There are times in life when we simply don’t understand what God is doing. We make plans, but they fall apart. We pray, but the answers don’t come the way we expect. We try to follow Christ, but the path ahead is unclear. The disciples felt that uncertainty in the upper room. Tension filled the air as Jesus spoke of betrayal, and whispers spread. Moments earlier, He had said that one of them would hand Him over, and eyes darted around the table. Then Judas stood up, took the morsel from Jesus, and walked toward the door. The disciples watched in silence as the door opened and then shut. For a moment, no one spoke, and a deep uneasiness settled over them because something irreversible had begun. Then Jesus broke the silence with a stunning declaration:
John 13:31-32 NASB: Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.
This was the moment that set everything in motion. From this point on, there was no turning back. The road to the cross was now irrevocable. Judas’ betrayal was not a detour in God’s plan. It was a necessary step in the divine plan of redemption. Jesus was not caught off guard. He knew exactly what Judas would do. He knew the religious leaders were plotting against Him. And yet, He sent Judas out to do what had already been foreordained.
As soon as Judas left, Jesus made a stunning declaration. Not one of despair or fear, but one of victory. His words must have been hard for the disciples to process. They weren’t seeing what Jesus saw. They saw betrayal, loss, and darkness, but Jesus saw glory. He wasn’t mourning what was ahead. He was announcing His triumph. The cross was not a setback but the very moment of His glorification.
The problem was not that Jesus lacked clarity. The problem was that the disciples had the wrong definition of glory. They thought glory meant power, victory, and earthly success. They expected Jesus to conquer His enemies in a way that was visible and immediate. But even though they didn’t understand, they still needed to trust Him. And the same is true for us today. When the path is unclear, we must continue to…
Follow Jesus by trusting His definition of glory.
Glory is not a simple concept. It is weighty, multifaceted, and deeply significant. In Hebrew, the word for glory, kabod, literally means “weight” or “heaviness”—something solid, lasting, and important. In English, the word “matter” captures a similar idea. Matter is physical—something you can touch—but it also describes something that matters, something of great significance and value. When Jesus speaks of His glorification, He is revealing the ultimate reality of divine greatness—His perfect obedience, His suffering, and His exaltation. This is the true substance of glory.
But the disciples didn’t understand because they had the wrong definition of glory. In their minds, nothing about this moment looked glorious. Glory belonged to kings who won battles, not servants who suffered. They believed glory meant overthrowing Rome, not being arrested by Rome. But Jesus redefined glory. For Him, glory wasn’t about avoiding suffering. It was about obeying the Father through suffering. The world would see His death as shameful, but in reality, it was the ultimate revelation of God’s love, justice, and power. The cross was not a detour in His mission—it was the very purpose of His mission.
When Jesus says “Now is the Son of Man glorified” He is not just speaking about one moment. He is referring to His sacrificial death, resurrection, and exaltation as a single, unified event. Through these events, Jesus reveals the very nature of God—His perfect love, His unshakable justice, and His unmatched power. At first glance, the cross looks like shame and failure. The world sees weakness, humiliation, and defeat. But in reality, the cross is the radiant display of divine greatness. It is where God’s justice and mercy meet. It is where the weight of our sin is lifted and where the glory of God shines brightest. And this glory is not just something to observe—it transforms all who believe. The cross is not just an event in history. It is God’s power to change lives.
The continues by saying “God is glorified in Him”. The glory of the Son and the glory of the Father are inseparable. They are not two competing glories, but one unified display of divine greatness. His perfect obedience reveals the Father’s character—His holiness, His justice, His love. The cross does not shame the Father—it is the clearest revelation of who He is. Which is why Jesus can say “if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.” Because Jesus glorifies the Father, the Father will glorify the Son. But how? The Father will raise Him from the dead. The Father will exalt Him to His right hand. The Father will give Him the name above every name. And He will not delay. He will glorify Him immediately. This is not a distant promise—it is already set in motion. The cross is not the end of Jesus’ glory. It is the beginning of His exaltation.
Philippians 2:8-9 NASB Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
The cross and the resurrection cannot be separated. Jesus’ humiliation and His exaltation are one unified event in God’s plan. And just as the Son glorifies the Father through His obedience, the Father glorifies the Son through His resurrection and exaltation. This is the glory of God at work—not just in Christ, but in all who believe. And this is why Jesus calls us to follow Him down this same path…
Glory comes through surrendering in obedience and sacrifice, not striving for personal achievement.
To the secular mind, this way of thinking is irrational. The idea that glory is found in obedience, that suffering is meaningful, and that worship should continue in hardship seems absurd. The world tells us that glory is found in self-advancement, success, comfort, and control. It preaches that suffering should be avoided at all costs, that hardship is meaningless, and that if there is a God, He exists to make our lives easier, not to call us into suffering.
Even as Christians, we drift toward this secular way of thinking. We assume that if God is pleased with us, life should be smooth and successful. We subtly believe that bigger is better, that influence is everything, and that if we are truly in God’s will, doors will always open easily. When suffering comes, we start questioning, Why is this happening? Where is God? We are tempted to think that if we experience loss, setbacks, or pain, something must be wrong.
But Jesus completely upends this mindset. He teaches us that the greatest glory is not found in self-exaltation but in self-denial. His own path to exaltation went through the cross, not around it (Philippians 2:8-9). If we truly follow Him, our lives will look more like His—marked not by worldly triumph but by humble obedience, costly faithfulness, and suffering that leads to glory (2 Timothy 3:12).
This is not an easy truth to accept. Everything in us wants to cling to comfort, pursue security, and control our circumstances. But Jesus calls us to lose our lives for His sake so that we might find true life in Him:
Matthew 16:24-25 NASB Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
To the world, this is foolishness. To the Christian swayed by secular thinking, it is unsettling. But to those who trust Christ, it is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). Are you defining glory the way Jesus does, or allowing the world to define it for you? Will you embrace hardship as part of His purpose and worship Him in every season?
The glory Jesus speaks of is not a fleeting, human recognition. It is the eternal, weighty, and transformative glory of God Himself. If we do not see the glory of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and exaltation as He sees it, we will never love like He loves. And if we do not love like He loves, our submission to Him will always be conditional. Everything in the Christian life flows from seeing Jesus’ glory rightly.
After speaking of His glorification, Jesus turns His attention to His disciples addressing them as “Little children”:
John 13:33 NASB “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
Like a father preparing his children for something difficult. The disciples had been following Him everywhere for three years. They had walked beside Him, learned from Him, shared meals with Him, and seen His miracles firsthand. And now, He tells them: “Where I am going, you cannot come.” Imagine their confusion. They had left everything to follow Him, and now He was leaving without them. But Jesus isn’t abandoning them, He is preparing them. His departure is not the end of their calling—it is the beginning of something greater. His presence will no longer be beside them—His presence will be inside them.
But His departure would change everything. Up until now, Jesus had been the center of their unity—the One they followed, the One who guided them, the One who held them together. But soon, He would no longer be physically among them. What would hold them together when He was gone? How would they carry on without Him? Jesus gives them the answer—not in a strategy but in a command that would define them. A command that would not only keep them unified but would also become the very mark of their identity in the world.
John 13:34 NASB: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
This command is not just another moral teaching. It is a complete redefinition of love. Just as Jesus had redefined glory as obedience and sacrifice, He now redefines love in the same way. The disciples had known love through friendship, family, and tradition. But Jesus is calling them to a love that lays itself down, serves the unworthy, and endures beyond feeling or convenience. If what is most important to Him isn’t important to you, you will never love the way He commands. True love flows from valuing what Jesus values. And if this is how Jesus defines love, then it must be how we define love as well. There will be times when following Him is uncertain, confusing, or costly. But when the path is unclear, we will only navigate it rightly if we continue to…
Follow Jesus by loving like He loved.
At first, Jesus’ command doesn’t sound new. Leviticus 19:18 had already commanded, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” So why does Jesus call this “a new commandment”? Because the standard of love has changed. Under the Law, people were called to love others as they loved themselves. But Jesus calls them to a greater love—to love as He has loved. This raises a crucial question:
How did Jesus love them? He loved sacrificially, laying down His life for them. He loved humbly, serving them, even washing their feet. He loved faithfully, even though they were weak, sinful, and flawed.
But can anyone in the world choose to love like this? The kind of love Jesus commands is not natural to the human heart. Our instinct is to love when it’s easy, when it benefits us, or when we feel like it. But Jesus’ love is different—it is self-sacrificial, unconditional, and supernatural. This is not a love that we can produce on our own. It must flow from knowing Christ, being transformed by His Spirit, and valuing what He values.
1 John 4:7-8 NASB Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
True Christlike love is evidence of the new birth. Those who do not know God may express kindness, generosity, or even deep affection, but they cannot love as Jesus loves. His love is rooted in divine glory, fueled by the Spirit, and displayed most fully in His sacrifice on the cross. Without being born again, a person may try to imitate this love, but they cannot sustain it—because it is a love that originates in God Himself. This is the kind of love He commands us to show—not a love based on feelings, convenience, or mutual benefit, but a love that mirrors His own.
Jesus doesn’t just command us to love like this—He tells us why it is essential:
John 13:35 NASB: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jesus could have said many things here, but notice what He does not say. They will know you are My disciples by your knowledge of Scripture. They will know you are My disciples by your church participation. They will know you are My disciples by your social action. All of these things matter, but Jesus points to one thing as the defining mark of a disciple—love. This means that how we treat one another in the body of Christ is a direct reflection of who we belong to. When the world looks at how Christians love, serve, and forgive each other, they should see Jesus. And if they don’t? Francis Schaeffer puts it bluntly: “Jesus gives the world the right to decide whether or not we are true Christians based upon our observable love for one another.”
If we are honest, Christians don’t always reflect this kind of love well. We let petty differences divide us. We hold grudges instead of offering grace. We criticize, complain, and tear each other down. But when we love as Jesus loved, the world takes notice. It sees something supernatural, something different—something it cannot explain. And this is why, when the path is unclear, we must continue to follow Jesus by loving like He loved. You know that you are loving like Jesus when you…
Love sacrificially, even when it costs you.
Jesus’ love was costly. It led Him to the cross.
1 John 3:16 NASB We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Loving like Jesus requires sacrifice. We see glimpses of this in the world. A humanitarian might die for a cause. A soldier may give his life for his country. A parent sacrifices daily for their child’s well-being. These are commendable and reflect God’s common grace to our broken world. But there’s a deeper distinction we must not miss. While unbelievers can perform actions that resemble love, true Christian love flows from a fundamentally different source. As John Piper puts it, “Love is the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others.”
Jesus didn’t die merely for a noble cause. He died to reconcile sinners to God—a purpose that transcends all earthly motivations. The difference isn’t just in the action—it’s in the foundation. Even the most admirable worldly love often stems from self-interest: a desire for purpose, virtue, or meaning. But Christlike love flows from union with Christ Himself.
That’s why, when we love like Jesus, we aren’t just copying Him—we are participating in His love. We don’t draw from our own reserves; we draw from the infinite well of God’s love through us. This is what it means to love sacrificially. It means putting others first—even when it’s inconvenient. It might look like giving time to someone in need, showing kindness to someone who hurt you, or forgiving when it feels undeserved.
True love costs us something. But if we love like Jesus, we will be willing to pay that cost—not to earn God’s favor, but because His favor has already transformed us. This is the “new commandment” Jesus gives us: to love with His love, from His love, and for His glory.
Love humbly, without seeking recognition.
Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself to wash the feet of His disciples.
Philippians 2:3-4 NASB: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Loving like Jesus means we don’t love to be seen, praised, or admired. We love because Christ first loved us. This means serving without expecting anything in return. It means lifting others up instead of seeking our own recognition. It means being willing to do the unnoticed, unglamorous work of love. True love isn’t self-serving—it is self-giving.
Love faithfully, even when it’s hard.
Jesus loved His disciples to the end (John 13:1), even though they doubted, denied, and abandoned Him.
Colossians 3:12-13 NASB So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Loving like Jesus means loving even when people fail us. It means choosing forgiveness over resentment. It means choosing patience over irritation. It means choosing grace over judgment. True love endures—because that is how Jesus loves us.
Are you known for this kind of love? Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” This means that our love for one another is not optional—it is essential. The world is watching. Our families are watching. Our communities are watching. When people look at how we love one another, do they see Jesus? And if love is mostly absent from your life, you should seriously examine whether you have been born of God—because John says, “the one who does not love does not know God.”
1 John 4:8 NASB The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
We cannot follow Jesus without loving like Jesus. But let’s be honest—it also feels impossible. Who among us can love like that? Our natural response is to try harder. To prove ourselves. To promise more. That’s exactly what Peter did next. After all Jesus had just said about glory and love, Peter still couldn’t see the path clearly. He didn’t yet understand that following Jesus wasn’t about bold promises or personal resolve, but about trusting Him enough to…
Follow Jesus by submitting, not striving.
Peter had just heard Jesus speak of glory, love, and departure. But his mind went straight to one thing: “Where are You going?” He wasn’t thinking about God’s glory or the command to love. He was thinking about loss—about being left behind.
John 13:36 NASB Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.”
Jesus’ response is both sobering and hopeful. It’s sobering, because Peter was not ready. It’s hopeful, because Jesus was not done with him. Peter didn’t yet realize that the path of following Jesus would lead through the cross, and he wasn’t spiritually prepared to walk that path.
Jesus knew Peter’s heart. He knew the strength of his desire, but He also knew the weakness of his will. He tells Peter the truth with clarity and compassion: Not now. But later. Peter didn’t want to wait. His heart was loyal, his intentions were noble, but his perspective was still clouded by self-confidence.
John 13:37-38 NASB Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.
Peter couldn’t bear the idea of separation. So he did what many of us do: he defaulted to striving. He made a bold promise. But Jesus, with both honesty and tenderness, exposes Peter’s limitation: “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly… before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” To lay down one’s life in this sense means complete obedience to the Father and perfect love for men—neither of which Peter yet possesses.
Peter’s problem wasn’t a lack of zeal—it was a lack of self-awareness. He didn’t yet understand that you don’t follow Jesus into suffering by trying harder. You follow Jesus by trusting deeper. And yet, Jesus’ words to Peter hold redemptive weight. Peter would one day follow Jesus into suffering, even into death.
Peter’s failure was coming—but so was his restoration. In the moment of trauma, Peter would not lay down his life for Jesus, but deny Him. Yet his time would come. Jesus knew Peter’s weakness, but He also knew Peter’s future. “You will follow later.” That’s grace.
Jesus was showing Peter, and He’s showing us, that the life of discipleship is not driven by ambition but by surrender. Peter’s story is a case of “seeking to lead when he should be following” (Carson). We don’t become faithful followers through determination alone. We become faithful followers by daily submitting to Jesus, relying on His strength, and trusting that He knows when we’re ready—and where He’s leading. The path ahead may feel unclear, but Jesus knows the way—and He walks ahead of us, faithful, patient, and full of grace.
Rest in Christ when the path is unclear.
There’s a strange contradiction in all of us. We would never say aloud that we’re trying to earn God’s love, yet our lives often betray a different reality. When the path becomes unclear—when we face suffering, when relationships fracture, when success eludes us—our instinct is to double down on our efforts. Like Peter, we make bold declarations: “I will never deny you. I will follow you anywhere.” But beneath those words often lies the unspoken belief: “If I just try harder—if I’m dedicated enough, sacrificial enough, faithful enough—I can earn my way into God’s good graces.”
This striving is not just a religious problem. Even in our secular culture, you can see this same pattern. The relentless pursuit of achievement, the crushing weight of others’ expectations, the desperate need to prove your worth. We all carry this burden of performance, this need to justify our existence.
But the glory of the gospel is this striking paradox: you will never be good enough—and you don’t have to be.
Think again about what happened in that upper room. What did Jesus do? The Lord of the universe, wrapped a towel around his waist, knelt, and washed his disciples’ feet—even the feet of Judas who would betray him, even the feet of Peter who would deny him. And then he said, “I have set you an example.” Jesus redefines glory not as ascent to power but as descent into love.
C.S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.” That’s what happened when Jesus washed those feet. That’s what happened when he went to the cross. Jesus wasn’t thinking less of his glory; he was thinking of you more than his comfort.
Here’s the heart of our passage: God is your Creator, and as such, he rightfully owns your allegiance. But we’ve all rejected his authority and lived for ourselves. That’s the essence of sin—not just breaking rules, but breaking relationship with the One who made us. And because of this cosmic treason, we rightfully stand under God’s judgment.
In Jesus Christ, God himself stepped into our world—not to condemn us for our rebellion but to rescue us from it. He lived the perfectly faithful human life that none of us could live. He died the death that our rebellion deserved.
What Peter couldn’t grasp—what we often can’t grasp—is that we don’t bring anything to this transaction. On the cross, Jesus didn’t make a down payment that we complete through our spiritual efforts. He paid it all. ‘It is finished’ wasn’t metaphor. It was reality. If you’ve never trusted in Christ alone to make you right with God, today can be the day you stop striving and start resting. And if you do trust Him—here’s what that grace means for you…
Grace changes everything.
When the path feels unclear, when you don’t understand what God is doing, when you feel inadequate to the task before you—remember this: You can stand before God knowing that He doesn’t depend on your performance but on Christ’s. Your identity isn’t rooted in your success but in his love.
This is why Peter’s story doesn’t end with his failure. After the resurrection, Jesus specifically sought Peter out. Three times Peter had denied him; three times Jesus asked, “Do you love me?” And then—here’s the miracle—Jesus recommissioned the very man who had failed him most publicly.
That’s grace. God’s unmerited love that gives us what we don’t deserve and could never earn. This grace doesn’t just forgive us; it transforms us. When you truly grasp that you are fully known yet fully loved in Christ, it changes everything. You no longer need to prove your worth. You no longer need to posture or pretend. You can finally rest in simply belong to Him. And from that place of rest—not striving—you can follow Jesus even when the path is unclear. You can trust his definition of glory, even when it means taking the lower place. You can love as he loved, even when it costs you everything. You can submit rather than strive, because your life is hidden with Christ in God.
