John 13-16
What I Noticed Today (John 13-16)
John 13:1-17:26
The second major section of John’s gospel is focused on Jesus instructing the disciples and preparing them for what was to come after Jesus returned to the Father.
John 13
In verses 1-11, Jesus and the disciples are gathered together in the upper room to celebrate His last Passover with them. Jesus realizes His time is short. Satan had already put it into Judas’ heart to betray Jesus.
Jesus got up from the dinner, took off His robe, and began to wash the disciple’s feet using a basin of water. Peter didn’t understand why Jesus was washing their feet, and he objected to Jesus washing his feet. When Jesus explained, if you do not let me do this, then you have no part in me. Peter said, then Lord wash my feet, hands, and head.
Jesus said one who has bathed only needs to wash their feet to be completely clean; you are clean, but not all of you.
Note: Foot washing was a menial task typically completed by a household servant.
Note: Most scholars agree the “bath” Jesus refers to is to believe in Christ (He washes away our sins). The foot-washing represents the ongoing confession of sin. The phrase “you are not all clean” is a reference to Judas, which suggests Judas was not a true believer.
In verses 12-19, when Jesus was finished, he put back on His robe and asked if they understood what He had done. It is an example of how the Teacher served the disciples and how they should then serve each other. A messenger is not greater than the person who sent him. Jesus again singles out one person saying He knows who are His, but one who shares His bread will rise up against Him (referring to Judas).
In verses 21-30, Jesus again spoke of the one who would betray Him. The disciple whom Jesus loved (John), at Peter’s urging, leaned toward Jesus and asked who would betray Him. Jesus said the one I give the bread to after I dip it, and He gave the bread to Judas. Then, speaking to Judas, Jesus told him to do what he was about to do quickly, and Judas immediately got up and left the room.
Note: John made a point to say Judas left, and it was night. This may be his way of saying Judas was leaving the light (Jesus, John 8:12) and going into the darkness of the night (sin, John 3:19).
In verses 31-35, after Judas left, Jesus said the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. He told the disciples He would be with them only a short while longer and gave them a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. By this love, people will know you are My disciples.
In verses 36-38, Peter asked where Jesus was going because he wanted to be with Him. Jesus answered, where I am going, you cannot go now but, you will follow me later. Ever persistent, Peter said he would lay down his life to follow Jesus. But Jesus said, you will deny me three times before the rooster crows.
John 14
In verses 1-6, Jesus sensed the disciples’ hearts were troubled (He had announced He was going away and they could not follow, He had said one of them would betray Him, and He had told Peter that He would deny Him three times before morning).
Jesus encouraged the disciples, saying, you believe in God, believe also in Me. There are many dwelling places in My Father’s house. So I am going away to prepare a place for you that you may be with me.
Note: Jesus’ reference to coming back is not to His resurrection but to the church's rapture when Christ will return for His sheep.
Thomas said we don’t know where you are going. How will we know the way? Jesus answered I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.
Note: Verse 6 is the sixth of Jesus’ “I am” statements. Jesus said, “I am the way,” not “a way.” There are not many ways to the Father, only one, and that is through believing in His One and Only Son.
In verses 7-11, Jesus continued saying, if you know Me, you also know the Father. So Philip said, show us the Father, and that will be enough.
Note: Philip was probably hoping for a theophany (a visible appearance or manifestation of God).
Jesus responded to Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still, you do not know me. The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. Jesus said they should believe because of three things:
- The Father is in Me, and I am in the Father (same identity, character).
- My words are the Father’s words.
- The miracles reveal God working in Him.
Jesus concludes if you believe for no other reason, believe because of the miracles you have seen (the seven signs in John’s gospel).
In verses 12-14, Jesus assured the disciples the ones who believe in Him will also do even greater works than He (not in terms of miracles but in terms of their outreach). Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so the Father may be glorified.
Note: Jesus said, whatever you ask in My name, I will do, is not to reduce God to a genie that does what we ask. Jesus says the work we do for the kingdom that glorifies the Father (according to His will) will be done.
In verses 15-31, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, if you love Me, you will keep My commandments. Furthermore, he promised to send the Holy Spirit (the counselor), who is the spirit of truth, who will be with you forever.
Note: In verse 17, the Greek literally says, “spirit of the truth.” Not “one” of the truths, not “a” truth, but “the” truth.
Jesus said the world would not see Him much longer, but they would because He was in them (I am in you, and you are in Me). Therefore, the one who has my commands and does them is the one who loves me, and I will reveal them to My Father.
Note: Verse 21 is not a call to salvation by works but a reinforcement that if we truly believe and love Jesus for who He is, then we will be obedient to Him.
Another Judas (not Iscariot) asked Jesus how He would reveal Himself to them and not to the world. Jesus answered, if anyone loves me and keeps My word, the Father will also love him, and they will come and make their home in him. The one who doesn’t love Me will not keep My words. In the future, the Father will send the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, to teach you all things and remind you of what I have told you.
Note: God dwelled corporately among the people in the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple, but this dwelling in us is personal.
In verses 27-31, Jesus said, My peace I leave you, My peace I give to you. Therefore, do not be troubled or fearful. He told them again, He was going to the Father, and they should rejoice.
Note: The disciples were still thinking of themselves, not of God’s plan for the Son.
Note: Certain faiths (Arians and Jehovah’s Witnesses) argue that Jesus’ statement (verse 28), “the Father is greater than I,” is proof that Jesus is a lesser God. But if Jesus were a lesser God, He would also have to be created, which leads to a polytheistic belief. Both of these outcomes are clearly not supported by scripture. Therefore, the Son is functionally subordinate to the Father during His incarnation.
John 15
In verses 1-8, John records the seventh and last of Jesus’ “I am” statements.
Jesus said I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. Any branch that does not produce fruit the Father removes. He prunes other branches, so they produce more fruit. Remain in Me. Just as the branch must remain attached to the vine to produce fruit, you must remain in me.
Note: “Remain” (some translations use “abide”) is used 40 times in the Gospel of John and another 27 times in John’s epistles. To remain carries several meanings: 1) to accept Jesus as Messiah, 2) to continue to believe or to persevere, and 3) be obedient to. Apart from Jesus, we can bear no fruit.
If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a withered branch, which will be burned in the fire.
Note: There are three explanations offered for Jesus’ reference to the branch being thrown into the fire and burned. I believe the third explanation to be correct:
- The discarded and burned branches are Christians who had lost their salvation.
- The discarded and burned branches represent Christians who will lose rewards in heaven but not their salvation.
- The discarded and burned branches are people who professed Christianity, but like Judas, were not true believers.
In verses 9-17, Jesus says I have loved you as the Father loved Me. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in My love. Jesus said He had spoken these things so that His joy might be in us and that our joy might be complete. The commands we are to keep is to love one another as Jesus has loved us.
Jesus says the disciples are friends. He had chosen them and appointed them to go out and produce fruit so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
Note: Jesus had selected and anointed specific men for a specific task of preaching the Gospel. Whatever they asked the Father, He would give them.
In verses 18-25, Jesus warns the disciples the world would hate them just as it had hated Him. If they persecute me, they will also persecute you. If they keep my word, they will also keep yours. Those who persecute you do so because they do not know the One (God) who sent Me. Now that they have seen and heard Him, they have no excuse for their sin. So now they hate both Him and the Father (fulfilling Psalm 69:4).
In verses 26-27, Jesus reminds them the Father will send the Counselor, the Spirit of Truth, and He will testify about Me.
Note: Believers are being called to testify to Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, whom the Father has sent. We testify (witness), the Spirit persuades, Jesus saves.
John 16
In verses 1-4, Jesus warns the disciples they will be banned from the synagogue. People will try to kill them, thinking they are serving God. But they do that because they do not really know the Father or Me.
In verses 5-15, John describes the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells the disciples it is to their benefit that He go away because unless he goes, the Holy Spirit cannot come. When He (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
- Because they do not believe in Me.
- Because I am going to the Father, and you will no longer see Me.
- The ruler of this world has been judged.
Note: Conviction of sin comes before the confession of sin. We must be aware of the sin before we can confess the sin.
When the Spirit comes, He will: 1) guide you into all truth, 2) He will declare what is to come, and 3) He will glorify Me.
In verses 16-24, Jesus says in a little while, you will not see Me, and in a little while, you will see Me.
Note: These references to “a little while” are either to the period of time between his crucifixion and His resurrection or to the period of time between His resurrection and His ascension. I believe the latter is most likely.
While they would mourn His death, the world would rejoice, but in time, your sorrow will turn to joy, and no one will be able to rob you of your joy.
Jesus tells them again that anything they ask the Father in His name, they will receive.
Note: The disciples had not been praying, asking in Jesus’ name, but going forward, this is what they were to do. Again, this asking is to do the will of the Father.
In verses 25-33, Jesus admitted that He had been teaching the disciples with figures of speech, but the time was coming when He would speak plainly to them.
Note: Jesus says you will pray asking the Father in My name does not mean He will ask the Father on our behalf. Rather, they (we) as children of God have direct access to the Father.
Jesus said I came from the Father into the world and am going to leave the world to return to the Father.
The disciples finally understood that Jesus knew everything (was omniscient) and came from God.
Jesus warned the time was coming when they would all be scattered (fulfilling Zechariah 13:7), and He would be with the Father.
Jesus concluded by saying He had taught these things to give them peace in Him. Therefore, you will suffer in this world, but be courageous because He has conquered (overcome) the world.
Note: Because Jesus conquered the world and we are in Him, we are also conquerors (Romans 8:37).
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- When Jesus washed the disciples' feet, He did so as an example to us; that we would also love and serve each other.
- The distinguishing mark of a Christian is the love we have for each other.
- The world continues to oppose Jesus’ truth and celebrates their victories over Him, but in the end, it is Christ who has conquered the world.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.