The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14.

We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15.

This is a remarkable chapter, John 13. It shows us the tenderness of Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. v. 1-5. Imagine being there and seeing Jesus, the Son, doing this for you. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.” So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?” v. 6-12. Do we know, do we understand? Who is willing to wash our feet, and who are we willing to let wash our feet? “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’ (Psalm 41:9). From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” v. 13-20. I keep thinking about the difference between this Passover meal and the original Passover meal that continued to be observed even to this very meal Jesus shared with His disciples. Now Jesus, the Son, is sharing this meal with them, and teaching them how to truly love and serve as does the Father and the Holy Spirit, and as does Jesus today. When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus then answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast”; or else, that he should give something to the poor. So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately, and it was night. v. 21-30. I can’t begin to imagine what that was like. Coming to the point where you love Creator God, and receive His love, I can’t imagine ever wanting to leave Him. Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 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.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” 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.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 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.” v. 31-38. How will we know that we or anyone is a disciple of Jesus, the Son? If you have love for one another. Do we truly have love for one another? Not without the help of the Holy Spirit guiding us to the Father and to Jesus. Simon Peter couldn’t follow Jesus that night to where He was going, and neither can we until it is our time to do so. Then we will follow. Have we been following Jesus, as He commands, now in this life? Judas turned away. The disciples went on to love Jesus and to love others; and in that love they were led to follow Jesus then and every day until that time they followed Him in their own deaths to be with Him forever. Jesus needed them to continue to learn from Him as He led them by the Holy Spirit to include Jews as well as Gentiles into the Father’s love; that was new and unheard of! Hating others is not following Jesus now. So by this criteria, by this commandment Jesus gave, we can know – and by this commandment – we will be led by the Holy Spirit to new life lived now with Creator God. It’s a different way of life and it is not easy in this world filled with hate for others. But by trusting Creator God who commanded us to love one another, we can begin – and we can trust Him for everyone else in this world. It will always be a choice for each one of us as we learn with His help. I loved this verse above…Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. How will we know whom Jesus sends to help us understand? For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you...A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. How will we know if we never read Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit guiding our understanding? How will we know without closeness with God that He gives as we ask? There is such a difference in life lived with God. With Him we find our true meaning for life that is eternal. With Him we find Love that is real. With Him we find help to follow as He leads us Home to the Father’s Love. There is no other way.