There is no big secret, no magical insights from this passage. It’s quite likely that you have read or heard a ton of stuff about it. The main point here is the focus John picks up in his reporting of his memories from that night. What did the Holy Spirit burn into John’s heart?
Once Judas was out of the way, Jesus said something along the lines of, “This is it guys. I’m on the threshold of divine glory!” Keep in mind that, to the remaining eleven disciples there that night, this sounds like Jesus is about to discuss plans for taking over the government of Judea, and maybe rousting out the Romans.
Then it seems like He shifts gears to something a million miles away. “Little brothers, I’m not going to be with you much longer. Where I’m going you cannot come just yet.” This would be the exact opposite of what they expected. Wasn’t this the moment to come out as the Messiah and begin the Final Era of Israel’s reign over all the earth?
Then He says something we can be sure went right past them. “Here’s the new law for My new reign: You shall love each other the way I have loved you. This is how people will know that you are My royal servants.” From our perspective two millennia later, we can understand what He’s saying here. John uses the Greek word agape and we make too much of that, as if there is some inherent spiritual meaning in it. There is a distinct meaning to it, but nothing that justifies slinging it around today as some holy word.
What Jesus hopes they’ll catch onto once the Holy Spirit descends on them is that His willingness to suffer the arrest, abuse, and crucifixion is the key to understanding His Kingdom. That will be the mark of the Holy Spirit’s presence in people’s lives: They will be eager to shed this life for eternal glory. The misery and suffering is a small price to pay. What is the Cross God has called you to bear? Carry it to the end, because that is the glory of God.
So Peter, missing the whole point, and likely speaking what the others are thinking, asks why he can’t go with Jesus right now. Wasn’t their Master headed toward His throne? Isn’t that what the glory of God means? Had not they been faithful servants these three years, training to serve in His royal court? Certainly it would mean some kind of battle, since the Jewish leaders and Romans weren’t going to surrender without a fight. But Jesus and His disciples had all these miraculous powers, so they shouldn’t have that much trouble winning. But, hey, if it meant getting killed in some way, wouldn’t that be a worthy heroic end?
I doubt Jesus would have snorted or expressed any derision at all. He simply said quite gently to Peter that before the rooster crowed in wee hours of the morning, Peter would deny Him — not once, but three times.
Not a one of them believed it. In this hour before seizing His throne, surely His closest friends would be ready to face the risks. They simply did not understand that the Cross was His earthly throne, and that His Kingdom would be strictly in the hearts of people.
“There is a distinct meaning to it, but nothing that justifies slinging it around today as some holy word.”
Tell me about it 🙂 So much has been thrown into this word, it’s become its own religion.