Page 93 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

suffering the most humiliating death ever devised by man. While no other human can possibly match His
humility, we have been summoned to imitate our Master.

18 I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one
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who eats My bread has raised his heel against Me. “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it
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does happen you will believe that I am [He] I assure you: The one who receives whomever I send receives
Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” When Jesus had said this, He was troubled in
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His spirit and testified, “ I assure you: One of you will betray Me!” The disciples started looking at one
another—uncertain which one He was speaking about. One of His disciples, the one Jesus loved, was
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reclining close beside Jesus. Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was He was talking about. So
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he leaned back against Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of
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bread to after I have dipped it.” When He had dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son.
27 After [Judas ate] the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Therefore, Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do
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quickly.” None of those reclining at the table knew why He told him this. Since Judas kept the money-bag,
some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give
something to the poor. After receiving the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.
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31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is
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glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him at once. “Children, I am with you a
little while longer. You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ so
now I tell you.

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We now come to one of the most familiar passages in the Gospels. Jesus said: “I give you a new
commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all
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people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus here identified a sure sign of faith in Him and a test of one’s salvation – love for the brethren. This is what
Francis Schaeffer called “the mark of the Christian.” However, there is irony in this statement, for there was
nothing new about this commandment. The commandment to love one another was deeply rooted in the Old
Testament law (Leviticus 19:18). So, what was new in Jesus’ command? My best guess is that it had to do with
the context of the betrayal. Perhaps Jesus was saying: “I’m going away. Where I am going you can’t come yet,
but you will come. In the meantime, I’m giving you a new commandment: that you love each other the way I
have loved you; that is, that you not betray one another.” In other words, Jesus ask His disciples to display
steadfast love, love that stands up when push comes to shove. He drew attention to the betrayal by which He
would actually be glorified, and in that context, He demanded from His disciples and all who would follow Him a
love that has no place for treason.

36 “Lord,” Simon Peter said to Him, “where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot
follow Me now, but you will follow later.” “Lord,” Peter asked, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down
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my life for You!” Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for Me? I assure you: A rooster will not crow
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until you have denied Me three times.

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