Slices
Prepare
Think of a time when you said goodbye to someone you loved. What was said? How did it feel?
Bible passage
Jesus predicts Peter’s denial
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 ‘My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: where I am going, you cannot come.
34 ‘A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’
36 Simon Peter asked him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’
Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.’
37 Peter asked, ‘Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’
38 Then Jesus answered, ‘Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times!
Explore
Now. It’s happening now, Jesus is saying. This is what it looks like for the Son of Man to be glorified... Time is running out. Judas is on his way to the soldiers (see 18:3). And so, Jesus draws the disciples closer to him, deeper into an understanding of his identity and mission, his heart and mind. He will later offer comfort (14:1,16), but here the themes of love and glory fuse together (vs 31,32,34,35; see 12:23; 13:14) in this ‘new command’ (v 34). When he is no longer on the earth, the disciples’ love will point to Jesus (v 35).
Chapters 14–16 are known as the ‘farewell discourses’ (see also Genesis 49; Deuteronomy 33). Jesus’ farewell is framed with compassion for his disciples: ‘little children’ or ‘my children’ (v 33). The unusual language here, not used again in John’s Gospel, reminds us instead of 1 John (eg 2:12), and places Jesus as the Father at the head of the table.
We haven’t got long. Lean in. Listen. Take these words and hold on to them, because you’ll need them later, when everything feels even more dark and confusing. You’ll need each other. You’ll need to keep loving.
Respond
Pray: ‘Loving Jesus, help me to lean in and hear your words. I want to know your voice and listen to what is on your heart.’
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 44–46; Psalm 119:49–72
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for the Board as it meets today to reflect on the wider issues of governance, strategy and finance facing the movement. Pray for understanding of the issues and God’s wisdom in decision-making and planning.
