The night when the shadow of death was approaching the Lord did not look after himself, but he was concerned about his disciples who would be left behind. Knowing that the disciples to face all kinds of hardships, he exhorted and taught the most important messages one by one, which the disciples were to engrave in their hearts. As the Lord was despised and persecuted, he warned that for the true Christian opposition is inevitable.[1] The Lord said that all the hatred and persecution come because they have not truly known God and Jesus Christ. The Lord was expecting the disciples to gain wisdom from his last words, with which overcome the coming conflicts.
In the place where the death was waiting for, the place where indescribable dreadful passion of the cross was waiting for and anyone will be confined by his own situation–even in this place the Lord still loved the disciples.
Observe the one fallen in love. If he is in true love, the center of all his thoughts and perception is not on him but shifts to the one he loves. He worries about the need and wellbeing of his beloved before looking after his own welfare.
Because of love, the Lord thought of the future of his beloved disciples ahead of his own imminent death. If he had been with the disciples, he would have warded off and carried all the persecution before them. He did not say this word about the coming adversaries from the beginning. But now the time came for him to leave. He now poured out his things and exhorted them. Though the disciples may not know all things now, believing that they will remember the words of the Lord later when they face the time, he counseled them in love, in his faith.
Yet, none of the disciples asked where he was going. Of course, Peter and Thomas had asked the Lord questions about his departure; the Lord obviously had not forgotten that. But they had not asked him where he was going in the sense meant here.[2] The Lord was not waiting for their questions of worries, which only concerned about their own destiny of being left alone after the Lord’s departure. Rather, he was waiting for questions that reciprocate this love.
Surely, they could have asked him that: “What will this departure mean to you?” In their selfishness all they could think of was their sorrow. In their love they might have talked about the happiness his departure would mean to him. If they had been a little less selfish and a little more loving, thoughts of his departure would have been tinctured with thoughts of the glory and joy that were soon to be his.[3] “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I” (14:28). If their thoughts had been centered on the Lord, they could have rejoiced that he was going to the Father who is greater than him.
The Lord embraced with his eternally unswerving love but eventually all the disciples proved they had not yet realized this love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
Are we the ones whose eyes are open to the love of the Lord?
[1] Morris, The Gospel According to John, 600.
[2] Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of John, 301.
[3] Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of John, 301.