Gospel of John, chs. 13-17

Prayer

O Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of our hearts that we may hear your Word, and understand and do your will, for we are sojourners upon the Earth. On you do we set our hope, O God, that you shall enlighten our mind and understanding with the light of your knowledge; not only to cherish those things which are written, but to do them; For you are the enlightenment of those who lie in darkness, and from you comes every good deed and every gift. Amen.

Setting: “His hour had come to depart … and go to the Father,” John 13:1

The hour and time conflation: cf. John 12:23, 31-33 (esp. see ch. 17); the hour as Jesus’ imminent departure stands behind everything that follows and is referenced over and over again

The Last Supper, John 13-16

The Washing of the Disciples’ Feet, John 13:2-11

recall John 12:1-8; cf. Mark 10:41-45

framing of the narrative: John 13:2, 11

John 13:4, Fr. Raymond Brown: “took off. Literally “laid [down]”; this is the same verb (tithenai) used in 10:11, 15, 17, 18 for the laying down of life. A deliberate parallel is not out of the question since the corresponding action of taking up (both the robe and life) is also expressed by one verb (lambanein) in 13:12 and 10:17, 18. All of this serves to relate the footwashing to the death of the Lord.” Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel according to John (XIII-XXI): Introduction, Translation, and Notes, vol. 29A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 551.

John 13:12-20 draw out the lesson in terms of discipleship and continued veiled references to Judas’ betrayal (note: “I am” v. 19)

“One of you will betray me,” John 13:21-30

John 13:23: “next to him” literally: “on his chest/kolpos” cf. John 1:18 kolpos

Jesus curiously dips a morsel of bread in the cup and gives it to Judas as a sign of his betrayal, which coheres with the reference to Ps 41:9 in John 13:18

John 13:27 “Satan entered him”; cf. John 14:30; 16:33 and John 13:2 also 12:31 (see the “now” in the next paragraph)

“A new commandment,” John 13:31-38 (cf. John 15:12-13)

“My little children” teknia (v. 33), only here in the Gospel (see “orphaned” in 14:18), but seven times in 1 John

“By this everyone will know,” v. 35, is this part of the way in which God will be glorified in the Son, v. 31?

Peter’s failure to love (i.e., his denial) predicted, John 13:36-38

“In my Father’s house,” John 14-16

John 14:2-3: A promise of participation in the heavenly temple or of their reconstitution (by the Spirit) as the very temple of God?

“my Father’s house/oikia”; cf. John 2:16, 19-21 (oikos)

“dwelling places” mone

“I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also”; cf. John 14:23 mone

John 15:1-11: The image of the vine develops the notion of mutual “abidings” with an emphasis on discipleship, a theme developed at length and repeated in this section

A new emphasis on the theme (beyond obeying Jesus’ commandment to lay down their lives for one another) is to bear witness, with the help of the advocate, in the face of hostility, even in the event of being aposynagogos (put out of the synagogue), John 16:1-2 (also 12:42; 9:22). A reference to the birkat haminim? cf. Marcus, Joel. “Birkat Ha-Minim Revisited.” New Testament Studies 55, no. 4 (2009): 523–51.

The Advocate/Helper, John 14:15-17, 25-26; 15:26; 16:7-11, 12-14

“Whatever you ask...” (John 14:13-14; 15:7, 16; 16:23-24, 26-27) The oneness of disciples—>friends (John 15:14) with Christ expressed in terms of oneness of will (… “he will do”) and shared access to all that the Son has (… “he will give you”) may continue the “Father’s house/household” theme, in that the disciples could be here spoken of as entering into the status of full-grown sons and heirs to all that the Son receives from the Father (i.e., a share in the eternal divine being of God).

Jesus’ “High-Priestly” Prayer for His Disciples

Following upon the sad prediction of John 16:32, the themes of this prayer form a powerful counterpoint through Christ’s faithfulness. What themes are key and which are developed at length?

Glory/ify

Eternal life, v. 3

Work

Name, vv. 6, 11 & 12, 26

Word

World

Oneness, vv. 11, 20-23

Pre-existence and presence, vv. 5 & 24

How do these texts challenge you?