Just for a moment, expound this scripture. I wanna go to John chapter number 13. The truth of the matter is I wanna deal with John 14. Let me make this statement. We're gonna stand in the context of the scripture. It's very dangerous in the interpretation of the Bible to begin in John 14. Many times we read plaques on the wall that quote John 14, and I love the application, but in reality, if we want to understand exactly what Jesus is saying, even more than what he is saying, who he is speaking to, we must begin in John 13. Oh yes, it applies to us, but in John 14 directly, he's not speaking to us. but he begins the conversation in John 13. We realize this in the Bible, right at the beginning of this in John 13, Jesus is preparing to go to Calvary. He is preparing. These are some of the last known hours of the physical life of the Lord Jesus Christ right before Calvary. It's a strange thing. If you're looking at your Bible at the beginning of John chapter number 13, he is washing the feet of the disciples. This was my last day upon earth. That is not what I would be doing. It is not a commandment, thank God, that we wash each other's feet, but it is a picture. It is a sign of deity, which is the theme of the Gospel of John. It is the sign of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet he would humble himself so much that he's washing the feet of those that would deny him. He's washing the feet of those that would betray him. In just a little while, the humility of this deity. Not only does he wash the feet of the disciples, then he tells, he foretells of the betrayal at the end, near the end of this chapter. And he shows us of Judas Iscariot, this one of the chosen 12. He is in what is considered the inner circle of the disciples. Yet this man betrayed him. Jesus at that moment, at that hour, right before Calvary, in his sovereignty, because we certainly worship and serve a sovereign God, in his godliness, though he was robed in the flesh, but he tells, he knows of this man that will betray him. But I'm interested for just a moment in verse number 31 as he is still speaking to the disciples directly. And notice what he begins. Can I say this? Number one, there is a necessary cause. to this deity. Watch what the Bible says in verse 31. Therefore, we understand in the language of the Bible, at least the tone of the scriptures, he is simply continuing what he has already done. He had washed the feet of the disciples. He had foretold of his betrayal through Judas Iscariot. Now he's simply continuing this theme and this necessary cause. Therefore, when he was gone out, look what Jesus said. Right this moment, presently. Not not, he had already raised the dead, this deity. He'd already made the blind to see, deity. He'd already fed the 5,000 with a little bread and a little fish, but now, this moment, now, what is it, Lord? is the Son of Man glorified. And God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself and shall straightway or immediately glorify him. He is reminding us that it wasn't when he fed the 5,000, though he did feed the 5,000. It wasn't when he raised the dead, though he could and still can raise the dead. It wasn't when he turned the water into wine. I've always wished he would do that in a baptismal service, but he hasn't done it yet. But anyhow, it wasn't when he had done all of those things, but watch the Bible. Now, he's preparing to go to Calvary. He's preparing to bleed and to die for the sins of the world. Now is the Son of Man glorified. Can I say it this way? He did not come just to raise the dead. He did not come just to make the blind to see again. He did not come The emphasis in this day and hour, sadly, in many religious circles, is the physical healing. But Jesus came that he might bleed and die for the sins of the world. He would glorify his Father by going to a cross, by shedding every drop of his blood for sinful mankind, by getting up on the third day. Now the Son of Man would be glorified. There is a necessary cause in this deity. But number two, there's a new commandment in this deity. Watch verse 33. Notice what he said to the disciples. The chosen 12, he calls them in this moment, little children. That has everything to do with their spiritual maturity. At least that is dealing with this commandment. Little children, I'm going to Calvary. I'm going to die. I will leave you, little children, yet a little while. I am with you. Ye shall seek me. And as I said unto you, the Jews, whether I go, ye cannot come. So now I say to you, look what he gives him, a new commandment I give unto you. What is it, Lord? That ye love one another. How? As I have loved you. Why? That ye also love one another. But here's the evidence by this. Shall all men know that ye are my disciples? If you do one thing. Watch the language. Look at the wording of the scriptures. If ye have love one to another. It's not a matter of just saying I love you. It's a matter of showing. It's a matter of acting out your love. What's that mean? There's a lot of preachers in America that are not disciples of Jesus Christ. Sadly, there's a lot of people sitting in good churches, but they're not disciples. It is not something outward. It is estimated, it is told that for three and a half years, Jesus had a public ministry, and the disciples would walk with him. Can you imagine when they walked through the streets of Jerusalem, and the storekeepers in the doorway would say, that must be the disciples of Jesus Christ. Why would they say that? Because look, James is with him. John is with him. Peter is walking with him. But Jesus said, in a little while, Peter, in a little while, James, I'm not going to be with you anymore. You're not going to be walking with me anymore. It won't be an outward appearance as a disciple. So there must be an inward character as a disciple. And the greatest evidence that you're a disciple of the Lord, gee, I know we ought to love our enemies. I know we ought to love Philadelphia Eagles fans. I know that, I understand that. I know we ought to love people that have despitefully used us. I know all of those things. That's not what he's talking about. If I am a disciple, I should love my brother. You know what Jesus just said? Judas, he'll betray me. You know what Jesus just said? He's about to tell us about a man that will deny him three times. You know what Jesus said? Y'all are loving. The evidence of discipleship is not a white shirt and a tie. Are you very proud? Pastor, I wore a white shirt today. That's very unusual for me. But that doesn't make me a disciple of Christ. The evidence of discipleship is simply that we love each other. Not only do we say it, we show this action of love. This one that will deny me, this one that has betrayed me, if I wanna be a disciple, we love one another. There is a necessary cause, there is a new commandment, but look at number three in verse 36, the noble comment to this deity. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whether goest thou, and Jesus answered him, whether I go, thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterwards. But look what Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life. for thy sake. I've read many commentaries say that that is a statement of arrogance. I've even read one writer that said he is lying to the face of God. I don't think he was. I believe with all sincerity that moment Simon Peter would have laid down his life for the Lord Jesus Christ. You say, why do you believe that? I'll tell you why. How many times has the man of God preached and he opened the Bible and I prayed at my cedar. I came to an altar and I said, Lord, I'll never do that again. I mean everything that I said. But before I got in the parking lot, I messed up. I believe this was a noble comment. But then number four, there's a necessary criticism. Look at the Bible. In verse number 38, Jesus answered him, without laying down thy life for my sake. Verily, verily, pay attention, Peter. Take heed, I say unto thee. Peter, the cock shall not crow. till thou hast denied me thrice. Peter, you won't die for me. When I need you the most, you'll fail me. But here's the message. I'm interested not only in this necessary criticism, but number five, we must look at the next chapter. I'm very grateful for chapter divisions in the Bible. It's a very orderly tool for the study of the Word of God. When the Bible was written there in original, there was no chapter divisions. So watch this. The same Lord, the same deity, the same Savior is still speaking to the same man. He is still speaking directly. Oh yes, the other disciples are there, but he's speaking to Simon Peter. And when he should have said to Peter, you're not gonna die for me. You're gonna deny, not once, you're gonna deny me three times. And he should have said in chapter 14 and verse number one, Peter, I'm done with you. I'm through with you. When I need you the most, you have failed me. But look what he said in the next chapter in verse number one. Peter, same man, same disciple. Yes, you're gonna deny me, but let not your heart be troubled. Peter, you believe in God? I believe he said, oh yes. He said, well, believe also in me. You know what Jesus just said to this man that's about to deny him three times? Peter, you're gonna fail me, but I'm not gonna fail you. Peter, you're about to mess up, but I'll never mess up. And can I say in the morning service, thank God, We don't deserve heaven. We don't deserve any good thing from God, but I'm glad there's a place prepared for you and there's a place prepared for me. I'm glad there's another chapter in our life. Why? Peter, let not your heart, when he should have said, when he should have said, I'm done with you. Adelaide, I want you to help us. For the last two years of my life, This will seem like a statement that contradicts itself, but it really doesn't. For the last two years of my life, I feel in many ways I'm closer to God than I've ever been before. But I also feel that in many ways my faith has failed God. God should have said, I'm done with you. God should have said, no more! You don't belong to me. But I'm glad he's telling us this morning, even though you fail me, well, I'll never fail you. That's why I'm not going to heaven by my works. I'm not going to heaven because I'm in a Baptist church. I'm not going to heaven because I have a Bible on this podium. I'm going to heaven for one reason and one reason only. It was grace then. It is still grace today. It is not my works. It is not your works. It's all because of the grace of God. There are many that I believe would be saved. There's some that want to be saved. And there's one reason you won't trust Him. You don't think you deserve it. Well, may I make a statement? You're in the right crowd. Because there's nobody, not only in this building, but in the world, that deserves heaven. Peter was about to fail God. when God needed him the most. And here's what a merciful God said, let not your heart be troubled. That word trouble, I encourage you to study it. There's many connotations, but I love what one writer said, it simply means don't worry about it, Peter. Peter, do you believe in God? Well, yes. Well, then trust me. Believe also in me, why? Peter, he's still speaking to Peter. He'll talk to the other disciples in a moment, but he's speaking to Peter. Because in my Father's house, watch this, I love this. We emphasize mansions, but we ought to emphasize many. That means there's enough room for everybody in the Father's house. Because in my Father's house are many mansions. Peter, Peter, if it were not so, I would have already told you. And here's the message. I go to prepare a place for you, Peter. Lord, I'm going to fail you. Yeah, but I'm not going to fail you, Peter. As a matter of fact, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to prepare a place for you. You say, I don't deserve heaven. You're right. But that has nothing to do with your salvation. I don't deserve any good thing God's done for me. Because I've failed him many times. But here's the difference. He has never failed me. I wanna pray and Adley's gonna sing, but I want the pastor to come and guide this invitation. Do you know him this morning? You say, I want to. Well, let me give you good news. He wants to know you. You can be in the same heaven with the same God if you'll trust Him.