Month: May 2021

17 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, ² since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴ I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.
⁵ So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

⁶ “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸ for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹ I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰ All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹ And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. ¹² While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.
¹³ But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.  ¹⁴ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵ I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

²⁰ “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one. As you, Father, 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. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

²⁵ “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”  NRSV

Get into the word

1. How does Jesus begin his prayer? Why do you think he starts with this request? How do you feel about starting prayer with a request?

2. What type of “glory” was Jesus talking about in this first part of his prayer? Why would Jesus be interested in glory? Why would God?

3. What subject does Jesus bring up next in his prayer? How does he describe the disciples? What does he ask God to do for the disciples? How do you react to this request? How do you think the disciples reacted when Jesus talked about them?

4. Why is “protection” important for the disciples now? How does Jesus want God to protect the disciples? 

5. Who is next on Jesus’s prayer list? Why would he include these people? What does he ask the Father to do with or for future believers? How is God supposed to accomplish Jesus’s request?

6. How does Jesus conclude his prayer? Who or what is he talking about here? Why would he end on this topic?

Get Personal

Jesus’s prayer is all about our relationship with God the Father. How does prayer affect your relationship with God the Father? How might your prayer tap deeper into your relationship with God?

17:1. Hour has come — several times Jesus (or the writer) has said, “My hour has not yet come,” [2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20]. Now Jesus acknowledges the time has come.
17:2. Have given him authority — we get a glimpse of the relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son: continuous and reciprocal giving and receiving (but not taking) of glory, authority and responsibility from one to the other.
17.3. Eternal life – to know you — Jesus equates a relationship with God to eternal life; we cannot “know” another person unless we are in a relationship with that person. With God, knowing him changes the fundamental nature of our lives from that point forward.
17:4. The work that you gave me to do — Jesus knows the cross is still ahead of him [check John 12:23-26], but he also knows he will go there so the Father can bring him “into the glory.”
17:6. Made your name known — Jesus confirms that his ministry is complete: the disciples believe Jesus is the Messiah and understand (though still imperfectly) his work on Earth.

17:9. Those whom you gave me — Jesus now prays for the disciples because they are “staying in this world.” 
17:14. The world has hated them — the Old Testament portrays Israel as set apart from and hated by the world: For I am the Lord your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming creature that moves on the earth. ⁴⁵ For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; you shall be holy, for I am holy, [Lev 11:44-45]. Jesus extends that hatred to the disciples because they are now apart from the world, just as Jesus was apart.
17:15. I am not asking you to take them out — the disciples – and all believers [v. 20] – must stay in this world so they – and we – can tell the world about Jesus [vv. 17-19].
17:20. Those who will believe — that’s us!
17:21. All be one — Jesus expects us to enjoy the unity with each other and with him that he shares with the Father – with goal that others see our love for each other and for God and believe as we do: that Jesus is the savior. Verses 22-26 echo Jesus’ expectation of unity.

16  “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. ⁷ Never-theless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because they do not believe in me;
¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer;
¹¹ about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

¹⁶ “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” ¹⁷ Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They said, “What does he mean by this ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” ¹⁹ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? ²⁰ Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. ²¹ When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. ²² So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. ²³ On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.^{b  24} Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

²⁵ “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. ²⁶ On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; ²⁷ for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.^{a  28} I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.”

²⁹ His disciples said, “Yes, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech! ³⁰ Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.” ³¹ Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? ³² The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. ³³ I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is Jesus describing at the beginning? How do the disciples respond? Who does Jesus promise to help the disciples? What will this person do for them? Why does the world need to understand these things about sin and righteousness and judgment?

2. What is the relationship of the Holy Spirit to Jesus? To God the Father? How will the disciples know the Holy Spirit?

3. What does Jesus turn to next? How does he describe this situation? How do the disciples react to this? What does Jesus do in response? What image does he use to help them understand? 

4. Why do you think Jesus shifts the way he talks with the disciples [v. 25]? What makes “straight” talk appropriate now when it wasn’t before? How do the disciples respond to these new statements?

5. What does Jesus tell them about their new situation? What hope does he offer the disciples? How do you suppose they felt now?

Get Personal

How does God let you know what to expect in your life? How does he give you confidence and hope for your future? How do you respond to God’s assurance?

16.6. Sorrow — the disciples still do not understand the “big picture” of salvation; they remain focused on the loss of their friend and leader.
16.7. Advocate — Jesus uses the same term as in 14:16, but shows a different role for the Spirit: that of God’s advocate against the world.
16:8. Prove — the Greek word means to make the subject so clear there is no possibility of misunderstanding. The Holy Spirit will expose humanity’s guilt in rejecting God (sin), Christ’s death and resurrection (righteousness) and condemnation of evil (judgment). 
16:13-15. Jesus underscores that the Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity, he “speaks” what he hears from God the Father, and he “receives” the truth from Jesus and makes it known.
16:16. You will no longer see me . . . you will see me — though it is literally true, Jesus’ statement is more poetic than clear – so he explains his immanent  death and resurrection in verses 19-22, using the pain and joy of childbirth. 
16:20. Pain will turn to joy – Psalm 30 says: You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.

16:23. Ask anything of the Father — Jesus reminds the disciples that they will be his direct representatives and that God the Father will respond to their prayers as he has responded to Jesus.
16:25. Figures of speech — Jesus had used metaphors and parables to explain the kingdom of Heaven and his mission on Earth, but now he shifts to straightforward statements, especially verse 28.
16:31. Now believe — Jesus isn’t really asking a question, he is confirming the disciples’ belief.
16:32. Scattered— Jesus then warns the disciples about the effect of his arrest and death, and also describes their future lives as his Apostles. In Matthew’s Gospel [26:31] Jesus links this to Zechariah: God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered, [13:7].
16:33. Persecution — the Greek word actually means pressure, in this case from the world. Jesus was constantly pressured to conform to the world and the disciples are about to feel that same pressure. In the next verse Jesus assures them that he has conquered (literally, “subdued”) that pressure and they will, too.

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. ² He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
³ You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷ I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you.
²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘Servants are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

²⁶ “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. ²⁷ You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

16    “I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. ² They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is  coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. ³ And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. ⁴ But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What image does Jesus use next in describing the disciples? Why do you think he chose this image [see Notes]? Who else is involved in this image? What does Jesus say about the image?

2. How does Jesus describe the relationship between the disciples and himself? What does he tell the disciples to do? What will happen to those who do as Jesus says? To those who do not?

3. What is the relationship of love and Jesus’ commandments? Why does Jesus stress this point? How does this affect the disciples’ relationship with Jesus? With each other? What is the outcome of this relationship for the disciples?

4. What topic does Jesus move to next? Why do you think he brings up this subject? What does he say about the world? About himself? About the disciples?  What does Jesus promise the disciples?

5. Why does Jesus tell the disciples about their future? Why is this important? How do you suppose they felt about this? 

Get Personal

How do you feel about being Jesus’ friend? How does this affect your daily walk with Jesus? How does this affect your testimony about Jesus?

15:1. Vine — vineyards, grapes and wine are common Old Testament images for Israel, as in Isaiah: The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, [5:7].
15:2. Removes . . . prunes — Jesus uses two different words here – those who bear no fruit (because they do not have Christ’s spirit) are removed; but those who do bear fruit (because they do have his spirit) are pruned so they can continue to be fruitful.
15:3. Cleansed by the word — when we accept the Gospel we are cleansed of our sin and purified for our relationship with God through Christ.
15:4. Abide — or “dwell” is about making Christ part of our life and our life part of Christ’s. God’s original purpose is to be part of the life of his creation: Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them, [Exodus 25:8]; and I will make my home among them. I will be their God and they will be my people, [Ezek 37:27].
15:7. Ask for whatever — Jesus repeats his promise about prayer [check 14:13].
15:9. As the Father has loved me — Jesus’s  love for believers is the same complete and total love that the Father has for the Son.
15:12. Love one another as I have loved you — we are to extend that same love to one another. 

15:11-12. Joy . . . love — are part of the “fruit” that we bear when we abide in Jesus.
15:15. You are my friends — in Jesus’ time a rabbi’s disciples often were treated as slaves. At the same time Greek and Roman culture placed considerable emphasis on friendship, including loyalty, equality and intimacy (which Jesus underscores by saying he told the disciples “everything the Father told me”). John’s readers would have been familiar with the meaning of Jesus’ use of “friends.”
15:25. Hated — Jews had already experienced persecution, but Jesus is talking about all non-believers hating the disciples because of his message.
15:27. You also are to testify — the disciples’ primary charge – and ours – is to testify about what Jesus has done. God does not call us to be experts or theologians or apologists; he calls us to be witnesses.
16:2. Put out from the synagogues — this was already happening [check 9:20-23 and 12:42]. When John was writing his Gospel, many Jewish Christians had been expelled from the synagogue and gentile believers were persecuted because they did not worship the Roman emperor.
Offering worship to God — was Jesus picturing Saul of Tarsus?

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?^{a  3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
¹⁴ If in my name you ask me^a for anything,I will do it.

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. ¹⁷ This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹ In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” ²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered him,, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. ²⁸ You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. ³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; ³¹ but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Why does Jesus begin the way he does? What do you think of Jesus’ description of his Father’s “home?” [see Notes]. Do you think the disciples understood?

2. How does Jesus respond to Thomas’ concern? To Phillip’s request? What does Jesus promise the disciples about their future? What does he promise about our future? What is the key to achieving this promise?

3. Who does Jesus introduce in this passage? Why would he tell the disciples about another “person” at this point? How do you think the disciples felt about this “Advocate?” 

4. How does Jesus describe the Holy Spirit? What seem to be his important attributes? What links the disciples to Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit? How does Jesus describe the relationship between the disciples and the Trinity?

5. How does Jesus attempt to prepare the disciples for the immediate future? What gift does he leave with the disciples? 

Get Personal

How does knowing “the way, the truth and the life” affect the way you conduct yourself each day? How has the Holy Spirit been your advocate? Your comforter? Your helper? How does he help you deal with an uncertain future?

14:1. Trust in . . . — Jesus again claims equality with the Father.
14:6. The way, the truth, the life — Jesus sums up Christian theology in this threefold description: he is the means (way) by which we have access to God the Father; in himself he reveals all the truth about God the Father; and he has and is the life we have in reunion with God the Father. Early Christians called themselves followers of “the Way.”
14:9-10. All this time — you can sense Jesus’ frustration; and he uses the same appeal he made to the Jews earlier: “believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done,” [10:38]. It is hard to understand how the disciples could not see what Jesus was really talking about – until we remember all the times we were blind or deaf to what Jesus was trying to tell us.
14:12. Greater works — earlier Jesus told the people “this is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent,” [6:29]. As the Gospel has spread around the world and more people from a greater variety of backgrounds and circumstances “believe in the one he has sent,” greater works are being accomplished.

14:13. In my name — this may be the most discussed of all Jesus’ promises. For me the key is “in my name” – we need to be completely “in synch” with Jesus and his ministry and purpose if he is to respond to our requests and “bring glory to the Father.” 
14:16. Advocate — also translated “Counselor,” “Helper,” “Encourager,” and “Comforter.” Advocate is appropriate because the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, just as Jesus does on the cross, in our relationship with God the Father. This verse is also one of the first descriptions of the Trinity: Jesus, the human manifestation of God, says he will ask “the Father,” who will give another Advocate: “the Holy Spirit.” There clearly will be three “persons” involved with the disciples.
14:17. Be in you — an echo of Ezekiel: I will put my Spirit in you so you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations, [36:27].
14:22. Reveal — Jesus’ answer in v. 24 makes it clear that God’s plan for salvation involves our hearts – love – not our heads: “the world.”
14:27. Peace — which comes from trusting in Jesus’ promises about our ultimate future.