A new commandment I give to you.

John Farley
Pastor Teacher
Sunday,
April 30, 2023

 

The address is 3134 North Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point.

Schedule note

I will be taking time off in May and June.

Thursday May 25th
Sunday May 28th
Thursday June 22nd
Sunday June 25th
Thursday June 29th

 

JOH 13:31-38

“A new commandment I give to you”

These eight verses present a great drama of glory, departure, love, and denial.

1. The glory:
(verses 31-32)

Glory is the revelation of God’s majesty.

JOH 12:23-24

He is referring to His impending death on the cross, and the glories to follow.

The title the Son of Man means that Jesus will be glorified in His humanity.

JOH 1:14-18

Jesus explained the Father by showing who the Father is.

So, in JOH 13:31-32, the glory in view is that of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

2. The departure: (verses 33, 36)

JOH 13:33, 36

JOH 13:3-4

Very simply, Jesus is going back to His Father.

First, He explains to them that
where He is going, they cannot come.

He is going to the cross. They cannot die on the cross with Him.

He is going to be buried in the tomb.

He is going to be resurrected from the dead.

He is going to ascend to the Father in heaven.

And He will be seated at the right hand of the Father, a seat no one else can occupy.

The second point He makes is that “you will follow Me later”.

Peter won’t follow Jesus now in His suffering and death.

Later on, Peter would proclaim Jesus, suffer for His sake, and die for the name of Christ.

JOH 21:18-19

Later on, Peter did follow Jesus. All the way to heaven.

JOH 14:1-3

3. The love:
(verses 34-35)

JOH 13:34-35

If you really want the gospel to spread….. love one another as Christ has loved us.

The love that Christ has for us far outstrips the love that the Law commanded.

MAR 12:28-31

The love that Jesus commands us to have was not revealed until He died for us.

But this new love comes not from our mind, our strength, but from Christ’s.

The law said to love our neighbor as ourselves.

This new commandant tells us to love one another as
Christ loved us.

JOH 15:12-13

Now it’s going to be HIS love.
HIS joy (JOH 5:11). HIS peace (JOH 14:27).

4. The denial: (verses 37-38)

JOH 13:37-38

The good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep - not the other way around.

But in the decisive moment, he failed.

MAT 26:69-75

Good intentions voiced in a tranquil setting can melt away in the face of danger.

 

After all, Paul taught us that nothing good dwells in our flesh either.

ROM 7:19

Apart from Him,
we can do nothing. Through Him,
we can do all things.