John 13

Study Guide 114: John 13:1-15:17 JESUS’ LAST WORDS Overview These chapters contain part of the extended private teaching that Jesus gave His disciples the evening before His crucifixion. It is commonly called the Last Supper Discourse. It is important, for here we find specific teaching on how Jesus’ people are to relate to God and others during the Church Age. Of particular importance is Jesus’ emphasis on the Holy Spirit, and the role He is to play when Jesus has returned to the Father. HOLY SPIRIT. The personality of the Spirit is taught in John 15:26. He is linked to both Father and Son, is the subject of a verb (testify) that implies personal action, and is given a name — Counselor. The Spirit’ s role in this age is so important that Jesus told His followers, “ It is for your good that I am going away” for the Counselor could not come until after Christ’ s death, resurrection, and ascension. The Bible tells of a number of things that the Spirit does for and in believers. He is the Agent in our inner transformation toward Christlikeness (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 5:22-23). His presence provides the power we need to live a righteous life (Romans 8:2-11; Galatians 5:5-6). He is the Source of our gifts and abilities to minister to others and enrich them spiritually (1 Corinthians 12:1-31). How important that we learn to live in harmony with the Spirit, thus letting Him produce in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, and true goodness.

Commentary Television’ s “ 60 Minutes” told the story of a nurse who works with the dying. She counsels the terminally ill patient, helps him or her face death, and plans with the family how to make the patient’ s last weeks or months most meaningful. Usually, as the end approaches, the patient wants to return home to spend the final days with family and friends. As we reach these chapters in John’ s Gospel, we can sense a similar feeling. The mood changes. The sharp tone of conflict is muted. No Pharisee intrudes here. Instead we sense only tenderness and a strange sort of peace. Strange, because Jesus’ life is now measured not by months or weeks but by hours. Jesus chose to spend the last hours on earth with His own. To His own — and to you and me — Jesus explains how to practice the presence of, and to know intimate fellowship with, God.

Prelude: John 13:1-30The introduction to this most intimate scene in any of the Gospels features Judas. When he left the table, only those who loved Jesus remained. Only they would hear Jesus’ words of comfort and triumph, spoken in a private room, shut away from doubting crowds and angry enemies. Judas. Judas represented everyone to whom Jesus offers light and life, and who refuse to respond with faith. Judas was one of the original Twelve. At the beginning, Jesus chose Judas to be with Him in His public ministry. Like the other disciples, Judas saw Jesus’ miracles and heard His teaching. Judas drew close in those private times when Jesus explained His words to the Twelve alone. Judas, along with the other disciples, had often watched Jesus slip away before dawn to commune with the Father. Yet Judas had failed to respond. Outwardly he looked like one of Jesus’ followers. He acted like them. He talked like them. The other 11 did not suspect his inner core of sin and unbelief. But it was there, just as the greed and the uncaring attitude he shared with the Pharisees was always there. Soon the hidden heart of Judas would be revealed as he opened his personality to Satan’ s influence, and engaged in history’ s ultimate crime: he agreed with Jesus’ enemies to betray the Lord to them for 30 pieces of silver — the price established in the Old Testament as payment for the death not of a freeman but of a slave! Judas was later remorseful over the great betrayal. Filled with horror, Judas returned the money to the temple treasury and the priests. “ I have betrayed innocent blood,” he cried. Under the Law, priests were charged with comforting and cleansing the sinner, but these priests responded with characteristic indifference. “ What is that to us? That’ s your responsibility” (Matthew 27:4). Frantic, Judas ran to the edge of one of the cliffs on which Jerusalem stands. With shaking hands he tied a piece of old rope around the limb of a tree . . . around his own neck . . . and threw himself out into space. The rope jerked, stretched . . . and broke. Judas fell to his death on the jagged rocks below (cf. Matthew 27:1-10 with Acts 1:18). Even when he finally faced his own guilt, Judas still would not turn to Jesus for the forgiveness Christ had spoken of so often during the years they were together. Judas proved he could wear a mask of piety. He could fit in outwardly even with the most sincere of Jesus’ followers. But like the Pharisees, Judas’ inner life was evil. He shared their lust for wealth, and he shared their lack of concern for other men and women. Finally, when Judas’ betrayal of Jesus exposed his guilt even to himself, Judas still refused to respond to grace. Death seemed preferable to humbly bowing before Jesus, to beg forgiveness at His hands. How good that Judas need not set the pattern for you and me! We can acknowledge our guilt freely, and trust ourselves to God’ s grace. We can come to the God each of us has betrayed, and find in Jesus Christ, God’ s Son, full and free forgiveness. And in Jesus we can find life; a life that fills our personality, remakes our attitudes and desires, and teaches us to reflect to others God’ s own love. An example (John 13:1-20). Jesus “ loved His own,” the passage begins. It then goes on to describe a foot-washing. Clad only in a light robe, Jesus took a basin of water and began to wash His disciples’ feet. Peter was deeply upset. Jesus, his Lord, stooping to serve him like a common household slave! Never! But Jesus insisted, and later explained. The simple ritual (1) reflected a great theological truth, (2) gave His followers an example, and (3) helped show how we today are to relate to the strangers who slip in among us. (1) The theological truth. In the ancient world a person might bathe at home or in public baths. After such a thorough cleansing, he would strap on his sandals and walk the dusty streets. When a person entered a friend’ s house, a servant would wash the film of dust and dirt from his feet. The body was clean, but the feet, having been in contact with the world, needed constant cleansing. In answer to Peter’ s objection, and then to his request that Jesus wash “ not just my feet but my hands and my head as well,” Jesus pointed out that Peter had already been cleansed (bathed). All that was required now was the continued washing away of the dust that might accumulate from traveling in the streets. Many commentators take this exchange to suggest that in salvation, believers are completely cleansed. But in our daily life we may pick up contaminations that require Jesus’ continual washings (forgiveness). “ A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean,” Jesus explained (John 13:10). (2) The example. Jesus went on to explain that His actions set an example — an object lesson in humility. If the disciples’ Teacher and Lord stooped to wash their feet, they should have no hesitation to stoop and serve one another. “ I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” Humbling ourselves to serve each other is Jesus’ way to greatness. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Children can learn early the joy of helping in little ways. Help your boys and girls make out “ servant for a day” gift certificates for Mom. The certificates are to be good for one day that week. Talk about the little things they can do to help. Set the table. Not throw clothes or books on the floor when they come in from school. Fetch things Mom needs. Pick up their rooms — and even a brother or sister’ s! The basic attitude of Jesus, His willingness to serve, can be encouraged in the young as well as the adult. (3) The challenge. It’ s striking to realize that Judas was one of those whose feet Jesus washed. The betrayer was served in the same way as the faithful, and through it all, Jesus knew who was going to betray Him. How is this an example and a challenge to us? You and I know there will be those in a fellowship of believers who have not yet responded to Jesus’ message of forgiveness. Will they respond, or will they prove to be like Judas? Should we try to root them out or make distinctions in the way we treat the “ true” brothers, and “ false” ? Never! Within the fellowship of faith we are to serve brother and Judas alike, even as Jesus stooped to wash all of their feet in that Upper Room. The betrayer departs (John 13:21-30). Jesus identified the one who would betray Him by dipping a piece of bread in broth and handing it to Judas, saying, “ What you are about to do, do quickly.” The others didn’ t understand. They thought Jesus was sending Judas out to make a purchase for the festival. Instead, Jesus was releasing Judas to do what he had already determined to do. “ As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out.” The Bible adds, “ And it was night.” LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Foot-washing is practiced by some Christian fellowships today. But most of us have never experienced the ritual. It has a powerful emotional impact on most, as one person takes the role of servant to another. Holding a foot-washing can be a powerful way to open or conclude a group study or class. Have each person read the description of the event in John’ s Gospel, and meditate quietly on it. Then bring out a basin of warm water and towels, and begin to wash the feet of your group members, saying, “ As Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, I am willing to serve you.” Or, as a variation, wash the feet of one, let him or her wash the feet of the person next to him, etc. Each should repeat the same formula. Afterward debrief (talk about the experience). How did each person feel about having his or her feet washed? About washing another’ s feet? Why was this such a powerful example to the disciples? What can we learn from John’ s report of that first foot-washing?

The New Community: John 13:31-14:31 Within the Upper Room, the vision of a new community was being shaped. In the last few hours of His life on earth, Jesus sketched for His friends a picture of a future that they — and we — are to experience. It’ s important to realize that this revelation is for us. Here is a picture of your life and mine as Christians, a picture of our experience in Christ. The key to this experience is relationship: relationship with each other as members of a new community, and relationship with Jesus, the Enabler of the new community. Of all the words Jesus could have spoken in that last brief time with His own, these are the words He chose to share. How eagerly we, like the disciples, lean forward to hear each one. The foundation (John 13:31-35). The foundation of Jesus’ new community is a unique relationship. Here is how Christ explained it: “ A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” These are familiar words, yet strange ones. Love is nothing new; the Old Testament speaks often of love and reminds us to “ love your neighbor as yourself.” But on closer examination, there are several things here that are new. The Old Testament spoke of loving our neighbors: Jesus focused on loving “ one another.” We who are Jesus’ disciples are still to love our neighbors. But we have been welcomed in Christ into a new, intimate relationship with other believers! In Christ, we have become brothers and sisters, members of a single family (see Ephesians 2:19; Ephesians 3:6). In Christ, our relationship with each other is suddenly more intimate than any human relationship has ever been! In the closeness of our new relationship with God and with each other, love takes on a new savor — and a new necessity. There is also a new standard by which to measure love. Love of neighbor was to be “ as you love yourself.” But here we are told to love each other “ as I have loved you.” Love as Jesus did? Love with a love that gives self? Yes, this is new. My brother becomes more important to me than I am! Finally, there is a new outcome. The Christlike love that permeates the new community of Christian brothers and sisters is a witness to the world that Jesus is real. Only Jesus’ living presence can explain such love for others. This context of a loving community is vital in all that Jesus goes on to explain in these next chapters of John’ s Gospel. It is in the context of a new community marked off by love that all Jesus outlines can, and will, become a reality. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Work with your group to develop “ love is” statements. Explain that love can be defined lexically (by words, as in a dictionary). But love can also be defined behaviorally (by describing love in action). God’ s love is often defined this latter way: we know the love of God through His act of sending His Son to die for us. Give teams of four or five the task of completing at least 10 “ love is” statements, making sure that each statement describes a specific act. For instance, “ Love is helping” is not acceptable; “ Love is helping a neighbor clean a driveway on a cold, snowy morning” is. Your goal is to have the group stay away from abstractions, to give very specific descriptions of actions that communicate love. After five minutes or so list definitions on the chalkboard. Then explain the criteria of Christian love that Jesus outlined in John 13:1-38 : it is a family love for “ one another,” it is a “ like Jesus” kind of love, and it has the impact of witnessing to Jesus’ reality in the faith community. Then divide into pairs, and ask each person to share about one time when he or she has experienced this kind of love from another person, and what that experience of love meant to him or her. After sharing, a person can volunteer to tell his or her experience — or the partner’ s — to the whole group. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Boys and girls can play “ love is” too. Follow the instructions for adults. Boys and girls will come up with “ love is” statements that reflect their own level of thinking. After they come up with their definitions of love, ask if they know many people who are like that. Go on to describe other things those people do that show they are loving. Formed while Jesus is away (John 13:36-14:31). The new community is rooted in relationship with Jesus, but not in the same kind of relationship that the disciples had experienced those past three or so years. Instead, Jesus would be away, physically, as the new community took shape. But how could a community be formed around Jesus when He was not present? That issue nags at us today even as it troubled the early disciples. How are we to experience Jesus and God the Father when our Lord is not here?*Trust (13:36-14:7). Jesus’ announcement that He was going and the disciples could not follow shook the 11. Peter promptly swore that he would follow Jesus even to death. Thomas puzzled over where Jesus might hide, and how they would ever find their way to that place. None caught the implications of death and resurrection that we can see so clearly now. Even so, we can understand the fears that surged up at Jesus’ announcement. Sometimes we too feel deserted and alone. When we do, Jesus’ words can comfort us even as they comforted the 11. “ Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus encouraged. He went on to explain two things: while He was absent, Jesus would be with the Father, preparing a place for each disciple and for the community. Then He would return and “ take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” Jesus’ absence is temporary and purposive; while He is gone, we are to trust Him. It’ s not necessary for us to know the location or to see the star charts that pinpoint the location of our Father’ s house. Knowing Jesus is enough. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Here, then, is our first instruction. Remember that knowing and trusting Jesus is enough. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN The idea of “ going to heaven” is hard for children to grasp. But its effects are much like a person moving to another state: in each case the person is “ alive” (in the sense of being a living, conscious person), and in each case we have no daily contact with him or her. Use a real map or draw an outline of the United States. Ask your boys and girls to tell about friends or relatives who have moved away. Do they miss them? Do they ever write? Or visit? After letting the children talk, ask: “ Where do you think ‘ heaven’ is?” (Let the boys and girls make suggestions.) “ Do you know anyone who is in heaven?” Again let the children share. Then explain that just as friends in another state haven’ t stopped existing because we don’ t see them anymore, so friends and loved ones who die still exist, even though we don’ t see them. One day we will die, and because we love Jesus we will be in heaven too, and meet all the friends and loved ones who have died before us. *Prayer (John 14:8-14). In the Upper Room, Philip still was troubled. “ Show us the Father,” he begged. Jesus answered that they had been shown the Father already, in Him! “ Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” But then Jesus went on to note that even if Philip was unable to see God in Jesus’ personality, the works God did through Jesus witnessed to the Father’ s presence. “ 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 miracles themselves.” What is important here is to note that while the Father was not present, He expressed Himself in the world through Jesus’ actions, words, and character. So God does not need to be physically present to act in our world. Nor will Jesus need to be physically present in order to be a part of and act through the new community. In fact, Jesus promised, “ Anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing.” Just as the Father acted in Jesus, so Jesus will act in believers. It is in this context of complete confidence that Jesus tells us to pray. “ And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.” This is our second instruction for life in the new community. We are to expect Jesus to continue to act in this world and are invited to bring everything to Him in prayer, confident that He will answer. *Following (John 14:15-31). The third instruction for life in the new community involves responsive obedience. Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit as a Counselor “ to be with you forever.” The Spirit is identified as the “ Spirit of Truth,” who will give insights to believers which are not available to people who do not belong to Jesus. As the Spirit teaches and brings to our minds the commandments of Christ, and as we obey, we will experience Jesus’ presence in our lives. Jesus promised: “ If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” Finally, we are told that through the Spirit’ s presence we will find peace. This peace is not the kind of peace the world offers; it is a peace that frees us from anxiety and fear, in spite of anything that may happen.

Insights There are many riches in these chapters that invite deep consideration; more consideration than we can give as we trace the teachings of John’ s Gospel in an overview. But here are a few for your meditation. In Jesus’ name (John 14:13). Asking “ in Jesus’ name” means more than simply tacking words on at the end of a prayer. To Old and New Testament people one’ s name was inextricably tied to his character and mission. Thus prayer is to be “ according to His will and instruction, in order that the commission may be fulfilled” (Colin Brown, New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Zondervan). The “ anything” we are invited to ask includes all things that can be identified with the kind of person Jesus is, and the grace He gives. No wonder the Father will be glorified in answering prayers offered in Jesus’ name. In the answers to such prayers the character of God Himself will continue to be revealed. Jesus’ presence (John 14:24). How can we experience Jesus’ presence when He cannot be sensed, or seen by others? Where will we find Him now that He has gone? Jesus had already promised that He would be with His followers in the person of the Spirit. In this passage Christ explained that we will know His presence experientially when love finds expression as obedience. There’ s a beautiful and delicate emphasis here. It is not outward conformity to rules that God seeks. God cares rather about a responsive inner attitude, a commitment to act on Jesus’ words. We sense that “ the” commandments are now “ My” commandments, that the Spirit and Scripture’ s communication are deeply personal whisperings of our loving God. They are directions that lead us to joy and to fellowship. What can so move us to see the personal nature of God’ s Word? Love. As we love Jesus, we respond to His commands. As we obey, we draw closer to Him. Step by step, as our love finds growing expression in obedience, we journey toward the Lord. And then, we find Him, and realize that He has been with us all the time! What a joy to experience the reality of God manifesting Himself within us. If there is not love, there will be no inner response leading to obedience. And without the response of obedience, love will die. When love has died, then, like people of the world, we will see Him no more.

Power for the New Life: John 15:1-17The new community of Jesus asks us to adopt a lifestyle far beyond our capacity. Knowing this, Jesus then explained how a life of fruitfulness is possible for human beings. The fruit Jesus promised here is, of course, the fruit of the Spirit, who will soon settle down into the disciples’ lives. The “ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” Paul lists (Galatians 5:22-23) are promised in these chapters of John. Where does the fruit grow? On a living vine, of course. Branches (and this is how we believers are pictured in Jesus’ illustration) are unable to bear fruit by themselves. They must be connected to the vine. Roots and trunk support the life of the branch, and only the branch “ remaining in” the vine has the potential for fruitfulness. Several questions are asked about this passage in Scripture. They range from an eager, “ What is remaining in?” to a fearful, “ What does it mean to be thrown away and wither, especially with the reference to gathering branches and throwing them into the fire?” Let’ s look at these two typical concerns and then return to the great promise of fruitfulness. Remain in Me (John 15:4). This often-repeated exhortation is explained here as well as in John 14:1-31. If we keep Jesus’ commandments, we will remain in His love (John 15:10). As His words take shape and form in our personalities, as we experience for ourselves the goodness of God’ s will, we will live in the center of His love. Living close to Jesus is part of remaining in Him. Thrown away (John 15:6). The simile of the vine and branches focuses on fruitfulness, and does not refer to salvation. This is why the text carefully says, “ He is like a branch that is thrown away.” In any living vine the function of a branch is to bear fruit. But it cannot fulfill its purpose unless it remains in intimate connection with the vine. Without that intimate “ remaining in Me” relationship, it will never accomplish what it was designed for. How empty will the life of a Christian who fails to remain in Jesus be? As empty as that of a branch torn from the vine; it has no potential for fruit bearing. Its only use would be to serve as fuel to provide momentary warmth; then it must disintegrate into ash. The warning is clear. We cannot become what we are intended to be without having a close relationship with Jesus, with our love for Him expressed in obedience to Him. How tragic if you or I, branches now, fail to experience the joy that comes as we fulfill our potential for bearing fruit. How tragic if, after life is over, we can point to nothing but ashes. The promise. But this paragraph is not meant to depress us. It’ s meant to excite us and to give us joy. Because we are branches, we can draw life from Jesus the Vine! What we cannot do by ourselves, Jesus can accomplish in us! The fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control — all these are possible now. As we live in Him, we will become fruitful. As we remain in Jesus, we will become the kind of people who can make the new community a reality here on earth. How natural then that Jesus would return to this new-community theme. “ This is My command,” He repeated. “ Love each other.” We are Jesus’ friends; we are enabled by His Spirit, empowered by His own life flowing through us; and we can fulfill His command to love one another. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Jesus chose a vine and branches to show us the way to a life of fruitfulness. Have your group members study John 15:1-17, and think of the nature of a vine and branches, to complete together the chart that lists and explains the analogies.

Jesus is like the vine in that …I am like a branch of a vine in that …

Teaching Guide Prepare Read through John 14:1-31 and John 15:1-27, underlining any phrases that are particularly significant to you.

Explore Begin with a foot-washing ceremony, as suggested in the “ link-to-life” idea above.

Expand

1. The key to life in the Christian community is love. So spend time working with your group members to deepen their understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ “ new commandment.” The “ link-to-life” suggestion above is designed to help your group members first define love, and then share ways in which they have experienced Christian love.
2. Or focus on Jesus’ simile of the vine and branches as a way to express our relationship with Him. Use the approach outlined above. Then, if you have extra time, let your group members look for clues on how to “ abide” in John 13:1-38 and John 14:1-31.

Apply Determine one way to love someone near you “ as I have loved you,” and so keep Christ’ s new commandment.