He Predicts

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"

John 13:34-35

This chapter of John outlines His predictions of His death. This chapter outlines the concern that His disciples have for Him, but shows that their understanding is still only human. This chapter begins the coming of the end. But as a believer you know that this begins, the coming of the new beginning.

As He washes the feet of the disciples He shares about the modeling that He is doing to show them how to treat each other. He shows them, that even though He is called Lord and Teacher, He is still willing and able to do something for them that would generally be beneath Him. He teaches them this as a means to show them that no matter the status of someone amongst them, they are always to be willing and able to do something beneath that status for the purpose of the glory of God. (John 13:7-17). This leads up to the new commandment that He gives them at the end of this chapter.

Here is John 13:7-7 for reference:

Jesus replied,“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean,though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

John 13:20 He reminds His disciples that "very truly I tell you whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." This predicts the future of sending out the disciples to the world to show the love that He has for the world through His actions. This predicts the value and importance of His death and eventually His rising from the dead. He follows this with the "troubled in spirit" (John 13:21) sharing of the betrayal that is to come from one of those that has stood beside Him. Here you are reminded that even those who follow Him, and believe in Him, can and will make choices that do not align with Him. But in the end, He still uses this all for the Glory of God. He tells Simon Peter that he will deny Him. Again, a believer standing down because of the world, but He does not say this to harm Simon Peter but to show again the Glory of God.

These predictions and this chapter connect you with the experiences of depression and anxiety through the awareness that while these things are bound to happen in your life or in the lives of those around you (again this does not have to be a clinical depression or anxiety it can be just life events). These things that are bound to happen, such as the betrayal from Judas and the denying from Simon Peter, God can still use it for His glory. These two predictions, the betrayal and the denying, for a moment separated the individuals from Him, but it does not have to define the relationship they have with Him. Depression and anxiety may separate you from Him, but it does not have to define your relationship with Him. The side effects of depression and anxiety may be betraying Him or denying Him, but in the end He can and does use it for the glory of God.

And the new commandment: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). This does not change with your mental status, or the mental status of those around you. Loving one another does not become less important because of the mental status. In fact, it is the way that others know that you are one of His disciples. Though depression and anxiety may make it hard at time, these experiences do not change the commandment. His predictions pave the way for this love to exist, because He models it through His carrying the the cross for the things that you should be carrying.

Scripture:

John 13

John 13:7-17

John 13:20

John 13:21

John 13:34-35

Questions:

How do the experiences of depression and anxiety change the way that you follow the new commandment: Love one another?

Where are you willing and able to put others before yourself?

How have you seen your experiences used for the Glory of God? Does this change your current and future experiences knowing that He can and does use it all?

Prayer:

Lord, Heavenly Father. Thank you for sending your son to the cross that we should have carried. Thank you for loving us enough to show us the love that is righteous. I pray for those who are searching for love. I pray for those who feel that it is lost because of the experiences of depression and anxiety. Lord, I have seen the glory that is yours, and I pray that others may see this too. I pray that through the reflection that they do today that they see all that you have done and that through their struggles and through their darkness you continue to be glorified. I pray for those who are in the symptoms of depression and anxiety, and I pray for those who are watching it unfold in those around them. May they come to your open arms and find comfort. In your son's name. Amen.