Heart of Jesus | Week 1

In John 13:31-38, we encounter Jesus in an upper room on the eve of his arrest, delivering what scholars call the Farewell Discourse—his final instructions to those he loved most. What strikes us immediately is how Jesus frames his impending crucifixion: not as tragedy, but as glory. Five times he uses the word 'glorify,' revealing that the cross is the ultimate display of God's character—his holiness, grace, justice, sovereignty, and humility all radiating from that brutal instrument of execution. This challenges our natural understanding of glory. We expect brilliance and honor, yet Jesus shows us glory in brokenness, power in sacrifice, and divine character in suffering. The cross becomes our grand central station, the place we continually return to when we question God's love, doubt our standing with him, or need our worship refueled. But Jesus doesn't stop with explanation—he pivots to instruction. Calling his disciples 'little children' with tender affection, he elevates the command to love by making himself the new standard. No longer is self-love our measuring stick; now we're called to love others the way Jesus loved us—sacrificially, mercifully, graciously, even when it's uncomfortable, inconvenient, or unreciprocated. This love becomes our defining trait, the bold headline of our faith, making Jesus visible to a watching world through how we treat one another, especially those with whom we disagree.

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