John 13:34

"Little children, I will be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come,’ so now I tell you."

Key Reflection

Jesus reassures his disciples that even though he is about to leave them, they will eventually seek him out, just as the Jews would not be able to follow him into his future destination. This highlights both the temporary nature of Jesus' physical presence and the enduring promise of spiritual presence and guidance.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 34. A new commandment. This command he gave them as he was about to leave them, to be a badge of discipleship, by which they might be known as his friends and followers, and by which they might be distinguished from all others. It is called new, not because there was no command before which required men to love their fellow-men, for one great precept of the law was that they should love their neighbour as themselves (Le 19:18); but it was new because it had never before been made that by which any class or body of men had been known and distinguished.

Related Verses

More from John 13

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion