This second half of chapter 13 primarily focuses on the identification of Judas as the ‘betrayer’ of Jesus. The interchange between Jesus and ‘the one whom Jesus loved’ (aka John the gospel writer) is interesting because Jesus revealed to John that it would be Judas to betray Him but John never does anything to prevent this betrayal. I wonder if John did nothing because Jesus did nothing or because Jesus directly after identifying him told Judas to hurry and go do what he was about to do.
After Judas leaves Jesus talks about how it is time for God to be glorified. We know that this is glorification in the redemptive story of the cross and justification for all through the death of His Son.
Jesus gives one new commandment -> “that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
APPLICATION: All this time the children of Israel adhered to the 10 commandments but here Jesus gives the disciples a new one. The importance of this new commandment is that through living with this love for one another, we easily find it achievable to adhere to the other 10. This servant heart I talked about yesterday is now bolstered by a command to actively love my brothers and sisters in Christ.
1 Corinthians 13:13
“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”