — He will only be with them a bit longer. He said something similar to the Jewish leaders in John 7:34; 8:21. Here, He repeats that they will seek Him and not find Him, and that they aren’t able to follow Him.

These words prepare them for His temporary absence. In the next chapter, He’ll tell them that He’s preparing a place for them and will return again for them (14:2–3). They will soon be missing His presence between His crucifixion and resurrection, and they will do so again after His ascension into heaven.

So, this is preparation for the in-between time, the time where He won’t be physically with them. We read back in 13:1, that Jesus, “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” He will promise them a Comforter or Helper in the next chapter so they will not be left alone (14:16–18). Yet, in the Spirit, they must still fill a void for each other.

So, in v. 34, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.” This is addressed to the group: “Y’all love one another.” He will repeat this command in John 15:12, 17, meaning that this is an important theme for Jesus’s farewell address. They need to love one another.

This isn’t that different from today, for we are also without the physical presence of Christ. We do have the ongoing, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, but the Lord has seen fit to use this presence in us to love one another. Our presence in each other’s lives helps us to endure until the return of our Lord.

Consider these interesting words. On the one hand, this isn’t a new command. In the OT, the Lord says, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:18). Jesus affirmed this as one of the greatest commandments (Matt. 19:19; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27–28). This command should govern all God’s people.

Yet, Jesus called this command “new,” and it is in several ways. First, Jesus models it not on our own self-love but instead on His own love; not loving another “as yourself” but “even as I have loved you.” Second, and related to that, He expects each believer to find the gospel as his motivation, for Christ sacrificed, leaving believers transformed and renewed. Third, His commandment is for “one another,” narrowing the focus from all neighbors to have a special focus to especially “those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10) — they can serve each other in various ways, like how Jesus just washed their feet (John 13:4–20). Fourth, He expects we will find our ability to obey Him in the power of the Holy Spirit rather than the flesh (cf. Jer. 31:29–34; Ezek. 36:24–26; Gal. 5:22) — a new reality which Old Testament saints lacked. It would be this new “love and support for one another [which would] enable them to survive in a hostile world.”

Of course, the Apostle John picks up with this as he shepherds believers. In 1 John 2:7–8, he writes, “Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.” In 3:11, he says, “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” In v. 23 of that chapter, he says, “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” In 2 John 5, he writes, “Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.” It’s easy to see why John became known as the “apostle of love,” but it started here with Jesus’s command.

Jesus goes on to say that this isn’t just beneficial for the saints: their love for one another will have an evangelistic purpose. In v. 38, He says, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John later says that Christian love for the brethren serves to prove we have passed out of death into life (1 John 3:14) — meaning that some of you may lack a feeling of assurance because you are not practicing this command. Those who do, though, testify of the fact that God transforms hearts.

For instance, we can do so by asking forgiveness (Matt. 5:23–24) and by offering forgiveness (cf. Col. 3:13). This testifies of a grace this world doesn’t have. In this day of cancel culture, people demonstrate that they are unforgiving of the smallest infractions, and many people who genuinely offend refuse to admit wrong. Christians show the world another way. We reflect the kind of divine love that only the Lord can give.

Of course, Peter seems to understand that Jesus is giving this command in lieu of his absence. So, v. 33 rings louder in Peter’s ears than this command. As such, he has a couple of questions in the next verses.

Third, Embrace God’s Glory by Trusting in the Timing of Christ (vv. 36–38)

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.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right 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, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.”

Peter’s questions are somewhat understandable. He loved Jesus and understood Jesus’s love for him. He doesn’t want to experience separation from our Lord. Of course, his questions also indicate that he did not understand yet that Jesus was going to lay down His life for the disciples.

Jesus’s statement had troubled the Jewish leaders, too. They wondered if He was going to the dispersed Jews and teach the Greeks (7:51). At another point, these leaders wondered in passing whether Jesus might be talking about suicide (8:22). They couldn’t make heads or tales of what Jesus was saying.

The same seems to be true of Peter (and the rest of the disciples), as they continued to wonder what He meant after Peter asked this question (16:17). While we might think our Lord would become angry at their inability or unwillingness to understand, our Lord sees the expression of Peter’s love toward Him underlying his desire to follow Him. The same Jesus who sees Peter as one of His dear children in the faith now patiently explains the situation to this headstrong but well-meaning disciple.

He says in v. 36, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” The cross, of course, was Christ’s to bear alone. Jesus will eventually give Peter specific work to do to in His absence, a way of loving others by feeding His sheep (21:15–17). Jesus will also tell Peter then the kind of death he will undergo (vv. 18–19), and from this, Peter knows when the end of his life approached (2 Pet. 1:14). So, this is a temporary restriction.

Yet, Peter asks why. Obviously, Peter is concerned, but his language does betray a bit of impatience. In fact, he goes on to say he’s with the Lord, even if it costs him his life, and all four Gospels record something similar (Matt 26:33–35; Mark 14:29–31; Luke 22:33–34). So insistent was he that the other disciples joined him (Mark 14:31). Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves, but many times, we grossly overestimate our abilities.

This is what Jesus then explains to Peter. He turns Peter’s words around to ask if they were true, perhaps with a smile. He then gives him a shocking revelation: that he will deny Him that very night, before the rooster crows, before 3:00am. Perhaps this revelation is so stunning that Peter remains unnoticed until 18:10.

What is the issue here? As one study notes,

Peter was ready to die for Jesus. Unfortunately, he was not ready, at this point, to live for Him. He was ready to attack single-handed a cohort of soldiers with his sword (see 18:10), but he was not willing to wash the feet of his brothers as Jesus had just done (see 13:4). Actually, Peter had things backwards. Christ was about to lay down His life for Peter, instead of Peter laying down his life for Christ. In spite of all this, Christ did not give up on Peter (see Luke 22:31, 32). Later Peter would die for Christ (21:18, 19).

Peter was unwilling to allow the Lord to have his perfect timing and way in his life, deciding he knew better. This is the error that many of us commit, trying to get ahead of the Lord’s timing in our lives. We need to hear, just as Peter did, that the Lord has given us what we need for this moment. Thus, we must seek the Lord’s glory by embracing the timing that he has foreordained.

That brings us to some final thoughts.

Conclusion

As we consider the death and then resurrection of our Lord, we consider the greatest miracles of all time. This miracle is one which secures our salvation, the salvation of all who believe. God is most glorified when we see his plan of redemption and embrace it for ourselves.

But it doesn’t stop there. The gospel transforms us, just as God intended. Through the Holy Spirit, believers can now live and love differently. We demonstrate the change that God has wrought within us, the love that He has poured out upon us, by showing love toward one another. That is why it’s so important to be in the fellowship of the saints regularly — we are vessels through which God shows His tender mercies toward is children. I hope you see that this is something we must all embrace, for the glory of God!

Like Peter and the disciples, we get caught up in what we expect the Lord to do, or in what we feel is important in our own lives. We start to feel dissatisfied with where our finances are, where our relationships are, or what our future may hold. Yet, the Lord has worked out all of these things, and He doesn’t want us to be troubled by what tomorrow may bring. Let’s embrace the timing that the Lord has established.

As we go through this, it’s possible you aren’t sure as to whether all of this is true for you. Perhaps you’re a Christian who has been outside of the fellowship for a while, not showing love toward other Christians or feeling that love in return, prompting doubts about your salvation. Perhaps you’ve never known the love of God, and that’s why you don’t love as he has called you to love. Either way, if you turn to the Lord, He’s gracious and will forgive your sins, assuring you of a salvation which will never be taken away!