The Hour for Which Jesus Came

Read John 13:1-17.

The cross was central to Jesus’ earthly life at every stage. From His virgin birth to His public ministry, the cry of His life was to finish the work the Father had given Him to do.

A short time after His baptism, Jesus went to a wedding in the small Galilean town of Cana (see John 2). He was not yet well known. The crowds weren’t yet following Him wherever He went. And yet He was already looking ahead to the cross. We know this because when His mother came to Him with a crisis—the bride and groom had run out of wine—Jesus replied, “My hour has not yet come” (v. 4). What hour was Jesus talking about? The hour of His death, the hour of His sacrifice, the hour when He could finally say, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Later, at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus again demonstrated His understanding of who He was and the purpose for which He walked this earth. His brothers, who did not yet believe that He was the Messiah, taunted Him, saying, “No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret” (John 7:4). This was no kind comment. The Jewish leaders in Judea were already looking for a way to kill Jesus (see v. 1). Yet He responded, “My time is not yet here; . . .” (v. 6). Jesus was thinking about His death.

Then, in John 13, Jesus gathered with His disciples for what would be His last meal before His betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion. He got up in the middle of dinner, grabbed a basin and a towel, and began washing His disciples’ feet. Our Lord set this poignant example for His disciples—including us—to follow because He “knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father” (v. 1, see also vv. 14-15).

Jesus was always thinking about the hour of His death. He knew it was the Father’s will for Him to bear our sins on the cross. It was His joy to obey the Father and save sinners. May we grasp the wonder that God “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32).

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your incredible love that led You to the cross in obedience to the Father. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.