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JUNE 5

13:26 He gave it to Judas Iscariot. The host 13:34 A new commandment...as I have
at a feast (whose role was filled by Jesus) loved you. The commandment to love was
would dip into a common bowl and pull out a not new. Deuteronomy 6:5 commanded love
particularly tasty bit and pass it to a guest as a for God and Leviticus 19:18 commanded lov-
special mark of honor or friendship. Because ing one’s neighbor as oneself (Matt. 22:34–40;
Jesus passed it so easily to Judas, it has been Rom. 13:8–10; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8). However,
suggested that he was seated near the Lord in Jesus’ command regarding love presented a
a place of honor. Jesus was demonstrating a distinctly new standard for two reasons: 1) it
final gesture of His love for Judas even though was sacrificial love modeled after His love (as I
he would betray Him. loved you;15:13),and 2) it is produced through
the New Covenant by the transforming power
of the Holy Spirit (Jer. 31:29–34; Ezek.
30 Having received the piece of bread, he 36:24–26; Gal. 5:22).
then went out immediately. And it was night.
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said,
“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is 36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are
32
glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, You going?”
God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glo- Jesus answered him, “Where I am going
rify Him immediately. Little children, I shall you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow
33
be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me afterward.”
Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am 37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not fol-
going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. low You now? I will lay down my life for Your
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you sake.”
love one another; as I have loved you, that you 38 Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down
35
also love one another. By this all will know your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to
that you are My disciples, if you have love for you, the rooster shall not crow till you have
one another.” denied Me three times.
DAY 4: How do scholars conclude that the expression “whom Jesus loved”
was John’s way of referring to himself?

Three obvious clues about John’s Gospel help identify the unnamed disciple who called him-
self the disciple “whom Jesus loved”(13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20).
Early church fathers invariably identify the apostle John as the author of this Gospel. John is
frequently mentioned by the other Gospel writers as an active participant among the disciples of
Jesus, yet John’s name is absent from the fourth Gospel.
If four people take a trip together and each carries a camera, the group-shots each person
takes will naturally not include them. In fact, someone else could probably guess who took which
pictures by which member of the group was absent.The Gospel of John functions this way—John’s
absence by name shouts his presence.
As for his signature phrase,the words “whom Jesus loved”convey both a sense of the apostle’s
humility and the depth of his relationship to Jesus.The phrase doesn’t mean that John thought of
himself as the only disciple Jesus loved. It simply expresses with disarming honesty the wonder of
this disciple over the fact that the Lord loved him!

JUNE 5 life as the life of one of them by tomorrow
about this time.” And when he saw that, he
3
arose and ran for his life, and went to
Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left
1 Kings 19:1–20:43
his servant there.
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into
19 done, also how he had executed all the the wilderness, and came and sat down under
2
prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a a broom tree. And he prayed that he might
messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take
do to me, and more also, if I do not make your my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

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