Jesus knew his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. John 13:1
“Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35
Lord Jesus, having shared eternal glory with your loving Father, you now showed measureless grace to your needy disciples. You loved them well for 3 years—in full view of their brokenness, competition, and unbelief. Events of the next 24 hours would demonstrate “full extent of your love”—beginning with washing their feet.
The humility you showed disrobing to clean their feet, was just a preview of the humiliation you were to endure. Stripped, shamed, and nailed to the cross… to cleanse their hearts, and ours, once and for all (Heb. 10:11-14).
What wondrous love is this, indeed—how wide, long, high, and deep (Eph. 3:14-19). “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NLT). Jesus thank you for loving us extravagantly, fully, joyfully, wondrously.
How then shall we respond? “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). This is the “New-and-never-ending-Command” you’ve given us. Your love, grace, and the Spirit’s power are the “now-and-forever-sufficient-supply” we must have to take seriously the “must love” of your command.
Jesus, keep making the “full extent of your love” 100 times more real to us, than the “full extent” of our struggle to love certain people. (Jesus knows who that is for us, but let’s name them in prayer right now). So Very Amen.