Today's Devotion

Thursday, June 11, 2026 (St. Barnabas) - John 13:21-38

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Here, at the institution of the Lord’s Supper, we see yet another irony pointed out by John: a contrast between good and evil, between serving oneself at the expense of the innocent blood of another, and its opposite: shedding ones own innocent blood to serve others. Even as our Lord is giving His body and blood to His beloved, one of those whom Jesus loved is preparing to betray Him. Jesus knows this, and does not stop him. Jesus does not try to escape. Jesus does not use His knowledge of what is to circumvent His arrest, passion, cross, and death. Jesus does not use His mighty power to destroy Satan at this time, but allows Satan to enter one of His disciples, “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8).

In service to His beloved disciples and to the world that He loves (John 3:16), Jesus does not resist (Matt 5:39) – not even to prevent His own death. Here we see the freedom of perfect love as a contrast to the perfectly broken slavery to the devil. Here we see salvation accomplished not by divine force, but by divine mercy; not by a domination of will, but by a willful emptying of Himself to serve the beloved (Phil 2:7).

We also see the weakness of the disciples, whose first reaction to the revelation that one of them will betray Jesus is to immediately look to themselves in fear and doubt: “Is it I?” (Matt 26:22). Judas’s deception was so well executed that the rest of the disciples simply thought he was leaving to perform his ordinary duties as treasurer.

When Judas left, we see our Lord preaching about His glorification. He warns His beloved Eleven: “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek Me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” For Jesus goes to the cross alone, the only sinless Lamb to be offered for them and for the world. But Jesus does instruct the Eleven – and by extension, the whole church: “Love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” For by doing so, “all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Here our Lord tells Peter both the sad prophecy of his three denials, but also the good news that he will continue to “follow [Jesus] afterward.” Peter’s boast, “I will lay down my life for you” will happen in the distant future, but not now.

Just as Jesus has given the disciples His body and blood, just as He has set the example of service, just as He has established that the Eleven will be sent to administer the Supper of His body and blood, He now prepares to offer Himself as the sacrifice for “the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He will leave the disciples, but only temporarily, even as they will leave Him, but only for a little while. For “now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.”

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.