The promise…

Of the Spirit (part 14) 

In the last few hours before he’s taken away to be killed, Jesus lays the foundation stones for the kingdom he’ll be developing through his disciples after he’s gone. And at the heart of it is “loving one another just like I’ve loved you,” John 13:34. And that’s how they’ll be recognized as his disciples too, by “the love you have for one another,” verse 35.

Peter, however, doesn’t respond so much to verse 35 as to what Jesus said before that in verse 33, when Jesus addresses them as “My children” – indicating the deep affection he had for them – and then he says to them, “I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me (but) where I’m going you cannot come.” 

Peter is shocked. He totally bypasses the bit about loving one another, because his first response in verse 36 is, “But Lord, where are you going?” To which Jesus replies, “Where I’m going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter immediately comes back in verse 37 with, “But why can’t I follow you? I’ll lay down my life for you.” Or as Luke phrased what Peter said: “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33).

But Jesus knew what would really happen, because Peter, without the Holy Spirit, would not be able to love at that level. So he asks Peter in verse 38, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows you will disown me three times.” 

That must have cut Peter to the bone because there was no doubt in his mind that he loved Jesus enough to die for him. But it all fit in with what Jesus was preparing him for, because Peter would soon come to realize that he didn’t have the love he thought he had. He was full of conviction and willingness to give up his life for Jesus while Jesus was still with them in person, oh yes, but it would be a different story when Jesus was gone.

But it all fit in perfectly with what Jesus was about to get into next in John 14 about the Holy Spirit, to not only help Peter realize the love he needed would have to come from another source, but also to set up all Jesus’ disciples in the future with the same understanding…(more on this tomorrow)