Christ knew that the time had come for Him to depart out of the world, and go to His Father. And having loved His own that were in the world, He loved them unto the end. He was now in the shadow of the cross, and the pain was torturing His heart. He knew that He would be deserted in the hour of His betrayal. He knew that by the most humiliating process to which criminals were subjected He would be put to death. He knew the ingratitude and cruelty of those He had come to save. He knew how great the sacrifice that He must make, and for how many it would be in vain. Knowing all that was before Him, He might naturally have been overwhelmed with the thought of His own humiliation and suffering. But He looked upon the twelve, who had been with Him as His own, and who, after His shame and sorrow and painful usage were over, would be left to struggle in the world. His thoughts of what He Himself must suffer were ever connected with His disciples. He did not think of Himself. His care for them was uppermost in His mind.

Kristus vidste, at timen var kommen, hvor han skulle forlade denne verden og gå til sin Fader. Og ligesom han havde elsket sine egne, som var i verden, elskede han dem indtil enden. Han var nu i korsets skygge, og hans hjerte var forpint af smerte. Han vidste, at han ville blive forladt i den time, hvor han blev forrådt. Han vidste, at han ville blive henrettet på den mest ydmygende måde, som forbrydere kunne blive genstand for. Han kendte utaknemmeligheden og grusomheden hos de mennesker, som han var kommet for at frelse. Han vidste, hvor stort det offer var, som han måtte bringe, og for hvor mange det ville være forgæves. Ved tanken om alt det, der forestod ham, kunne han ganske naturligt være blevet overvældet ved at tænke på sin egen ydmygelse og lidelse. Men han så på de tolv, der havde været sammen med ham som hans egne, og som, når hans skam og sørg og mishandling var forbi, ville blive overladt til at stride i verden. Hans tanker om, hvad han selv skulle lide, var altid knyttet til hans disciple. Han tænkte ikke på sig selv. Hans omsorg for dem var det fremherskende i hans sind.