This passage is an explanation, by Peter, of his encounter with Cornelius and the baptism of the Gentiles who had received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10).
Peter is speaking, explaining ‘step by step’, but in Acts, it is ‘the word of God’ that moves the story forward as we hear that ‘it continued to spread’ (6.7) and ‘gain adherents’ (12.24), spreading ‘throughout the region’ (13.49) so that it ‘grew mightily and prevailed’ (19.20). The critical breakthrough from Jewish separateness from the rest of the world is summarised here as ‘the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God’. We hear that ‘the Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us’. And Peter describes his speech to Cornelius as ‘the message by which you and your entire household will be saved’. The Jewish Pentecost was interpreted as the fulfilment of God’s word through the prophet Joel (Acts 2.14-21), and, as Peter remembers Jesus, this ‘Gentile Pentecost’ is interpreted as the fulfilment of ‘the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit”’ (see Luke 3.16 and Acts 1.5).
Gospel John 13.31-35
Jesus has told Judas to ‘do quickly what you are going to do’ (13.27), and he has gone out into the darkness. Now Jesus begins his ‘farewell discourses’ (13.31–17.26) to the remaining disciples, who will, by their own testimony later on, enable others also to believe in him (17.20-24). Judas will act quickly, and ‘the hour’ of Jesus’ arrest, trial and execution is now striking, so that those whom Jesus loved must now understand that with his imminent departure (i.e. death), ‘the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified’ (12.23).
In Daniel the vision of ‘a Son of Man’ who is ‘given dominion and glory and kingship’ represents the future of ‘the holy ones’ who are presently suffering for their faithfulness to God (Daniel 7.13- 14,27). In John both the suffering and the glory of ‘the Son of Man’ are brought together into the one ‘hour’ of Jesus’ being ‘lifted up from the earth’ (12.32) in crucifixion and resurrection. This ‘hour’ in which Judas will act ‘quickly’ and Jesus will be glorified ‘at once’ is the climax of the ministry of Jesus, who has already both been glorified and has glorified God. He has demonstrated the difference between self-serving ‘human glory’ (12.43, see 5.44; 7.18; 8.50,54) and the divine glory of God’s presence (Exodus 24.15-18; 1 Kings 8.10-11; Psalm 26.8; Ezekiel 44.4) in the self-giving act of love that was the washing of the disciples’ feet.
In Jesus’ departure and death ‘God will glorify him in himself’, because Jesus is totally faithful to the life-giving God whose loving purposes are not to be defeated by the many death-dealing ways of the search for ‘human glory’. In Jesus’ faithfulness to death, the Father’s love of humanity and the Son’s love of God will shine brightly together, making visible ‘the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth’ (1.14). And the disciples are given the ‘new commandment’ to love one another. This mutual love is ‘new’ because it is rooted in and shaped by Jesus’ own love ‘to the end’ (13.1). By understanding that Jesus’ departure was his glorification, his followers can continue his work of making God’s love visible in and for the world.
The links between the lectionary readings
It took time for the Church fully to accept that ‘God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life’. This is illustrated by Peter’s not imposing his view on others but rather explaining his experience ‘step by step’. In this he follows Jesus, whose ‘farewell discourses’ recognise that it will take those he loves as ‘little children’ time to understand, from their own experience, that his departure from them is his glorification, the fulfilment of his Father’s promise that ‘I will be with you’, as topsyturvy as that seems.
Notes on Psalm 148 and ideas for using it together.