The Farewell Discourse

English Standard Version Chapter 13

13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

One of You Will Betray Me

21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

A New Commandment

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

I’ve always found it interesting to look at the last recorded words of speakers, especially through the lens of a farewell address. This is because these aren’t necessarily the last recorded words of the person doing the speaking, but they are the recorded words of an individual before they transition out of their role of power and how they hope to set a trajectory forward for those in the organization or place they are leaving behind. A good example of this is the Washington Farewell address.

George Washington's Farewell Address is a letter written by first President of the United States George Washington to "friends and fellow-citizens".[1] He wrote the letter near the end of his second term of presidency, before retiring to his home at Mount Vernon in Virginia. Written in 1796 towards the end of his second term in office, he had originally prepared it for the end of his first term in office but was convinced at the duress of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton to serve a second term for fear that he was the only leader whose leadership could unite the country to move forward in spite of the challenges and division it faced as a young and fledgling country.

Written in 1796 towards the end of his second term in office.

Farewell addresses are also not entirely uncommon in scripture, even in ancient Near Eastern Culture they were relatively common, though maybe not in the same context. It was actually pretty popular tradition to see these occur in the OT, think of Moses as he bid farewell to the people of Israel, Joshua as he challenged the people of Israel , and even as we consider the NT, Paul’s address to the Ephesian elders at Miletus, etc.

today we have such a farewell address of our Lord jesus to his disciples, the beginnings of which start in our passage: JOhn 13. This address runs until Chapter 17, and in it the Lord presents a very different picture of his presence with his disciples after his death and Resurrection. But it is unique in all of our Gospel accounts of the up close and personal look that John gives to the teachings of our Lord to the Disciples in his last hours with them, where the other Synoptic Gospels highlight these things differently.

Today we have such a farewell address of our Lord jesus to his disciples, the beginnings of which start in our passage: JOhn 13 and go until . Coming after the last instances of Jesus’ public ministry, John now narrows the focuse of his Gospel to be Jesus’ exclusive teaching to the disciples in the last moments of his time with them. But it is unique in all of our Gospel accounts of the up close and personal look that John gives to the teachings of our Lord to the Disciples in his last hours with them, where the other Synoptic Gospels highlight different aspects of the night of Christ’s betrayal differently. John, in an effort to fill out for his own purposes, the picture of Christ’s teaching and presence with his disciples, presents a very different picture of how Jesus teaches his disciples.

So Today we are going to look at the first part of this farewell discourse and learn what Jesus would say to his Disciples about what he is about to do.

Pray

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