John 13 forms a dark background to bring into relief the bright foreground of chapter 14. In chapter 13 the Lord revealed to His disciples that there was one among them who was acting deceitfully; while pretending to be a real devoted follower of the Lord he was negotiating the sale of his Master for thirty pieces of silver in the hands of the His enemies. The Lord's words must have had a staggering effect upon the eleven as He declared, "…one of you shall betray me" (13.21). Judas Iscariot was the person to whom the Lord alluded and of him it is stated: "He…went immediately out: and it was night" (13.30). It was a tragic night for the betrayer: a night which could not be followed by a sunrise.
There was another disciple, Peter by name, who boasted that he would lay down his life for the sake of the Lord (13.37). The Lord informed him that a moment was coming when he would deny Him.
When the sentence of death was written indelibly upon the flesh for us, revealing its impotency, then the Lord is free to reveal what lies beyond to the vision of faith.
The deceiver had gone out from the company of the other disciples leaving the Lord free to unbosom Himself to the eleven. He allayed their fears and poured the balm of His consolation into their troubled and perplexed spirits saying, "Let not your heart be troubled" (14.1,27). These words were not intended for eleven men only!
Concluded.
