Thoughts on the Gospel of John (121) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2024

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
John 13:1

Thoughts on the Gospel of John (121)
Chapter 13 marks the beginning of a new section in John's Gospel. We want to read it especially carefully, because it presents the farewell words of Jesus. The Son of God is about to return to His Father and leave His disciples in this world. His teachings concern the time between Pentecost and His coming again, when He will receive all believers to Himself into the Father's house (ch. 14:2-3). The last chapter of this section (ch. 17) is the climax, where we hear the Son of God praying to His heavenly Father. He prays for everyone who belongs to Him!

In just a few hours the Passover would be celebrated; then Jesus would be crucified. But the Lord is not thinking here of the "hour" of His death, but of the time when He would leave the world. This would be a drastic change for the disciples. To the very end they had hoped that Christ would remain with them and establish His kingdom in Israel (cf. Mark 10:32-37; Acts 1:6).

It is both remarkable and beautiful that the Son of God speaks of believers here as "His own". These are the people for whom He laid down His life. They belong to Him completely, and thus they also belong to heaven. But now, in this evil world, they are left to take His place and to bear witness of Him. "His own" may be of little importance in the world and may experience its rejection, but they are precious in the eyes of the Lord. He loves them unceasingly. He never neglects them, but He carries and cares for them until He takes them to Himself.

Today's reading: Numbers 4:1-20 · Matthew 4:1-11