ariot appears to have dissipated to some
degree the cloud of utter sadness by which the little company had been
depressed; and our Lord Himself was visibly relieved. As soon as the
door had closed upon the retreating deserter, Jesus exclaimed, as though
His victory over death had been already accomplished: "Now is the Son of
man glorified, and God is glorified in him." Addressing the Eleven in
terms of parental affection, He said: "Little children, yet a little
while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews,
Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I
give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye
also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another."[1204] The law of Moses
enjoined mutual love among friends and neighbors;[1205] but the new
commandment, by which the apostles were to be governed, embodied love of
a higher order. They were to love one another as Christ loved them; and
their brotherly affection was to be a distinguishing mark of their
apostleship, by which the world would recognize them as men set apart.

The Lord's reference to His impending separation from them troubled the
brethren. Peter put the question, "Lord, whither goest thou?" Jesus
answered: "Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt
follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow
thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake." Peter seems to have
realized that his Master was going to His death; yet, undeterred, he
asserted his readiness to follow even that dark way rather than be
separated from his Lord. We cannot doubt the earnestness of Peter's
purpose nor the sincerity of his desire at that moment. In his bold
avowal, however, he had reckoned with the willingness of his spirit
only, and had failed to take into full account the weakness of his
flesh. Jesus, who knew Peter better than the man knew himself, thus
tenderly reproved his excess of self-confidence: "Simon, Simon, behold,
Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I
have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren." The first of the apostles, the Man
of Rock, yet had to be converted, or as more precisely rendered, "turned
again";[1206] for as the Lord foresaw, Peter would soon be overcome,
even to the extent of denying his acquaintanceship with Christ