Wednesday in the Word...John 13:31-38...a rooster will not crow until...

When will what Jesus' says be enough?  Why do we feel the need to add ourselves or the promotion of ourselves to the statement?  We find Peter doing what we do ourselves at times when our pride gets the best of us.  We pat ourselves on the back which leads to a rooster crowing our downfall because we were raising up the wrong person.

Today's Wednesday in the Word will complete John chapter 13 with verses 31 through 38, which read,

v.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." 

The "he" who has gone out is Judas Iscariot.  Satan had entered him and Jesus ordered him to go do what was required quickly.  With Satan out of the room because he can't be in all places at all times like God can, Jesus turns to the disciples who are left.  It is time to explain again what is about to happen and why.

It is interesting that it seems that Jesus is looking beyond the cross scene.  He is focused on the glorification of Himself which is also a glorification of God.  Back and forth and mixed together is the Son of Man with God and God with the Son of Man.  He is speaking as if this is a "done deal" and what will cause the glorification is going to happen very soon.  Jesus prays this again in chapter 17 and verses 4 and 5 which read,

"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."

Jesus very words drive us to the conclusion that He is speaking as God and with God before time began.  You hear the opening words of John's gospel again, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  The obedience of God's will even to death on a cross glorifies Jesus and God at the same time because of the intertwine of the Trinity.  The completion of their plan is coming to a head.

v.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.”

Jesus did say this before to the Jews about going somewhere they could not go.  He is now telling the disciples who remain the same thing.  The difference this time is what Jesus says next.  In John chapter 8 and verse 21, Jesus says to the unbelieving Jews that they will die in their sins.  This time Jesus follows this proclamation with a new commandment for them to obey in the form of love.

To love one another is not new but to love one another as Jesus had loved them is new.  To love the way Jesus loved is the command Jesus gives to His disciples and they are to start loving this way on each other.  The result is others knowing who His disciples belong to.  They would see how His disciples love each other and point to Jesus as the common denominator.  Where will this strategy work?  Everywhere because it says, "By this all men..."

The body of Christ should be the most loving place on the planet as we love each other like Jesus has loved us.  There should be many more hanging around the body of Christ because they either are reaping the benefits of being around loving people or responding to Christ's love for them shone and spoken to them through the church.  I can't help but think that as a church we have not been following this command to the extent that we should.  God saves but our actions toward one another as Christians should draw people into atmospheres to hear and see what this Jesus is all about.

This is Jesus' strategy given to His disciples and it is still the strategy to be acted upon today in the local church.  We are to love each other as Jesus has loved us.

v.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 speaks up as he always does and gives a mild rebuttal to Jesus' statement about them not being able to go.  Jesus makes another distinction about this statement to whom He is speaking to.  The unbelieving would die in their sins but the believing were to love one another as He has loved them and that they would follow later.  They would have to wait awhile.  This answer is not good enough for Peter.  He wants to go now.  He wants all of himself washed not just his feet.  Jesus has to correct Peter one more time.  

In the short term Peter would not lay down his life for Jesus but rather run the other way.  He would get his own near prophecy from Jesus about his denials of Him.  Not once, not twice, but three times and before the rooster crows in the first light of the morning.  Remember it is already night so this will happen soon and within hours of this statement from Jesus.  It is always good to read from 1st and 2nd Peter to see that Peter got the message evidently.  1 Peter chapter 2 and verses 21 and 24 says,

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,...and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness for by His wounds you were healed."

There was a reason Peter would not be following Jesus right now.  Jesus had trained His disciples to be His fishers of men, following in His steps and living to righteousness, for the world to see.  The moment had arrived to seal the victory of the mission by the cross that was still to be completed by the church.   

Really, no one can lay down their life for Jesus like Jesus did because Jesus is the only one who can lay down His life for another unto salvation.  He is the only one qualified.  We are all like Peter and have the capability of denying at times the One who gave His all for us.  The rooster will crow at times and how will we respond to it?  Will we weep and submit to what Jesus has already said or will we continue to look for another answer that elevates ourselves like Peter did in this passage?  It wasn't enough for Peter that Jesus said he would be coming later.  His pride emerged to say, "I will lay down my life for You,..."  "I, I, I" when it should be "Oh Jesus, You, You, You..."

May we be patient and submissive when Jesus tells us to wait for something He says we are to receive in His timing.

Adam