A New Commandment Is Given—John 13:21-38

0:00Hello, and good day. I'm Pastor Gillespie from St. John E. Vangelical, Lutheran Church in school, Sherman Center, Random Lake, Wisconsin. It's good to have you with us here for the Congregation of Prayer, the Guide for Day of the Meditation and Prayer, round God's word. It is Monday, March 23, 2026, and our Catechesis this day will resume in John's Gospel in the Passion. We're going to skip the footwashing text, although you'll hear that on Monday, Thursday, all right? So we're not exactly skipping it. It will come back, of course. And so you can pay attention to it then. Let's see. Anything else now? We'll just continue through that this week. We'll try to get to the end of the Passion by the end of the week, and that will set us up ideally for next week, and Palm Sunday with Matthew's Passion, and then the other passions of the week. By the way, next week, our Congregation of Prayer will meet in person. So at 9 a.m. Join us here in the Sanctuary, and we

1:01will gather together to hear God's Word and to pray there in person all week, all right? So we can come out and join us then. See anything else? I think we've got everything posted from the weekend. Did that yet this morning? So if you missed Sunday school, yeah, Bible class, as we call it for adults, and then or the sermon, you can certainly go and catch that as well as the service from Saturday, the funeral for Joyce, and the preaching there is available as well. All right? So let's begin. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended

2:03into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Our Psalm is Dave perfundus, as if you might remember from me, the old Lutheran him, they'll have the Latin names for the, oh, I don't know what it would have, two dozen Psalms or so at the back. All right, Psalm 130. Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord, O Lord, hear my voice, let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy. If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand, but with you there is forgiveness, therefore you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope, my soul waits for the Lord more than

3:06watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption, and he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. As we've noted, the glory of pottery is omitted during passion tide. I know it's a little bit awkward, but, oh, so it is, so it is. All right. And as we did last week, we delayed verses 32 to 36 till this week, and then we'll hear chapter 9, 1 through 6 of wisdom, Proverbs here. Now, therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways, hear instruction and be wise and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, watching at the posts of my doors, for whoever finds me, finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord, but he who sends against me wrongs his own soul,

4:10all those who hate me love death. Wisdom is built her house, she is hewn out her seven pillars, she has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table, she has sent out her maidens, she cries out from the highest places of the city, whoever is simple, let him turn in here, as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, come eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed, forsake foolishness and live and go in the way of understanding. So, as we talked about last week, well, there is this move towards the personification of wisdom, my children are like, well, wisdom is a woman, yes, she is personified as a woman, she's also taken into the person of Jesus Christ. So, similar to the church, men and women alike are brought into that reality

5:10of Holy Matronty to Christ. Let's do a meditation here from Dr. Steinman on those first, wisdom now addresses her hearers as sons, signaling her desire for a close relationship with them, just as Solomon had done when he addressed his sons. She invites them into this relationship with a gracious promise of blessing. Blessed are those who keep my ways. Therefore, the following imperatives listen to discipline and become wise, do not signal a negative demand of the law, but rather a gospel invitation to believe and to be saved. This is the gospel call that creates sustains and encourages faith. Listen to me, right? Blessed are those who keep my ways. To leave no doubt that this is the case, wisdom follows this with another promise of blessing, blessed is the person who listens to me. We're listening to wisdom is compared to paying close attention to the door of wisdom's house. More on the house there in chapter 9. The heroes are encouraged to watch so that they may find and listen to wisdom when she comes through

6:11the door. This is parallel to Jesus entering the door of the sheepfold to call a sheep. They listen to his voice and follow him, John 10. Jesus, the legitimate shepherd, uses the door to enter the sheepfold instead of climbing over the wall like a thief. In the same way, wisdom enters her house through the door, whereas those who seek other entry are illegitimate purveyors of wisdom. Therefore, one needs only to wait for her at the door of her house. See also Proverbs 1, 21 and 8, 3 were divine wisdom utters her gospel invitation at entrancees and doorways. Whereas the doorway is wherever divine wisdom speaks. That is, wherever the word of God is faithfully read and proclaimed and the sacraments are rightly administered. This, their one will find the word of God incarnate, Jesus, the door. Finding wisdom is also equated with finding life. Note the contrast to the foolish young man to at the adulterous door. He finds death. Finding wisdom is then further equated with obtaining God's favor or grace. These

7:14identifications of wisdom with life, favor and grace once again reveal that wisdom is Christ, through whom alone we obtain life and grace. See John 1. However, there is another side to wisdom's message. Her preaching of condemnation according to the law to warn those who refuse to listen to her. Those who reject her sin against her, and by doing so, they harm themselves. Note well that if they are harmed, it is not wisdom's doing. She does not intend to hurt him, them in this way. This is a reminder that God does not want sinners to be lost in their sin, but to turn from their sin and receive life from him. 1 Timothy 2, 2 Peter 3, Romans 2. Their rejection of the gospel is called hating wisdom. Since they reject the way of life, they are pictured as loving death. And let's say our verse for the week. The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Luke 10, 2.

8:17Catechism. Commandments 1 through 3 again. You shall have no other gods. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. And then concluding the table of duties to hearers are what hearers of their pastors. We ask you brothers to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work, live in peace with each other. 1 Thessalonians 5, 12 through 13. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Hebrews 13, 17. All right. So as we said, we're going to jump over Palm Sunday. We'll hear that on Sunday. And the washing of disciples feet. We'll hear that on next week Thursday, Monday Thursday. Now to the commandment being given, the men dot to them. When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in spirit and testified and said,

9:20most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. Then the disciples looked at one another perplexed about whom he spoke. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom, one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter, therefore, motioned to him to ask who it was of whom he spoke. Then leaning back on Jesus' brass, he said to him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, it is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it. And having dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, what you do do quickly. But no one at the table knew for what reason he said this to him. For some thought, because Judas had the money box that Jesus had said to him, by those things we need for the feast, or that he should give something to the poor. Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately and it was night. So when he had gone out, Jesus said, now the son of man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified

10:22in him, God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek me. And as I said to the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come now. So now I say to you, a new commandment, I give to you that you love one another. As I have loved you, that you will also love one another. By this, all will know that you are my disciples if you have loved for one another. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered him, where I am going, you cannot follow me now. But you shall follow me afterward. Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake. Jesus answered him, will you lay down your life for my sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times. All right. So it says Jesus was troubled in spirit. What was he troubled about? One of you will betray me. Did the disciples suspect anyone? No. No, they were blind to it.

11:23All right. Who was the disciple whom Jesus loved? The Peter motions too. That would of course be John, the gospel writer. All right. And Peter wanted to know about the betrayer. What's interesting about this, of course. Peter would be the one to deny Jesus. All right. How was the betrayer identified? Jesus would give him the peace of bread when he had dipped it. A piece of bread when he had dipped it. All right. Who else ate this kind of bread? That's a deep cut. Probably need to read it for you. First Samuel, 28. Does that help? This is when Saul consults with the the medium or the witch at the end or the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled and said to him, look, your maid servant has obeyed your voice. And I have put my life in your hands and heated the words which you spoke to me.

12:26Now therefore, please heed also the voice of your maid servant and let me set a piece of bread before you and eat that you may have strength when you go in your way. Then he refused and said, I will not eat, but she brought it and they ate and they went away that night. So eating a table, eating and drinking at the table of the demonic. So there's an inversion there. But we could contrast that with the account of first Samuel, excuse me, first king, 17, with the woman and the jar of flour and the oil and she makes the bread and they eat and they live. So we have eating that brings life and we have eating that brings death. There's a contrast here. All right. And of course, we set this in contrast to the supper itself which gives life and now Judas who receives it to his judgment. All right. Oh, I just gave it away, who's the betrayer? Yeah, that's Jesus. Oh, Judas, excuse me. What did the disciples think

13:26that Jesus was saying about Judas? What did they think? They thought that maybe he was sending Judas to go get more supplies for the feast, right? Or to give something to the poor. Of course, that's ironic. What did Jesus or what do you think the meaning of that last statement there in verse 30 is? And it was night. It was night. Hmm. Judas had rejected Jesus, the light of the world in favor of the darkness of the sinful world, perhaps. Yeah. I think night and day are often used in this way in the scripture. All right. What did Jesus say? Or why did Jesus say what he did in verse 31? Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. This is referring to Judas is beginning the suffering and death, right? It's going to lead to Christ's death. So is referring to his death in the salvation that would result. You know this from studying John's gospel is that the glory of God

14:30is in the suffering death of Jesus. It's in the cross. And the father is glorified in this because it reveals his love in saving the world through the death of his son, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. So must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever that whoever looks on him will be saved, right? I didn't quit the quote, right? Right? Let's go to John 3. Everybody knows the next part that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God's will love the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have your everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world your hand might be saved. So the saving love of God, the glory of God is revealed in the suffering and dying of his son for you and for me. What do you think Jesus means in verse 33? I shall be with you a little while longer. You'll seek me and I said where I'm going you cannot come. Now I say this to you. Yeah, they cannot go to the cross to die for the

15:31sins of the world, only Christ can to fulfill the promise. All right, another misunderstood portion and we'll deal a little bit more with this in the meditation is the command, right? To love one another or new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you. How has God and Christ loved you? We just quoted John 3. He laid on his life for his friends. Whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. In other words, have their sins forgiven. The love that God commands us to have for one another is to forgive one another in Jesus' name. This is not some kind of vague or abstract notion of love where it is well wishes or good intentions or even caring for the bodily needs of people. The love that Jesus would have us give to one another is that we would forgive. That includes husband and wife, parents and children, pastoring and congregation, members of the congregation to one another, right? The only thing that actually cannot bind us together is the love of Jesus Christ known in the forgiveness of sins,

16:35extended to one another. Chris says, I was always afraid of the night because I was told that's when simple things proud, when simple things happen. Well, because we use the cover of darkness for simple acts and that's where monsters are. These are these are deep stories and they're true and they're true. Of course, we can go to sleep and peace for peace. I will lie down and sleep for you alone. Make me dwell in safety as we say in the service of Complan. So if you're prowl, yes, prowl. If you are afraid of the night, one prayer is your gift, the promise of your baptism, a gift, but also the service of Complan. So grab a Lutheran service book and pray the order of Complan. You'll find it directs you to that piece or even just Luther's evening prayer. It would be a good example too. Peter boasts that he could lay down his life for Jesus. He could

17:38die for the sins of the world. Oh, no, he did. That isn't what he meant, but that's why he can't. Only the good shepherd can lay down his life for the sheep. The sheep cannot lay down their lives for the shepherd. Go see John 10 for that. Instead, Peter will deny Jesus three times. So be careful about being bold or proud, right? You can get in the way of Christ. Again, to love one another, there are those who make this a new law that we must be kept in order to save ourselves, but ignore the context. Jesus is the one who loved us to the end, and he gave himself willingly for the forgiveness of sins. On the night when he spoke these words, Jesus gathered his disciples and gave them the gift of love in his own body and blood. Jesus is calling his disciples to gather in repentance around his altar to receive the marks of his love. In this supper, we publicly confess the love Christ displayed in his death on our behalf. Here we are united in that love, but those who confess this faith as we eat and drink

18:40for the forgiveness of sins. That love is poured into us and spills over from us to those around us in mutual love and forgiveness for Jesus's sake. Okay, tomorrow the betrayal and arrest. To follow up with that, our second reading is Psalm 41, a Psalm of David. Blessed is he who considers the poor. The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth. He will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness. He will sustain him on his sick bed. I said, Lord, be merciful to me. Heal my soul for our I have sinned against you. My enemies speak evil of me. When will he die and his name perish? And if he comes to me, see me, he speaks lies. His heart gathers iniquity to itself. When he goes out, he tells it. All who hate me whisper together against me, against me, they devise my hurt. An evil disease they say clings to him, and now that he lies down, he will rise up no more. Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread,

19:44has lifted his heel against me. But you, O Lord, be merciful to me and raise me up, that I may repay them. By this, I know that you are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. As for me, you uphold me in my integrity. You set me before your face forever. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting on man and on man. Might my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me, referring to Judas, but then this lovely transition. But you, O Lord, be merciful to me and raise me up, that I may repay them. Not with what they deserve, of course, but with forgiveness of sins. So we have the cross transitioning here to the resurrection as well. Beautiful Psalm. Now we'll pray that on Good Friday in the evening. I think that might be one of the ones we'll pray this year. Our hymn for the week is Christ the Life of All the Living. I'll recognize this from yesterday. People commented on the hymn selections for Passion Tide. Well, of course, they are both profound, beautiful, and familiar, because we sing them every year.

20:50All right. And people actually attend frequently to the Lenten hymns, because they attend church more frequently during that. So you'll hear it on Wednesdays occasionally, and that sort of thing too. All right. Anyway, here we go. Christ the Life of All the Living. Christ the Life of All the Living. Christ the Life of All the Living.

22:16Christ the Life of All the Living. Christ the Life of All the Living. Christ the Life of All the Living.

23:26Yeah, the curse of God and the Lord, being blessing unto me, sake, your name. Thousand, thousand, thanks shall be near to Jesus unto thee. Okay. Do we have a commemoration this day? I can't recall. Let me go and look. What's this week look like? They just say Benedict's day, but I don't have any reading for that. So we'll pray. Sanctify O Lord, we beseech thee our fast, and mercifully bestow upon us the pardon of all our sins, through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, who lives and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

24:26Mighty God, by your great goodness, mercifully look upon your people, that we may be governed and preserved ever more in body and soul through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigneth with you in the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen. O Lord Jesus, we give thanks to you for the gift of our pastors who preach your saving gospel, and administer your life-giving sacraments to us. Crucify our flesh and destroy all impenetence and unbelief in us, so that we, who have received faithful instruction in the Word of God, might provide generously for the support of our pastors. Teach us to believe that our pastors who faithfully sow the seed and tread out the grain of your Word are worthy of their wages and are entitled to reap from what they have sown. Teach us to believe that preaching and teaching your Word is the most important work that our pastors do, so that we might honor and support them in this work, lift together with them in the peace of your forgiveness, and hold them in the highest regard and love for the sake of the gospel, for you live and reigneth the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

25:26We pray today for faith to live in the promises of holy baptism, for all vocations and daily work, for the unemployed, for the salvation and well-being of our neighbors, for our schools, our homeschools, our colleges and seminaries, for good government and peace. We pray with Dick who celebrated his birthday yesterday. We pray for the households of archers this week with Ron and Janet, Gary and Julie, Dale and Anne, Milda, Jack and Patty, Goss and Eileen. We pray for our catechumans. We pray for those ill receiving treatment or recovering Joe, Len, Ron, Sheila, Brad, Vicki, Todd, Scarlett, Jim, Debbie, Dan, Jim, Jim, Dick and Pauline. We pray for our homebound Dan, Sophie, Ruth, Joan, Paul, Dolores and Ruth. We pray for the missions and mercy work of the church, especially that of Camp Louis Ammo. Continue to pray for Norm and Dasha recovering from surgery, for all those grieving, especially the family of friends of Joyce, Jim and Dan. For all this, let us pray to the Lord, Lord have mercy.

26:27Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I pray that you would keep me this day also from sin and every evil that all my doings in life may please you. For into your hands I command myself, my body and soul and all things, let your holy angel be with me, let the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God. The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen. That's our congregation prayer for today, Monday, March 23, 2026.

27:27Good to have you with us here, as always. Hope it's been a blessing. Again, you can catch all the resources from the weekend, available to you on the streaming platforms, video, audio, whatever is your preference. Faith comes by hearing, though, and so then you don't have to look at my mug. You can just listen. Right? And yeah, good to see you checking in on the chat. And the congregation of prayer is available, at least for a week. I mean, all of the archived, they're all on YouTube. You're on YouTube. There's a playlist on our channel, so you can watch it any day. Watch it later in the day. You can listen later in the day. You can even go back and watch the last time that we covered these readings from four years ago. They're still there. Not on Facebook, though. Facebook is deleting all video older than 30 days now, so. If you want the permanent archive, that'll be YouTube for now. All right? So God be with you all. Keep you safe, secure, confident in the forgiveness that Jesus gives, forgiving one another in his name. And thereby, I'm seeing the kind of love that God has for us.

28:30Lord be with you all, and we'll see you again in the morning. We welcome you to join us for divine service on Sundays and Wednesdays. We offer Bible class and Catechesis for youth and any interested adults. If this podcast is of benefit to you, please consider supporting the work of our congregation by going to sjrl.org and clicking the donate link. Join us to receive the Lord's Word and his gifts.