April 9, 2024

The Farewell Discourse … John 13,14,15,16, and 17  

The Farewell Discourse John 13-17.  John records words of instruction and encouragement to His disciples before His death, resurrection, and ascension.

The Book of John reflects what Jesus means (His beliefs and how He  gives us the Hope of Eternal Life when we cross over into Eternity from our earthly journey).   The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) tell us more about His physical actions and His miracles as He walked on earth and was being followed by the disciples on His earthly journey.

Father God sent His Son Jesus to earth so that God would be reconnected to and be able to communicate with mankind again as He did in the Garden of Eden. 

The Book of Genesis and the Book of John both begin with the words, “In the beginning”.  God is the Creator of all.  Now God has sent His son, Jesus, who was with Him at creation, to re- connect mankind back to God the Father.  John tells us that the resurrection took place on the first day of the week confirming that a new beginning has come into the world.  John also speaks about the garden as the garden is spoken about in Genesis which isn’t mentioned in the synoptic gospels.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke speak more about the humanity, miracles, and how Jesus uses many parables to tell us stories with underlying teachings and meanings.  The synoptic Gospels speak about the actual act of communion at the last supper.  John speaks more about the meaning and significance of partaking of the bread and wine in our lives.  

 

The Book of John is the most spiritual of the four Gospels.  John had walked closely with our Savior.  He knew Jesus intimately. 

John tells us about      1-the Holy Spirit,      2-believers being spiritually born again,          3- about His light overcoming the darkness of spiritual blindness,                                      4- about life in Christ and the promise of Eternal life, and                                                  5- about truth and trust. 

 

In John 11, Jesus raises Lazarus from death.  Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters came to know that Jesus was the Messiah.  After this miracle many more people came to believe that Jesus was the awaited for Messiah.  But also, from that day forward the unbelieving Jewish leaders feared the growing power of Jesus and began to plot to have Him killed. 

In John 12 Jesus and the disciples came back to Bethany in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It was on what we refer to today as Palm Sunday.   Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and many came out waving Palm branches and shouting Hosanna.  Jesus told His followers that His light would only be with them for a short while longer.  His Father God had sent Him into the world and His Father tells Him what to say.  He and the Father are One.   Jesus had dinner at Mary, Martha, and Lazaras’ home.  After dinner Mary washed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume and dried his feet with her hair.  Jesus explained to Judas Iscariot, the disciple who was upset about Mary using such expense for this action, “The poor will always be with you.  Mary is anointing me before my burial.  I will not be with you much longer”.

In John 13 Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Passover Supper in the Upper room.  Jesus tells the disciples that He will be going away.  He is leaving His Holy Spirit with them and where He is going, they will follow Him one day.  Jesus rose from the table, poured water in a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the cloth from around His waist.  Peter protested.  Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part of me”.  Then Jesus instructed the disciples and each of us to wash one another’s feet, to serve others.  Jesus came to serve others and He tells us to serve, not be served.   Jesus does two more things in Chapter 13.  He identifies Judas Iscariot as the one who would betray Him and He tells Peter that he will deny Christ three times before hearing the rooster crow.    It is at the table after this that Jesus gave His disciples the most important new commandment that they were to follow. They were to love God and were to love each other.  

In Chapter 14 Jesus tells His disciples that they are not to be troubled.  He would be going away but said that in His Father’s house there are many rooms and that He would be going there to prepare those rooms for them.  Then Thomas said how can we follow you if we do not know where you are going?  

” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”    John 14:6-7 NIVhttps://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.14.6-7.NIV 

This is one of Jesus’ “I am” descriptions in the book of John.

” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. “   John 14:8-14 NIVhttps://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.14.8-14.NIV

Then Jesus goes on in John 14 to tell His disciples that He would be leaving the Comforter with them.  He said, 

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave.“          John 14:25-31 NIV HTTPs://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.14.26-31.NIV 

In Chapter 15 Jesus goes on to say that He is the Vine and we are the branches.  God will prune each of us during our earthly lives.  In our earthly journey we will experience difficult times. These experiences teach us and help us to bear good fruit because of the lessons which we have learned.

Jesus told His disciples,   (I am the Vine)

”If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “  John 15:7-8 NIVhttps://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.15.7-8.NIV

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father- will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.“   John 15:26-27 NIVhttps://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.15.26-27.NIV

 

In John 16, Jesus continues to tell the disciples that He was going away.  He was going back to the Father.  He will send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth to them saying,

”But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.“    John 16:7-11 NIV      https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.16.7-11.NIV

”“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”“   John 16:25-28 NIVhttps://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.16.25-28.NIV

In John 17 Jesus tells us,

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.“   John 17:20-23 NIVhttps://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.17.21-23.NIV

Then Jesus says,

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”“        John 17:24-26 NIVhttps://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.17.25-26.NIV

 

In John 16:24 Jesus said,” Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full”.  In John 17:33 Jesus tells the disciples and us, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”.

 

At the end of the book of John in John 20:31 He tells His disciples and us the reason for his words and teachings.  

”But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.“        John 20:31 NIVhttps://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.20.31.NIV