John 13:31-38

1. These verses show us what glory the crucifixion brought both to God the Father and to God the Son.
2. Secondly, these verses show us what great importance our Lord Jesus attaches to the grace of brotherly love.
3. Lastly, these verses show us how much self-ignorance there may be in the heart of a true believer.

"Let us remember that painting and sculpture can never tell a tenth part of what took place on the cross. Crucifixes and pictures at best can only show us a human being agonizing in a painful death. But of the length and breadth and depth and height of the work transacted on the cross, of God’s law honored, our sins borne, sin punished in a Substitute, free salvation bought for us—of all this they can tell nothing. Yet all this lies hid under the crucifixion."

"It is called a new commandment, not because it had never been given before, but because it was to be more honored, to occupy a higher position, to be backed by a higher example than it ever had been before. Above all, it was to be the test of Christianity before the world."

"Let it be a settled principle in our faith that there is weakness in all our hearts of which we have no adequate conception, and that we never know how far we might fall if we were tempted."

Questions:

1. Jesus talks of both His Father and Himself being glorified by the cross. Ryle points out that crucifixes and pictures can only tell us a fraction of what is really going on at the cross, yet the Scriptures reveal to us the transaction, the law of God honored, our sins being nailed to the tree, our sin punished in our place, and free salvation purchased for all God's people. Does this not produce in us a boasting in the cross?
2. Jesus declares that the litmus test for Christians in the world is love. Ryle warns that of all the Christian graces love is far too often an idea we like to talk about rather than a command to be obeyed. Can our love be seen in our tempers and words? In our bearing and our doing? in our behavior at home and abroad? Do we especially aim to do good to fellow Christians? Do we abhor the idea of envy, malice, and jealousy as downright sin?
3. We see Peter make a bold claim, and Jesus declare that Peter will deny him 3 times before the day is done. Ryle points out that even the greatest believer can have great self-ignorance. He warns that the seeds of every sin lay latent in our hearts even when renewed and they only need occasion or carelessness and the withdrawal of God's grace for a time to put forward an abundant crop. Are we aware of our own weaknesses? Do we regularly cry out to God to be upheld by His power and kept from temptation and the evil one? Or does the lack of these things declare that we believe ourselves to be strong in ourselves?