Friendship With God (John 13-17)

Intro/Welcome

How to we not just survive, but thrive in this life?

What do you want out of life?

To be able to love others?

to have help?

To not struggle so much with doubt and fear?

To have a fullness of joy

To not stumble so much

To have Peace

This is what John 13-17 is about.

Premise(s):

1. If we follow Him we must become like Him

If Jesus is Lord and Savior (what it means to be a believer) then our task is to become more like Him (that’s discipleship). Jesus loved others because God loved Him and he loved God.

John 13:12–17 (ESV)

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.

2. All of life is ministry.

You are always in ministry.

Define Ministry: to love one another because God first loved you.

Who is ‘one another?’

Who is around you?

Your family, your kids, your co-workers, your siblings, your church, your neighbors, whomever God brings into your life.

Therefore all of life is ministry.

3. Jesus is equipping us for a life of ministry — that is a life of love.

Pray

Isaiah 61:1–3 ESV

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Context

John 12:12-19 = The Triumphal Entry

The final destination of Jesus’ Ministry

This is where it has all been leading

The final confrontation between the Religious Leaders, Rome and the Son of God (Jesus)

Jesus is clear on what is about to happen:

John 12:23–28 (ESV)

23 And Jesus answered them,

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

Jesus gives his final public plea in John 12:44-50 to believe in Him and that he is from God the Father and is doing his Father’s Will.

John 12:44–50 (ESV)

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what tospeak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

The Last Supper/Foot Washing

Then we come to the Last Supper / Foot washing in John 13 which we spent some time on last week.

Jesus demonstrates and calls his disciples to become like Him.

John 13:12–17 (ESV)

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.

He is teaching them that they should be willing to serve one another

just as he has served them.

Then we have this bit about Judas leaving to betray Jesus

John 13:27 (ESV)

27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

and now the table has been set

The pieces are in motion

There is no going back.

then Jesus says this and begins his final teaching.

Love One Another

John 13:31–32 (ESV)

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.

John 13:33 (ESV)

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.’

I see Jesus’ heart breaking here

He knows what they will go through

John 13:34–35 (ESV)

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.”

Here’s the big point — the goal of life — the goal of ministry

Love one another

What does that look like?

just as I have loved you.

Discipleship — we become like Jesus

we look at the life of Jesus — that is the mold, that is the model

We spent 33 weeks in the Gospel of Mark last year looking at that very thing

the life and ministry of Jesus.

How do we do love like Jesus?

It’s one thing to know what to do, it is another to know how to accomplish it

and I don’t mean — what methods and strategies — those are not bad

I mean — by what power?

by whose strength?

by whose wisdom?

That is what John 13-17 is about.

Jesus is equipping his saints for the work of ministry (serving — feet washing)

he is empowering them for a life of loving one another.

What I want to do is give a general overview of the teaching, using Jesus own words.

Structure

One Command

Five points and

A prayer.

There are 5 points within the teaching that he says something like “I have told you these things for such and such reason”

They give us the very reasons that Jesus said the things he said.

7 Reasons for John 13-17

1. Love One Another

So that you might love one another as I have loved you

John 13:34–35 ESV

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.”

This is the greatest commandment

to love your neighbor as yourself — because you Love God

becuase he has loved you in Jesus.

2. The Holy Spirit

The Promised Power and Presence of Holy Spirit

John 14:25–26 (ESV)

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 16:4 (ESV)

4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

He is about to leave them, and they cannot come.

How will they persevere?

How will they endure?

There questions are our questions:

When it seems like Jesus has left the building...

how do we endure?

how do we persevere?

How do we love?

How do we have joy, peace and unity?

How do we have trust and not stumble?

His answer is the same to them as it is to us:

I’m sending help

one to come along side of you

one to live inside of you

The Holy Spirit.

3. Trust/Faith

To build your Trust/Faith

John 14:29 (ESV)

29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.

4. Joy

That your joy may be full

John 15:11 (ESV)

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

5. Prevent Stumbling

To Keep you from falling away/stumbling

John 16:1 ESV

1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.

6. Peace

To give you Peace

John 16:33 ESV

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

7. Unity

So that we would be ONE — Unity in Community with the Trinity

John 17:11 (ESV)

11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.