Jesus would be arrested later that night. He would be beaten and mocked by the temple guards and the Jewish leaders. He would be handed over to the Romans, who would also brutally beat and taunt him. He would then die in a manner that had been devised by man to be as humiliating and painful as possible. While He hung on the cross, He would be mocked again by the crowd. But Jesus said: “Now, the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” Just as Jesus gave the disciples a new standard of leadership, He gave them a new standard of glory. The Son of Man would be glorified while His enemies thought He was humiliated. He was faithful to the Father. He was obedient to do all that He was sent to do. He willingly suffered all the shame and pain to save us from our sins. Because of His faithfulness, obedience and sacrifice, He is honored above all.
In verse 34, Jesus gave the disciples a new command: “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.” It is no coincidence that He gave them this commandment after washing their feet. We love each other by serving each other. We love each other by seeing others’ needs as more important than our own, by focusing our efforts on meeting those needs. And Jesus told them that people will know we are His disciples if we love one another.
Think and pray about your life. Do people see the love of Christ in your life? Can the world see that you follow Jesus because of your love for your brothers and sisters in Christ?