Farewell Words

 

~~~ Isaiah 49:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ John 13:21-33, 36-38 ~~~

 

 

Be careful what you say lest your own words

come back to haunt you at a later time.

This is what happens to Peter.

He is so sure that his love for Jesus would not allow him

 to even deny him. Peter said to him,
“Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you.”

 

Jesus gives Peter a chance to change his mind.

“Will you lay down your life for me?..."

 

Jesus is saying to Peter

did you really mean to say that you would

actually be willing to die for me...

do you really love me that much?

 

Jesus continues to reveal to Peter that he would in fact

deny him three times before dawn.

Peter must have been thrown into a state of disbelief

hearing this prediction from Jesus himself.

After Jesus dismisses Judas to prepare for his betrayal,

he tells the others his farewell.

 

 

My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.”

This handful of men had spent the last three years of their lives

following Jesus all across the lands.

They had seen him perform many miracles.

They had shared regular meals in fellowship with him.

They had created their own community of believers.

And now he is telling them that he is going away and they cannot follow him.

 

“Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later.”

 

He gives them one small consolation for his departure.

'you will follow later'.

They most likely were scratching their heads trying to understand

what he meant about following later.

In time they will understand

 

these words Jesus spoke that night.

Today we can follow Jesus.