John 13:38 (YLT)

Passage

Jesus answered him, `Thy life for me thou wilt lay down! verily, verily, I say to thee, a cock will not crow till thou mayest deny me thrice.'

Nearby Context

John 13:36 Simon Peter saith to him, `Sir, whither dost thou go away?' Jesus answered him, `Whither I go away, thou art not able now to follow me, but afterward thou shalt follow me.'

John 13:37 Peter saith to him, `Sir, wherefore am I not able to follow thee now? my life for thee I will lay down;'

John 13:38 Jesus answered him, `Thy life for me thou wilt lay down! verily, verily, I say to thee, a cock will not crow till thou mayest deny me thrice.'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jesus", "answered", "life", "thou", "wilt", "down", and "verily". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jesus" and "answered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Peter saith to him Sir wherefore am...", giving immediate footing for "jesus" and "answered". In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "jesus" and "answered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.