In this passage, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment to “love one another”. Jesus gives this commandment after washing the disciples feet and predicting that he would be betrayed. One thing that is easy to miss about the beginning of this passage is that the “he” mentioned in verse 21 is Judas. Jesus had just told Judas to go do what he was going to do, in other words, to betray Jesus. It’s immediately after Judas leaves to betray Jesus that he tells the disciples to love one another. 

Maybe the most confusing part of this passage is all the talk about ‘glory’. What does Jesus mean about God being glorified and being glorified “in himself” and “immediately”? I think that Jesus means that we’ve come to know God through Jesus’ life and ministry. We and the disciples have seen the miracles and the compassion of Jesus and have come to believe that’s who God the Father is for us, too. As for the glory that will come “immediately”, I assume that Jesus means the glory that will be shown in his crucifixion more than in his resurrection. The two go together, but it’s important to remember that Jesus is enthroned as our king on the cross. It’s there that we see how much Jesus and the Father truly love us. 

And that love brings us back to the commandment of the passage. As Jesus has demonstrated his love, through his ministry, the foot washing, and his self-sacrifice on the cross, we should show our love for one another through our words and actions. Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. 

Showing each other love is a good thing, in-and-of itself. But it is also a tool of evangelism. People saw the love early Christians showed each other, and even to strangers outside the church, and decided that they wanted what Christians had. They saw that love and knew that we Christians were Christ’s disciples! As it was true back then, may it be true now as we show others the love of Jesus through our words and deeds. Amen!