John 13:31 - Meaning and Application

This part, and what follows to the end of chapter 14, was Christ’s table talk with his disciples. After supper, Judas went out. But what did the Master and the disciples do at the table? They turned to useful conversation, teaching us to make table talk helpful for faith.

Christ begins this conversation. The more ready we are, in humility, to lead talk toward what is good and edifying, the more like Jesus Christ we are. People who, because of their position, reputation, or gifts, naturally hold the attention of others should use that influence to do good.

Our Lord speaks with them here, and likely much more fully than this record shows, about the great mystery of his own death and suffering. The disciples were still in the dark about it. They could not even bring themselves to expect it, much less understand what it meant. So Christ gave them teaching that would remove the offense of the cross.

He did not begin this teaching until Judas had gone out, because Judas was a false brother. The presence of wicked people often blocks good conversation. When Judas was gone, Christ said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified.” Judas had been a stain on their love feast and a shame to their household, so now Christ says he is glorified. The point is that Christ is honored when Christian communities are cleaned up, because corruption in his church dishonors him, and removing it takes away that shame.

Or rather, Judas had gone out to set things in motion so that Christ would soon be put to death. So Christ says, “Now the Son of Man is glorified,” meaning, now he is about to be crucified.

Here Christ teaches them something about his sufferings that is deeply comforting. First, he tells them that he himself will be glorified in them. Though the Son of Man was about to suffer the greatest shame and disgrace, and though both friends and enemies would dishonor him, yet he says, “Now he is glorified.” For now he would win a glorious victory over Satan and all the powers of darkness, spoil them, and triumph over them. He was, as it were, putting on armor to go into battle against these enemies of God and man.

He would also bring a glorious rescue for his people. By his death he would bring them back to God, and he would establish lasting righteousness and happiness for them. He would shed blood that would become an endless source of joy and blessing for all who believe. And he would also give a glorious example of self-denial, patience under suffering, courage, disregard for the world, zeal for God’s glory, and love for human souls. That example would make him worthy of lasting honor.

Christ had already been glorified by many miracles, yet he speaks of being glorified now in his sufferings, as if that were greater than all his other glory in his humble life.

Second, he teaches them that the Father would be glorified in his sufferings. Christ’s sufferings satisfied God’s justice, and so God was glorified in them. The wrong done to God’s honor by human sin was repaired in a rich and full way. The demands of the law were fully answered, and the honor of God’s rule was strongly upheld. His sufferings also revealed God’s holiness and mercy. God’s qualities shine in creation and providence, but they shine even more brightly in redemption (Colossians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 4:6). God is love, and in this he has shown his love clearly.

Third, Christ says he himself would be greatly glorified after his sufferings, because God would be greatly glorified by them, John 13:32. Notice how fully he speaks of this. He is certain that God will glorify him, and those whom God glorifies are truly glorious. Earth and hell tried to make Christ look worthless, but God had determined to glorify him, and he did. God glorified him in his sufferings through amazing signs in heaven and on earth that attended them, even leading his crucifiers to admit that he was the Son of God. But especially after his suffering, God glorified him when he seated him at his own right hand and gave him the name above every name.

Christ says God will glorify him “in himself.” That may mean, first, in Christ himself, in his own person, not only in his kingdom among people. That would include his quick resurrection. An ordinary person may be honored after death only in memory or through descendants, but Christ was honored in himself. Or it may mean, second, in God himself, as John 17:5 explains. He will sit with the Father on his throne (Revelation 3:21). This is true glory.

He also says God will glorify him “straightway.” Christ saw the joy and glory ahead of him as not only great, but near. His sorrows were short and would soon be over. Good service done for earthly rulers often waits a long time for reward, but Christ received his exaltation at once. It was only about forty hours, or not much more, from his death to his resurrection, and forty days from then to his ascension. So it was fitting to say that he was glorified straightway (Psalm 16:10).

All of this came because God was glorified in and through Christ’s suffering. Since God received honor from it, he would in the same way honor Christ. In Christ’s exaltation, there was a clear regard for his humiliation, and a reward for it. Because he humbled himself, God highly exalted him. If the Father gained so much glory through the death of Christ, we can be sure the Son would lose nothing. See the covenant between them (Isaiah 53:12). And those who work to glorify God will surely share in the happiness of being glorified with him.

Christ then teaches them something else about his sufferings, and this part is meant to wake them up, because they were still slow to understand it, John 13:33. He calls them “little children,” which shows his tenderness and care more than their weakness. He speaks like a father who is about to leave them, but will leave blessings with them. “Yet a little while I am with you.” Whether this means his death or his ascension, the point is the same, he had only a short time left with them. So they should make the most of the opportunity they had now.

If they had any good question to ask, any advice to seek, any instruction or comfort to receive, they should speak quickly, because he would be with them only a little longer. We must make full use of the helps for our souls while we have them, because we will not have them long. Either they will be taken from us, or we will be taken from them.

They must not cling to his bodily presence, as if all their happiness and comfort depended on it. They needed to learn to live without it, and not stay like little children who always need a nurse. The means God appoints are only for a time. We must not rest in them, but pass through them to the rest they point us toward.

He also teaches them that following him into the other world, to be with him there, would be very hard. What he had said to the Jews (John 7:34), he now says to his disciples. Even believers need to be stirred up by the same warnings and thoughts that awaken sinners. Christ tells them, first, that when he was gone they would feel the loss of him. “You will seek me,” meaning, “you will wish I were with you again.”

We often learn the value of blessings by missing them. Even though the Comforter would truly help them in trouble, that would not give the same visible comfort as Christ’s bodily presence had given those who were used to it. Christ said to the Jews, “You will seek me and will not find me,” but to the disciples he simply says, “You will seek me.” That suggests that even if they would no longer have his bodily presence, they would not seek in vain. When they looked for his body in the tomb, and did not find it, they still sought to good purpose.

Second, he tells them that where he was going, they could not come. This should lift their thoughts toward him, since he was going to an unseen and unreachable world, to live in a light no one can approach (1 Timothy 6:16). It should also humble them and make them think seriously about their own future state. Christ says they could not follow him, as Joshua told the people they could not serve the Lord, not to discourage them, but to make them more diligent.

They could not follow him to his cross, because they lacked courage and steady resolve. This was shown when they all left him and fled. They also could not follow him to his crown, because they did not yet have enough in themselves, and their work and struggle were not finished.

He then speaks to them about the great duty of brotherly love (John 13:34-35): “You shall love one another.” Judas had just gone out and shown himself to be a false brother, but they must not let that make them suspicious of one another in a way that would destroy love. Even if there was one Judas among them, they were not all Judases. Since the hatred of the Jews against Christ and his followers was now growing stronger, and they should expect to be treated as their Master had been, brotherly love was needed to strengthen one another.

He gives three reasons for this mutual love. First, it is the command of their Master (John 13:34). “A new commandment I give to you.” He does more than praise it as lovely or recommend it as useful. He commands it and makes it one of the basic laws of his kingdom. It stands beside the command to believe in Christ (1 John 3:23; 1 Peter 1:22). It is the command of our ruler, who has the right to make laws for us. It is also the command of our Redeemer, who gives this law to heal our spiritual sickness and prepare us for eternal joy.

It is a new commandment in several ways. First, it is renewed. It was a command from the beginning (1 John 2:7), as old as the law of nature, and it was the second great command of Moses’ law. Yet because it is also one of the great commands of the New Testament, given by Christ the new Lawgiver, it is called new. It is like an old book in a new edition, corrected and expanded. Jewish tradition had so twisted this command that when Christ brought it back and set it in the right light, it could truly be called new. Revenge and payback were so common, and self-love so strong, that brotherly love had been treated as outdated. So, as it came from Christ, it was new to the people.

Second, it is an excellent command, like a new song that has a special and pleasing beauty. Third, it is an everlasting command, so new that it will always remain new. Like the new covenant, which will never decay (Hebrews 8:13), it will still be fresh for all eternity, even when faith and hope are no longer needed. Fourth, as Christ gives it, it is new in another way. Before, the command was, “Love your neighbor.” Now it is, “Love one another.” It is pressed on us in a more winning way when it is given as a mutual duty we owe each other.

Second, their Savior’s example is another reason for brotherly love: “As I have loved you.” This is part of what makes it a new commandment, because this rule and reason for love had been hidden for ages and generations. This may be understood of all the ways Christ had already loved his disciples during the time he had walked among them. He spoke kindly to them, cared deeply for them and their good, taught, counseled, and comforted them, prayed with them and for them, defended them when others accused them, stood by them when they were put down, and openly said they were dearer to him than his mother, sister, or brother.

He also corrected them when they were wrong, yet bore patiently with their weaknesses. He excused them, made the best of them, and passed over many mistakes. In this way he had loved them, and just now he had washed their feet. In the same way, they must love one another, and love to the end. Or it may be understood of the special act of love he was about to show all his disciples by laying down his life for them. “Greater love has no one than this” (John 15:13). If he has loved us like that, he can rightly expect us to love one another.

We cannot do anything of the same kind for each other (Psalm 49:7), but we must love one another in a way that reflects his love. We should use him as our pattern and follow his directions. Our love for one another must be free and ready, willing to labor and spend, steady and lasting. It must especially be a love for one another’s souls. We should also love one another because Christ has loved us. See Romans 15:1, Romans 15:3, Ephesians 5:2, Ephesians 5:25, Philippians 2:1-5.

Third, the honor of their profession is another reason (John 13:35): “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We must have love, not just show love. It must be rooted in us as a habit, ready even when there is no immediate chance to prove it. By this, people will see that we truly follow Christ, because we follow him in this also.

Brotherly love is the mark of Christ’s disciples. Christ knows his people by it, they can know themselves by it (1 John 2:14), and others can know them by it too. It is the clothing of his family, the clear sign of his followers, and the thing he wants them known for, their love for one another. This was what their Master was known for. Everyone who has heard of him has heard of his great love. So if people see a group loving one another more warmly than is usual, they may rightly say, “These are followers of Christ. They have been with Jesus.”

This shows, first, how much Christ wanted his disciples to love one another. In this they were to stand apart. The world’s way is for each person to look out for himself, but Christ’s people should care deeply for one another. He does not say, “By this people will know you are my disciples if you work miracles,” because a miracle-worker without love is nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1, 1 Corinthians 13:2). He says it is love, love that comes from self-denial and thankfulness to Christ. Christ wanted this to be the special mark of his religion, the main sign of the true church.

Second, it is a great honor for Christ’s disciples to be known for brotherly love. Nothing will do more to win the respect and goodwill of others. See how strong an attraction this was in Acts 2:46, Acts 2:47. Tertullian says this was the glory of the early church, that Christians were known by their affection for one another. Even their enemies noticed it and said, “See how these Christians love one another” (Apology, chapter 39).

Third, if Christ’s followers do not love one another, they bring shame on their faith and give reason to doubt their sincerity. O Jesus, are these your Christians, these angry, malicious, spiteful, ill-tempered people? Is this your Son’s coat? When our brothers and sisters need help from us, and we have a chance to serve them, or when they differ from us in belief or practice, or even compete with us or annoy us, then we have the very situations that show whether we carry this badge of Christ’s disciples.