John 14-17 Inductive Bible Study

Preliminary Overview

Who - Jesus speaking to the 11 disciples; debatably John son of Zebedee who also wrote Revelation, but nothing really concrete

What - Jesus about to be arrested and taken to Pilate, be crucified and resurrected. final teaching preparing them to be apostles

When - During the last supper, after Judas departs, new commandment, and foretelling Peter’s denial, he says twice that he is going where they cannot follow; written 90-135 AD

Where - the upper room in Jerusalem during the passover; Debatably Ephesus, but nothing really concrete

Why - Jesus’ purpose declared in Jn 16:1-4, 5, 33, alines with John’s purpose declared in Jn 20:31, esp. if you take the meaning of “continuing to believe.” Jn 16:5 - Jesus’ parting words.

John: An Introduction and Study Guide: History, Community, and Ideology Purpose

It should be noted that these three possibilities (incorporating other communities; correcting any misunderstanding about John the Baptist; presenting the Beloved Disciple as the model disciple) for John’s composition have not gathered the same attention as the hypothesis that John was written due to the expulsion of Jewish Jesus-believers from the synagogue.

John: An Introduction and Study Guide: History, Community, and Ideology Purpose

(1) 9:22 and 9:34 suggest that the blind man is expelled from the synagogue because of his belief in Jesus; (2) 12:42 intimates that others are afraid to confess Jesus lest they too be expelled; and (3) 16:1–4 insinuates that Jesus, speaking to the disciples, predicts that they will also be expelled. All three “expulsion” texts lead to the conclusion that John was written for the Jesus-believers who were expelled from the synagogue because of their faith in Jesus—that they “may continue to believe” in Jesus. In other words, John was written to strengthen the faith of Jewish Jesus-believers who were experiencing a traumatic identity crisis because of hostilities against them or an intrafamilial dispute among Jews (Reinhartz 1998: 111–38).

How - sharing stories from Jesus’ life and teaching that are encouraging and applicable to the conflict of the audience while emphasizing who Jesus is. (especially in Jn 14-17)

MOOD: sad, urgent?, goal of encouraging

genre: narrative?

Literary Context

Immediate:

Main idea before: John 13 - Jesus washing feet, the bathed are completely clean. Jesus is Teacher and Lord, an example. Prophesies to demonstrate divinity. We receive holy spirit, and thus Christ, and thus the Father. Jesus’ authority over the devil

Main idea: Preparing to leave, Jesus prepares the disciples for persecution and the Holy Spirit (through preaching and prayer). Jesus prepares himself through prayer

Main idea after: Now Jesus heads out to the garden with his disciples, almost immediately arrested.

role of my passage: preparation for a great shift/change, providing proof and truth

Whole book:

how it fits with overall purpose of book:

other sections with similar ideas:

Things That Don’t Make Sense

John 14:30–31 “I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me. On the contrary, so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me. “Get up; let’s leave this place.” “Why does Jesus say he is almost done talking and then say to leave, but then keep talking? Are they now walking and talking? Where are they by Jn 17?

Jesus addresses big implied question from the disciples in his transition from Jn 15:17-18.

in Jn 16:5 Jesus says that none of the disciples asked where he was going, seemingly rebuking them, but in Jn 14:5 Thomas asks a very similar question. He says they don’t know where he’s going and he asks how to know the way to where he is going. Maybe Jesus is differentiating asking about the way there from asking where/what that place is?

Jn 16:28-29 - why do the disciples all of the sudden think he is making sense? What did he say differently? Is this the first time he said he is “leaving the world”?

Jn 17:12 is difficult to deal with

are the disciples with Jesus for 17?

Jn 15:22-25 difficult to deal with

Jn 16:8-11, what does it mean, what are the causalities?

John 17:5 meaning

“son of destruction”

Broad Outline 1

John 14 - Jesus encourages the disciples, promising good things to come specifically regarding the experience of the presence of God through the Trinity in different ways. Thomas, Philip, and Judas all ask questions with the desire to know God/Jesus.

different ways (within/through the Trinity) and the different questions: _______________

Jn 15:1-8 - Abiding, Jn 15:9-11 - abiding connected to love, Jn 15:12-17 - loving, Jn 15:18-25 - hatred, Jn 15:26-27 - ties back to the encouragement of the Holy Spirit in Jn 14, esp. 15-17.

Jn 16:1-6 - explains the purpose of his words: encouragement and endurance because he is leaving. Jn 16:7-15 - returning to the promise of the Holy Spirit as hope and encouragement. Jn 16:16-21 - Jesus redirects their question of “how long?” to focusing on how hard it will be, but once again offers encouragement in Jn 16:22-28 of his own return and answered prayers (Holy Spirit again?). Jn 16:29-31 - Disciples get it or humbly bow and stop asking questions. Jn 16:32-33 - Time is up, encourages himself and the disciples, declares purpose again.

Jn 17:1-5 - completing the glorification of God. Jn 17:6-19 - prayer for those God has given to Jesus. Jn 17:20-26 - prayer for the world, those who will come to believe through the word of the disciples and apostles.

Word Studies (read the Greek

Other Themes

Prove/show that you are Christ’s disciples: Jn 15:8, Jn 13:35,

“That your joy may be full” Jn 15:11, 16:24, 17:13, 16:21-22 (joy overwhelms the sorrow, now forgotten, overcomes the troubled heart) this is full joy, spilling over,

Gift of peace, sturdy hearts Jn 16:33, 14:27

Early Impressions

Jesus comes back to the HS at the end of each section as a comfort, encouragement and answer for the disciples. He is redirecting their focus. He lists different things the Spirit will do: ______________

“That your joy may be full” Jn 15:11, 16:24, 17:13, 16:21-22 (joy overwhelms the sorrow, now forgotten, overcomes the troubled heart) this is full joy, spilling over,