Podcasts about Farewell Discourse

Believing in Jesus does not mean understanding the path in front of us. It means trusting Him when the path leads somewhere we would never choose, knowing the cross has already secured the outcome. The Farewell Discourse begins when the door closes and Jesus prepares His own to live from what He has finished.

John 14:15-31,15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 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. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on 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 go from here.Twenty-two years ago I stumbled into the habit of private worship every morning. I would get up early, make some coffee, and spend time reading God's word and praying. It's been the most transformative habit of my life — I've never stopped doing it. But about six years ago, I added a new part to it. The first thing I do now, right before I read the Bible, is I seek the mercy of God and give him thanks. I confess my need to God for his mercy and then I thank God for a specific way he has shown me mercy. And it can be all kinds of things … Sometimes it's Father, thank you for coffee. This is a good cup of coffee! Sometimes it's Father, thank you that I slept okay last night. … Thank you for that meeting yesterday … for that conversation … for that thing I learned in that book … and on and on.If we spend time thinking about it, we have so much to thank God for. But the one thing I have probably mentioned the most, over the last five years, and especially over the last three weeks, is actually a person — it's Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit!I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life.He proceeds from the Father and the Son, And with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. And in our passage today, in John 14, Jesus introduces us to the Holy Spirit. For the sermon I just want to tell you three things that Jesus tells us about him. 1. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son. We're at verse 15, but recall the context here. It is still Thursday night — the longest Thursday ever — and Jesus is in the middle of his Farewell Discourse. Back at the end of Chapter 13, for the first time, Jesus told his disciples that he's leaving. He is preparing them for a new location within redemptive history — his disciples are about to live in a world where he is physically absent. And this is troubling to them — they are in a troubled-heart situation, and Jesus wants to encourage them. We saw that in Chapter 14. Jesus tells them not to let their hearts be troubled; because his going away is for their good; and he's going to come back for them. Jesus is their way to God; he's God's way to them — and he still has greater works that he's gonna do through them.And that's where we ended last week, in verses 12–14. Jesus introduced two stunning realities about life for believers after his death, resurrection, and ascension. Two Stunning RealitiesThe first of those stunning realities is that those who believe in him — us — will do greater works than he did in his earthly ministry. And we clarified last week that this work is not work that we do ourselves. It's not work in our own strength or isolated from Jesus, but it's work that Jesus is doing through us. The second stunning reality is that Jesus says whatever we ask in his name, he will do it. These are two big claims, and they raise some important questions. Questions like: How exactly will we do greater works?How do we know if we are praying in Jesus's name?Well, the answer to these questions is the Holy Spirit. I couldn't help but talk about the Spirit a little bit last week — Jesus is going to talk a lot about him over the next two chapters — but the first thing we need to know is that the Spirit is sent by Jesus and the Father. The Father and the Son are both ‘in on' the Spirit's coming. Listen to the ways Jesus tells us this …In verse 16, Jesus says the Father will give the Spirit, but it is because the Son asks the Father. In verse 23, speaking of the Spirit's presence in a believer, Jesus says that we, he and the Father, will make our home with him. In verse 26, Jesus says the Father will send the Spirit — but Jesus says it is “in my name.” Later, in 15:16, Jesus says that he will send the Spirit from the Father. So, who sends the Spirit? Where's he from? ‘The Father or the Son?' The answer is Yes.The Holy Spirit has always been active within the Trinity, and at work in creation, but after Jesus's ascension, the Father and Son act together in sending the Spirit on a new mission.Now, why is it important for us to know this? Why does it matter that the Father and Son are together in this?The most obvious reason is that Jesus emphasizes it. Jesus wants us to know this, and I think it's because we need to understand that the Spirit is not some ‘Plan B' in redemptive history. We should not think Jesus introducing the Holy Spirit in this section is some kind of backup option. It's not like things went sideways with the mission of Jesus and now the Spirit is a reinforcement. Not at all. Instead, the sending of the Spirit is according to God's eternal playbook from before the foundation of the world. This is the next step in the Triune God's resolve to bring salvation and magnify his glory. The Spirit is from the Father and the Son.Here's the second thing Jesus tells us about the Spirit.2. The Holy Spirit is the presence of Jesus in our lives. The keyword we need to see here is that word “Helper” in verse 16:“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” The Greek work for “Helper” is the word Paraclete — and it's a title for the Spirit that we only find in John — four times in this Gospel (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). And it's a glorious word, but it doesn't have a direct translation into English. A couple of translations, the English Standard Version (the one I use) translates it as “Helper.” But the King James translates it “Comforter.” Another translation says “Counselor.” Several translations say “Advocate” (NRSV; NEB; NIV). And really, the meaning is a combination of all those words, but the one idea that's clear in all those translations is the idea of presence. The Paraclete comes alongside.Jesus says in verse 16: the Paraclete, the Spirit, will be “with you forever.”He “dwells in you and will be in you” — verse 17.In the same way Jesus was with his disciples, the Spirit will be with his disciples — as the Spirit of Jesus. And Jesus is going to show us this in a powerful way, but first I want to zoom out for a minute and take the whole New Testament into account.New Testament SurveyThe New Testament talks a lot about the Holy Spirit, and two key ways he's referred to…One way is that he's called the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; Galatians 3:14). This speaks to the fact that the Spirit is according to God's plan. He's the fulfillment of a promise we see in the Old Testament. The other way to talk about the Spirit is to call him the Spirit of Jesus. In Acts 16:7, Luke says “the Spirit of Jesus” guided their missionary travel. In Romans 8:9, Paul says the “Spirit of Christ” shows that we belong to Christ — the Spirit of Christ is Christ in you. Galatians 4:6 — “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.” Philippians 1:19 — Paul says he is helped by “the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”So, biblically, theologically, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is so closely identified with Jesus himself that it is right to call him the Spirit of Jesus. Jesus himself tells us this first. The Wonderful AnotherLook back at that word “Helper” in verse 16 and notice the word right before it: another. The Father and Son are sending another Helper. So the Spirit is a new helper, but he's of the same kind as a Helper who came before him. So who is that first Helper? It's Jesus. Jesus was one Paraclete, and now the Spirit is another Paraclete.This means the Spirit is not a replacement for Jesus, but he is the continuation of Jesus's work in a new way. But the Son and Spirit are not just united in their mission, they are united in their essence as God. Both are fulfilling the mission of the triune God to be with his people — the Son is God with us; the Spirit is God in us.This is why Jesus can say to his disciples, verse 18: “I will not leave you as orphans” — Jesus says I'm not really leaving you! He's actually magnifying his presence among them. Get this:The Paraclete is first Jesus himself with his people in person, confined to flesh and blood and dirt; and then the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit in his people — he is the promise of the Father, the Spirit of Jesus, who indwells everyone who trusts in Jesus … he speaks, consoles, guides, teaches — just like Jesus did. Ministering RealnessOne way to say it that connects with language we use is to say that the Holy Spirit ministers the realness of Jesus in our lives.That's the way we should understand Paul's experience toward the end of his life. We know that's where Paul was when he wrote his final letter to Timothy. Paul says in Chapter 4 (of 2 Timothy) that the “time of his departure” has come: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (4:7). And then Paul recounts for Timothy the relational brokenness that laid behind him, and he's honest about how lonely he felt when he awaited trial in Rome; he says “no one came to stand by me” (4:16). But then in verse 17 he says: “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me.”And he's talking about Jesus there. Jesus stood by Paul and strengthened him. And I've long imagined what that was like. Did Jesus step through the wall of Paul's room and wrap his arm around his shoulder? Sometimes I wish Jesus would do that for me — Just be physically in the room and help me like you did Paul! But is that what he did for Paul?I don't think so. What happened for Paul is that the Holy Spirit — the Spirit of Jesus — was so present and so powerful for him that Paul can say it was like Jesus himself standing by him. The Spirit of Jesus manifested the realness of Jesus for Paul — and I want you to know: we should settle for nothing less in the Christian life. That's the aim of our discipleship. The mission of Cities Church is to make joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life. And when we say that, we're talking about the ministry of the Holy Spirit! Because Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit is his presence in our lives.Third thing Jesus tells us …3. The Holy Spirit empowers our love for Jesus in his world. For this third and final point, we need to come to grips with a repeated theme in this passage. Four different times Jesus tells us there is a connection between loving him and keeping his commandments. It's easy to track, first in verse 15, right away:Verse 15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”Verse 21: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.”Verse 23: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.”Verse 24: “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.”And then verse 31 — what Jesus says about our love for him also applies to his love for the Father. Jesus says, verse 31:“I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.”This theme is the clearest thing Jesus says. It's straightforward; no way around it. If you love Jesus, you do what he says. Well what does he say? What are his commandments?What Are His Commandments?The answer here, in short, is the whole Bible. It would be a mistake to truncate what Jesus says as being only the red-letter parts of the Gospels. It's much more than that. Instead, the commandments of Jesus, his word, is the whole revelation of who Jesus is, which blooms into the apostolic testimony, also called the New Testament, which is the fulfillment of the Old Testament.What Jesus says is the whole Bible. Which means: to really love Jesus means your life is shaped and guided by Scripture. The single word for this is obedience. Trust and obey, for there's no other wayTo be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obeyWe used to sing that song when I was kid growing up in church. It's not rocket-science. We all understand that any kind of real love involves more than only sentiment. It can't be just a feeling. And proof that we know this was yesterday — Valentine's Day.Valentines is an old American holiday. It took off in the late 1800s because a woman named Esther Howland had this idea to mass-produce romantic greeting cards. It became a custom that men would send the ladies they were courting a card. Now 150 years later, fellas, if you did it right: you got a card, and chocolates, and flowers, and a dinner reservation — or some combination of that. But we all know that what you cannot do on Valentine's Day is only say “I love you.” Some activity is expected. Love requires demonstration.Love is not less than affection — affections matter — but there's more. There's activity — and the activity that verifies our love for Jesus is obedience to him in this world. Getting Obedience RightAnd listen: the order of that sentence is really important. We are called to obedience to Jesus in this world. It's not obedience to the world for Jesus. Because get this: the world has its own commandments. There's all kinds of commandments the world says people must keep if they're really about love — like I think we're supposed to acknowledge that we're on ‘stolen land' right now and we're supposed to specify our pronouns, and make certain kinds of statements, and check certain boxes. The world has its own commandments — Recently, someone who hates Jesus told me they wanted to talk to me about our optics for Jesus. … And I said, “No thank you.”Jesus does not need us to try to make him look good by doing what the world tells us to do. Jesus calls us to do what he says in a world that will hate us … a world that will revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely (see Matthew 5:11). We're not called to manage that. We're called to obey Jesus, come what may in this world.And obedience like that is hard, with the pressures around us. How do we do it? How do we obey Jesus here?The answer is: The empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.The Spirit Empowers UsThe love we have for Jesus — and our obedience that demonstrates that love — does not come from our own strength, but it comes through the gift of the Spirit in our lives. I think that's part of what Paul is saying in Romans 5:5. You've heard these verses before: … we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.And the question is what does Paul mean when he says “God's love” — is this the love of God for us OR our love for God. Well, I think it's first God's love for us, but it also includes our love for God, which must always come next. Our love for God is essential to our character — that's why we ultimately will not be put to shame — Because our love for God is actually a gift from God himself. Our love for God is from his Spirit who seals us and keeps us. Theologically, we understand the Holy Spirit is the bond of love between the Father and Son. This is mysterious, and we wrestle with what Scripture says here; we'll see what Jesus says in Chapter 17. But the Holy Spirit, who is the personal love that flows between the Father and Son, is poured into our hearts as the love that unites us to Jesus.Our love for Jesus, demonstrated by our obedience, is empowered by the Spirit. Peace Even HereThe good news we should hear is that our love for Jesus, which he commands, is love his Spirit creates. When Jesus tells us to obey him, he is not pointing us to an impossible ladder — but he's ensuring the divine supply we need for all things that pertain to life and godliness. Jesus doesn't tell us ‘make me bricks without straw' — but he says: We are making our home in you … I'm with you forever … even in this world … even in troubled-heart situations. This is the only way we can have peace. Jesus says, verse 27:“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”That is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to us …Sent by the Father and the Son.Serving the realness of Jesus in our lives.Empowering our love for Jesus in this world. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit. Aren't you? Thank you, Jesus, for the Holy Spirit. I want more of him! That's what brings us to the Table. The TableJohn shows us, in this Gospel, and in his letters, that love is demonstrated. Our love for Jesus is demonstrated in obedience, but that always follows God's love for us first. John says that we love because God first loved us, and we see that love definitively at the cross. Paul says that in Romans 5 … “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (NASB).That's the best news in the world. If you're here this morning and you're not a Christian, you become a Christian by believing that. Jesus Christ died to save you, a sinner. Believe him. For those of us who do believe, at this Table we rejoice in Jesus and his gospel. If you trust in Jesus, we invite you to eat and drink with us, and give him thanks.

In John 13:31-38, we encounter Jesus in an upper room on the eve of his arrest, delivering what scholars call the Farewell Discourse—his final instructions to those he loved most. What strikes us immediately is how Jesus frames his impending crucifixion: not as tragedy, but as glory. Five times he uses the word 'glorify,' revealing that the cross is the ultimate display of God's character—his holiness, grace, justice, sovereignty, and humility all radiating from that brutal instrument of execution. This challenges our natural understanding of glory. We expect brilliance and honor, yet Jesus shows us glory in brokenness, power in sacrifice, and divine character in suffering. The cross becomes our grand central station, the place we continually return to when we question God's love, doubt our standing with him, or need our worship refueled. But Jesus doesn't stop with explanation—he pivots to instruction. Calling his disciples 'little children' with tender affection, he elevates the command to love by making himself the new standard. No longer is self-love our measuring stick; now we're called to love others the way Jesus loved us—sacrificially, mercifully, graciously, even when it's uncomfortable, inconvenient, or unreciprocated. This love becomes our defining trait, the bold headline of our faith, making Jesus visible to a watching world through how we treat one another, especially those with whom we disagree.

John 13:31-35,“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.”“Can I ask you something? Is, is this heaven?” And Ray said, “No, it's Iowa.”That was one of my favorite parts of a book I wrote when I was a little kid. This is a true story. When I was a kid, I had this small blank notebook and I wanted to write a book in it, so I wrote a story about man in Iowa who had a big cornfield in his backyard, but he mowed part of it down to build a baseball field, and a bunch of old-timey baseball ghosts came out there and played ball together. I titled the book “Field of Dreams” — that's what kids did in the early 90s before all the screens! They plagiarized.Y'all ever heard of the movie Field of Dreams? It came out in 1989, starred Kevin Costner. Great movie. And really one of my favorite parts in the movie is the scene at the end, when Ray, the main character, reunites with his dad. His dad had died years before, but his ghost had come back to play ball. They're standing on the baseball field, and his dad asks him: “Is this heaven?” And of course the answer is No — everybody watching the movie knows the answer is No. But what's great about Ray's answer is that he doesn't just say it's not heaven, he says it's Iowa. He tells him where they are.And that's the same thing Jesus is doing for his disciples at the end of John 13.Jesus is telling his disciples where they are, and it's a turning point in the Gospel of John — and really, it's a turning point in the history of the world.And what I'd like to do this morning is unpack one sentence for you that captures the essence of what Jesus is doing. It's a simple sentence. Goes like this: Jesus is giving his disciples a new commandment for a new location. A new commandment for a new location. That's what I want to show you in this passage, which means I'm going try to answer two questions. First, What is the new location? And second, what is the new commandment? That's the outline.1. What is the new location?Let's start here with the setting. Longest Thursday EverIn verse 31, we are still on that same Thursday night that started in verse 1. In fact, for most of this year in the Gospel of John — through chapter 18 — we're gonna be in this same Thursday night. It was the longest Thursday night ever.We saw at the start of this chapter that Jesus washed his disciples' feet; then he explained the meaning of why he did that; then last week we saw the betrayal and exit of Judas. And that's a big deal for this setting.John wants us to know that who is in the room matters for what Jesus is about to say.Think about this: from verse 1 through verse 30, it has been Jesus and his twelve disciples, but then after verse 30 the twelve become eleven because Judas leaves. And John puts an emphasis on this. He tells us:Verse 27: after Satan entered Judas, Jesus says to him: “What you are going to do, do quickly.”Then verse 30, “After receiving the morsel of bread, [Judas] immediately went out.”Then verse 31 starts, “When he had gone out.”John wants to be clear that Judas is gone, which means now it's only Jesus and his true disciples. His Best FriendsAnd we're gonna get to the big picture, but before we do, I think it's good to slow down for a minute and try to be in this room, on this Thursday night. I agree with one author who has said:“While [Jesus's] universal motives in his passion and death are stressed by theologians, his immediate human motives are not well explored. (Podles, 79)Those “immediate human motives” have to do with the fact that, after verse 30, the men Jesus is with are his real friends. Now that Judas is gone, Jesus is with the men he loved to the uttermost — and they're men who love him. Some have said that the closest analogy to the relational dynamic here is a military comradeship.This is a band of brothers, and Jesus is their captain. And I think that's a good perspective to have as we look at what Jesus says.Maternal-Like CareJesus's tone changes in verse 31, and what drives him is care. Jesus cares for his disciples, for his real friends, and he shows that care by giving them advance knowledge of what's about to happen — because Jesus knows it's not going to be easy. This actually reminds me of my mom (she just celebrated her birthday this past week, and I thank God for her). But one thing I appreciate about my mom (now) is that, when I was a kid and had a doctor's appointment, she never told me I would not get a shot. I remember that's what I'd always ask her — we'd be on the way to the doctor's office, and I'd be sweating bullets — Mom, am I getting a shot? And of course, I wanted her to say No. She never said No. I always thought if I was around a doctor I might get a shot.It was a brilliant parenting move: because my mom would have rather me be surprised by relief than shocked by false hope — and it taught me to trust her. And Jesus is doing something similar here. His best friends are about to step into a new location and Jesus wants to prepare them. So he says: You are about to be in a world where I am not, and I won't be here for the sake of glory.That's the new location — it's not a new literal place; it's not a different geography. It's a new location in the history of redemption: the followers of Jesus are about to live in a world where Jesus is physically absent — but he's physically absent for the sake of glory.Over the next four chapters — what's called the Farewell Discourse — this is main idea that Jesus explains: he's physically absent, yet presently glorified.Physically AbsentHe starts this in verse 31, but I want you to see the absent part first in verse 33.And this is one I want everybody to see. So help me out, everybody find Chapter 13, verse 33. Verse 33:“Little children” In the original this is just the single word “children,” but it's a term of endearment and affection. I think a better translation is to say “Dear children.” Jesus is leaning into their closeness. Verse 33:Dear 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.'Jesus has said this twice already to the unbelieving crowds: John 7:34,“You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”John 8:21“I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”So Jesus has said this to the crowds, now he's saying it to his closest friends. And what's he talking about? Where is he going?Track with me here: Jesus is talking about the whole gospel event — his being lifted up! This is his cross, his resurrection, his return to the Father. Jesus started talking about this as early as Chapter 2! He has said he will die and be raised and ascend to the Father's right hand — it's just that now this is not something in the future, but it's finally unfolding. It is in motion!And only Jesus can do this. Only Jesus can go there.Which means he won't be with his disciples any longer. He's leaving them. And that means his disciples are about to live in a world where Jesus is physically absent.And that could be devastating, right? It could be the end of the whole thing.Are they on the verge of a tragedy here? Is this a total loss? Is this a defeat? Because it sounds like it is! It will certainly look like it is tomorrow, on Friday.But Jesus is telling them in advance because he wants to make sure they know what his leaving is truly about: It's just the opposite of defeat. It's about triumph. Jesus GlorifiedThat's what Jesus is saying in verses 31–32. I'm gonna read these verses again, and just count how many times Jesus mentions “glory.”Verse 31:When [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.Five times! (Repetition means emphasis — the emphasis is glory.) This is how we should think about Jesus leaving, according to Jesus! That is what he says it means.That's really why we call it Good Friday — because that's how Jesus taught us to think about his death. …A friend and I were talking recently about why we call the day that Jesus was crucified “Good Friday” — because that's kinda ‘inside baseball.' It doesn't really make sense to people who are less familiar with the gospel. Shouldn't we call it Horrible Friday? Well, yes, if we look at it through a microscope, but see, Jesus teaches us to see the whole thing altogether.And when we do, we see that Jesus's lowest moment was when his highest glory began to unfold … there is no death without resurrection; there is no resurrection apart from death, and his enthronement is the final word. All of that is the Son of Man being glorified and God being glorified in him!And that is the ultimate reason the followers of Jesus live in a world where Jesus is physically absent.And this matters for us now! What Jesus is saying in John 13 is as relevant for us this morning as it was when these eleven disciples first heard it, because we live in that same world. This new location for the eleven is the only location we've ever known: a world where Jesus is physically absent, yet presently glorified.So then how do we live in this world? Jesus tells us where we are. It's not heaven. But how does he want us to live in this new location?Well, he gives us a new commandment — a new commandment for the new location.This is the second part of the sermon.2. What is the new commandment?And the answer here is about as straightforward as it gets. Everybody look at verse 34, and help me fill in the blank. Verse 34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another …”Isn't that amazing? Here we are, in this new location within redemptive history, and the first thing Jesus tells us about how he wants us to live in this world is that we're to love one another.And this is amazing, but I'm concerned that we could be either not very impressed by this or confused by it. We either hear the word “love” and it doesn't really move us, or we hear the word “love” and think it means something different from what Jesus means. This is a modern problem we face because we live in a society that has so diluted the meaning of love. My dad says that “love” is the most over-used, under-used word in the English language, and he's right. And that's a complexity! Jesus has left us in a world where he is physically absent, he told us to love one another, but how do we know what love is? So did Jesus prepare us for that?Yeah, he did. Look at the whole of verse 34. Verse 34 again:“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.”Jesus reports himself here, tells us twice to love one another, because he knows we need help understanding what love really is!And so he tells us, once and for all! If you want to know what love is, he says, look at me! Love one another just as I have loved you!This is important. Listen: We learn from Jesus how to love one another.So how does that look?How does Jesus-like love actually look in real life?In closing, I want to tell you three things our love must be if it's Jesus-like love.If we will love one another like Jesus loves us, it means 1. Our love will be particular.I want to remind you that the love Jesus is talking about here is love that his disciples have for one another. This is not the common benevolence that we should have for all peoples everywhere. We call that neighbor-love, and it's commanded. We seek everybody's ultimate good in God.That's what we mean when we say we seek the good of the Twin Cities. We love these cities — we're not giving up on the cities. We want everybody in these cities to know God. But there is a particular kind of love that we have for our fellow blood-bought brothers and sisters in the family of God. And by “particular,” I don't mean stingy, I mean focused. This is family-love. There's neighbor-love, but this is family-love. That's what covenant membership intends to clarify: of all the people (and even all the Christians), in these cities, of whom do we have most assurance that they are truly in Christ? Well, it's those whose profession of faith we have corporately affirmed — it's our covenant members. So when Jesus commands us to love one another, we should hear that command as starting here, first. This is love for a particular people — the household of faith, our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we will love one another like Jesus loves us, it means 2. Our love will be sacrificial. Jesus's love for us meant, of course, the ultimate sacrifice — he went to the cross to bear the weight of our sin; he suffered the wrath of God in our place. That was the ultimate sacrifice, but it's not where his sacrifice started. Jesus's entire life was a sacrifice — the very fact that he became a man tells us that. Jesus was continually spending and being spent for us. It was constant cost.But think with me here … just because something has a cost, it doesn't mean it's sacrifice. What makes a cost a sacrifice? It's when the pain of the cost is considered worth the good of the goal. The pain of the cost is worth the good of the goal.This definition of sacrifice applies to a lot of things, big and small.This is why you get up early in the morning to read your Bible. You consider the pain of losing 30 minutes of sleep is worth being shaped by the word of God. The good of the goal is worth the pain of the cost.So what good for Jesus made his pain worth it?Well, it was not that the people he loves feel better about themselves. That's how a lot of people in our society confuse the meaning of love. They think love is mainly therapeutic — it's about making people feel better. But that's not what Jesus was aiming for. Now of course Jesus cares about our suffering — he binds up the brokenhearted! (Psalm 147:3) — but listen: his ultimate aim is not our transient ease … it's our everlasting joy in God!The cost was worth it for Jesus because he wants to bring people to God — that's the purpose of his love. That's the good of his goal. He wants his disciples to be happy in all that God is for them — because that is what magnifies the glory of God and satisfies the human soul. Real love ultimately wants the beloved to know God, and sacrificial love seeks that at a cost. Because the cost is worth it.Last point: If we will love one another like Jesus loves us, it means 3. Our love will be identifiable.This is verse 35. Jesus says:“By this” — by what? By loving one another the way Jesus loves us — “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”Jesus is saying that everybody — all people — will be able to recognize us as the people of Jesus because of how we love one another. People will see our love here and say, They must be Jesus-people. Does it surprise us that Jesus says this? Because there are many marks of a Christian! The apostle Paul talks about eight other fruits of the Spirit. He tells us that faith and hope also abide! They're important too! There's a lot of important stuff.And yet, the primary, public identity marker that we belong to Jesus is love.Our love for one another is what speaks the loudest in this new location … in this world — in what seems to be an ever-darkening world — Hey, nobody is looking around here asking, “Is this heaven?”Everybody knows this is not heaven. But our love for one another is meant to be a glimpse of heaven. We live in a world where Jesus is physically absent, but he is spiritually present through his church. And his glory shines through our love for one another. And that's what brings us to the table.The TableI want to be clear that the love Jesus commands is not a love that we ourselves can manufacture, it's actually the overflow of his love for us. John writes later in 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” Paul says, “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit he's given to us” and this is love that God has shown us in the cross (Romans 5:5, 8). And here at the Table we rest in his love.If you trust in Jesus Christ, if you have known the love of God, I invite you to eat and drink with us this morning with thankful hearts.

We're back for the next chapter of our journey through the Gospel of John!In Part Five of Abide in His Love, we'll dive into John 14–17 — some of the most intimate, powerful words Jesus ever spoke. These are His final teachings to the disciples before His Passion… and they're meant for us, too.What does it really mean to remain in Christ?How do we bear lasting fruit in our everyday lives?What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit, obedience, and friendship with God?Join Jenna and Steph for a live Bible study as we unpack Jesus' Farewell Discourse and High Priestly Prayer, learning together how to stay rooted in love, prayer, and purpose.Grab your Bible, invite a friend, and let's abide in Him.

In the Farewell Discourse, Jesus makes a promise to the disciples. He tells them they will not be alone. He gives them the promise of the Holy Spirit

Dr. Stephen Kim continues his teaching from the Gospel of John, “The Farewell Discourse” addressing the Doctrine of Christ's Return & the Rapture of the Church. Slides 07.06.2025

Dr. Stephen Kim continues his teaching from the Gospel of John, “The Farewell Discourse” in chapters 13-17. Slides 6.29.2025

Join Catholic evangelist and bible teacher, Hector Molina as he explores the Mass Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year C) and John's account of the Jesus' Farewell Discourse and the "New Commandment" given to his disciples.Mass Readings:Acts 13;14, 43-52Psalm 100John 10;27-30"A Walk in The Word" podcast is a weekly bible study and reflection on the Sunday Mass readings led by International Catholic evangelist and bible teacher, Hector Molina.PODCAST HOMEPAGE: https://awalkintheword.buzzsprout.comYOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/c/hectormolinacatholicevangelistSupport: Are you enjoying these videos? Become a Patron and partner with me in spreading the Good News! www.patreon.com/hectormolina/You can also show your support for the podcast by visiting: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hectormolina#fifthsundayofeaster #5thsundayofeaster #newcommandment #loveoneanother #sundaymassreadings #catholiclectionary #catholic #sundaygospel #sundaygospelreflection #catholicbiblestudy #awalkintheword#catholicpodcast #bibleinayear #wordonfire #sundayhomily #hectormolina

Join Catholic evangelist and bible teacher, Hector Molina as he explores the Mass Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter and John's account of the Jesus' Farewell Discourse and the promise of the Counselor (Holy Spirit) made to his disciples.Mass Readings:Acts 15;1-2, 22-29Psalm 67John 14;23-29"A Walk in The Word" podcast is a weekly bible study and reflection on the Sunday Mass readings led by International Catholic evangelist and bible teacher, Hector Molina.PODCAST HOMEPAGE: https://awalkintheword.buzzsprout.comYOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/c/hectormolinacatholicevangelistSupport: Are you enjoying these videos? Become a Patron and partner with me in spreading the Good News! www.patreon.com/hectormolina/You can also show your support for the podcast by visiting: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hectormolina#sixthsundayofeaster #6thsundayofeaster #thepromiseoftheholyspirit #sundaymassreadings #catholiclectionary #catholic #sundaygospel #sundaygospelreflection #catholicbiblestudy #awalkintheword#catholicpodcast #bibleinayear #wordonfire #sundayhomily #hectormolina

A review of the last few days of the lectionary readings

A review of the last few days of the lectionary readings

In this episode, we explore how Acts 15 fulfills the promises and preparation of John's Farewell Discourse. The Eleven, equipped by Jesus, now act with unity, authority, and Spirit-led clarity. This isn't devotional theory—it's redemptive history unfolding.

In this episode, we explore how Acts 15 fulfills the promises and preparation of John's Farewell Discourse. The Eleven, equipped by Jesus, now act with unity, authority, and Spirit-led clarity. This isn't devotional theory—it's redemptive history unfolding.

Jesus' Command to Love: The Hardest and Holiest Calling Jesus gives us His commandment to “love one another,” . . . . . . emphasizing that true love, as exemplified by Jesus, is the most difficult yet most essential commandment. Rather than focusing on religious rituals like daily prayer or tithing, Jesus calls for radical, sacrificial love modeled after his own. The Homily underscores that love is only possible through the Holy Spirit and involves humility, equality, and self-giving. The Early Church It also recounts the early Church's struggle with integrating Gentile believers, particularly at the Council of Jerusalem, where leaders chose not to impose the full burden of Jewish law on Gentile converts . . . except out of love and respect for others' consciences. The Church's journey through subsequent theological disputes (e.g., Jesus' divinity and nature) illustrates that doctrinal clarity often takes centuries, but division still persists today between “conservatives” and “progressives.” The Homily calls for unity in the Church through love empowered by the Holy Spirit, rather than through labels or legalism Listen to this Meditation Media. Listen to: Jesus' Command to Love: The Hardest and Holiest Calling ----------------------------------------------------------------- Maestà : Italian Artist: Duccio: ( 1311) Jesus giving the Farewell Discourse to his eleven remaining disciples after the Last Supper, croed image from the Maestà by Duccio, c. 1311 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Gospel Reading: John 15: 12-17 First Reading: Acts 15: 22-31 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Quote From the Homily And yet love is possible only because of the spirit. He says to us, how do we love one another? Look at me the way I have loved you.

In this episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast, Profs. Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson discuss the readings for the sixth Sunday of Easter, focusing on the Farewell Discourse in John, the role of the Holy Spirit, the call to Macedonia in Acts, and the significance of Lydia as a key figure in the early church. They also explore the imagery in Revelation 21, emphasizing the communal aspect of eschatological existence and the promise of God's presence. Commentaries for the Sixth Sunday of Easter can be found on the Working Preacher website at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sixth-sunday-of-easter-3/commentary-on-john-1423-29-6. ⏰Timecodes⏰ 00:00 Introduction to the Sixth Sunday of Easter 01:58 Exploring the Farewell Discourse 05:54 The Role of the Holy Spirit 10:10 Acts 16: The Call to Macedonia 13:58 Lydia: A Key Figure in the Early Church 19:55 Revelation 21: The New Jerusalem 25:59 End *  *  * Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share to stay connected with more insightful lectionary discussions! Reminder: We have commentaries for the Revised Common Lectionary, the Narrative Lectionary, and Evangelio (Spanish-language Gospel). We're here for you, working preachers! Learn more by visiting https://www.workingpreacher.org/. Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/7jCeGf9WB_s.

In this episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast, Profs. Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson discuss the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, focusing on love, community, and the significance of the Farewell Discourse in the Gospel of John.  They explore how Jesus' command to love one another is foundational for discipleship and how this love is to be embodied within the community. The discussion also touches on the cultural barriers faced by early Christians, particularly in the context of Peter's encounter with Cornelius, and concludes with reflections on the themes of praise in Psalm 148 and the promise of a new heaven and earth in Revelation. Commentaries for the Fifth Sunday of Easter can be found on the Working Preacher website at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fifth-sunday-of-easter-3/commentary-on-john-1331-35-6. ⏰Timecodes⏰ 00:00 The texts for Fifth Sunday of Easter 01:52 The Theme of Love in the Farewell Discourse 07:04 Community and Mutual Love 09:31 Peter's Vision and the Inclusion of Gentiles 15:09 God's Radical Shift in Fellowship 16:11 Praise and Creation in Psalm 148 18:14 Revelation: New Heaven and New Earth 20:20  Outro *  *  * Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share to stay connected with more insightful lectionary discussions! Reminder: We have commentaries for the Revised Common Lectionary, the Narrative Lectionary, and Evangelio (Spanish-language Gospel). We're here for you, working preachers! Learn more by visiting https://www.workingpreacher.org/. Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/c7dt4Y8Lv5o.

The Farewell Discourse

All believers in all times can find hope in Jesus' final words to the disciples.

John 14:1-14

John 14

A Farewell Discourse Luke 22:21-38

Pastor Jason concludes our Farewell Discourse series with John 17.

Pastor Jason continues our series on the Farewell Discourse.

Pastor Jason continues our series on the Farewell Discourse with the rest of chapter 16.

Jacob Reents, our Family Minister, preaches on John 16:1-15.

In this new series we will explore reasons we can Trust what Jesus says. Today's lesson is out of John 14. “Don't let this rattle you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me.” (John 14:1 Message). John 14-16 is called the “Farewell Discourse”—last words before Jesus' arrest/death. What Jesus does with his final words, is attempt to move his disciples from being troubled to becoming trusting.

Pastor Jason continues our series on the Farewell Discourse.

Pastor Jason continues our series on the Farewell Discourse.

John 17:6-19“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. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 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. “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. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 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. 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. “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. 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. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.” ‘Tis the season for goodbyes … and farewells … and “so longs” … graduation season, I mean. Yesterday, I got to offer the Invocation and the Benediction at the commencement ceremony for my alma mater – Capital University, over in Columbus, Ohio. It always brings back all sorts of memories to be on that campus and yesterday, for graduation, was no different – maybe even a little more poignant – to reflect on what all of that meant for me 28 years ago. (I would have bet a million dollars I wouldn't be the one offering the Invocation or Benediction at a Capital commencement back then. And none of my friends would have taken that bet, either.)Well, it's not an Invocation, or a Benediction, or anything like a commencement address, but we call what we hear from Jesus this morning part of his “Farewell Discourse” – his own sort of “goodbye” and “so long,” if you will. Jesus was readying himself for the cross, for his death, for his resurrection, and for his ascension into heaven, too. And all of that gives these prayerful last words some heft, some weight, and some poignancy of their own. And, even though he knew what was coming for himself – all of that suffering and death, I mean – Jesus' greatest concern was for his family and friends. He wants to entrust them to God's care. He wants them to be protected, to be guarded, to be safe. He wants them to know joy; to be “sanctified in the truth” as he puts it. He wants them to go about their lives – in the world, but not of the world – fulfilling their call as children of God. And so he prays these heartfelt, passionate words of love and concern and hope for his people – for his disciples, for these children of God he's been walking alongside and raising up in the faith until now.It's why this prayer from Jesus – as all over the place and stream-of-consciousness as it seems – is perfect for a day like today when I feel like my words have too much ground to cover, in too little time. For one thing Mother's Day is on the hearts and minds of many of us today. We will also celebrate the confirmation of a handful of our young people as they affirm the promises of their baptism this morning. Plenty of you are getting ready for the end of another school year and for graduations of your own. And many in our community are grief-stricken over the loss of little Sammy Teusch, the 10 year-old 4th grader who took his own life last week over in Greenfield. Like I said, there's just too much ground to cover and not nearly enough time for all of it.One of the most meaningful ways I've heard motherhood described before, is that the choice to have a child is to decide forever to let your heart go walking around outside of your body. There's a lot of letting go, relinquishing, and surrender – there's a lot of faith, then – in the act of living life as a mother. And it seems that's something like what God did in Jesus – to set the divine free in the world; to put God's very self at risk; to let the very heart of the almighty leave the safety of heaven's protection and go walking around in the realm of brokenness that is the world as we know it.So I think Jesus' “famous last words” of love, his petitions of hope, his prayers of concern and for the protection for his people, have a lot to say to us still, no matter what it is that brings us here. I think Jesus is so earnest as he prays, because he knows he's going; that he's about to leave his friends, his family, his disciples to their own devices – he's about to let his children … his heart – go walking around in the world without him, and he's more than a little concerned about what might come of that.Don't most of us know something about what he's feeling? Haven't we been on one end of this sort of surrendering at some point – whether it was sending your child off to their first day of kindergarten or moving them into their college dorm for the first time? Maybe it was walking your daughter down the aisle on her wedding day.Maybe it had nothing to do with children at all. Was it kissing a loved-one goodbye before the nurse wheeled them off to surgery? Was it “farewell” to a friend who moved away or “goodbye” to a co-worker or to a career of your own, even? Maybe it was the final goodbye to someone you knew you'd never see again, or even a goodbye that didn't happen in time, because no one saw it coming. I imagine Jesus has something like all of that – and more – in mind with his prayer. This loving surrender and letting go with all kinds of hope and faith and some measure of fear, too, for what was to come for those he was leaving behind. Would they remember what he taught them? Would they keep the faith? Did they know how much they were loved? Were they up to the challenges that would come their way? Were they ready for the hard choices, the setbacks, the let-downs, the disappointments, the failures, the risks, the heartbreak they might face?Because life in the world is risky. For Jesus it led to the cross. For the rest of us, it can mean all sorts of sadness and struggle. There is sickness out here in the real world. There is disease and disaster and dying. There are accidents and addictions. There are broken relationships and unfulfilled dreams. There are bullies and despair and suicide, for crying out loud.And all of this is what we set our children loose into – not just on the day of their confirmation – or at their graduation – but every morning when we put them on the bus or hand them the keys to the car or send them off to college, to their first job, their first date, to be married, whatever. And all of it is what God sends each of us into, just the same, as people on the planet at some time … in one way or another.As I watched all of those college graduates marching around at commencement from my perch on the dais yesterday, I thought about all of the moms and dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and more – beaming with so much pride, hope, joy, and some measure of worry and concern too, I imagine – as they watched their hearts go marching around in caps and gowns and on to whatever is next. And I thought about little Sammy Teusch's mom and dad, too, who's heart left that one last time, shattered, and won't ever be the same again. And that's why Jesus' prayer matters for us. It reminds us that his words and his ways are of God – and that ours can be, too. We are reminded that we belong to something bigger than ourselves – something more than we can see on this side of the grave. We are reminded that we are one with the rest of God's good creation. In spite of the differences and the divisions the world might try to impose upon us – we are one – bound together by the love and grace and mercy of our Creator.And because of that, with Jesus' blessing, encouragement, and holy example … we can do this, people. We can go about our lives in this world – afraid and uncertain and sad and overwhelmed more often than we'd like; but hopeful, anyway – as God intends – with faith and love to carry on in spite of the heartbreak; with faith and love to share, because of the heartbreak.We are called, you and I … as baptized children of God … to be the very heart of God walking around in the world, doing justice, loving kindness, sharing grace and mercy and peace and goodness, so that Jesus' prayers will be answered – for us and for the sake of the world God so loves.Amen

Pastor Jason continues our series on the Farewell Discourse.

Pastor Jason continues our series on the Farewell Discourse with John 14:15-21 and the role of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Jason kicks off our new series on the Farewell Discourse.

Pastor Jason continues our series on the Farewell Discourse with John 14:8-14.

Continuing the 30 Days in the gospels challenge, Dr. James Spencer considers Jesus's farewell discourse in John's Gospel. 

As we reach the conclusion of the Farewell Discourse, we see a recurring theme of unity.  A unified church has a common relationship, a common love, and a common mission.

At the end of the Farewell Discourse, Jesus does something important: he prays.  The prayer ofJesus is important in that it both gives us insight into how Jesus views his impending death and his hopes for his disciples after his crucifixion. As followers of Jesus today, we can learn essential truth to the Christian life through studying John 17.

Today we begin a new series in a selection of the Gospel of John known as the "Farewell Discourse".  In these chapters,  Jesus predicts his impending death and resurrection, promises to send the Holy Spirit, and prays that his disciples would be unified in love for God and one another.  John 13 is an important chapter in the Farewell Discourse, not just because it sets the context of Jesus' teaching in 14-17, but because of the monumental events that occur within this chapter.

A verse-by-verse study of John 14-17. This lesson focuses on the Farewell Discourse, comforting others, the Way the Truth and the Life, the Father & the Son, Love & Obedience, another Comforter, the Lord's Peace, the True Vine, Abiding in Christ, the Spirit of Truth, from Sorrow to Joy, Overcoming the World, the Intercessory Prayer, Knowing God, Glory & Gifts, In the World but Not of the World, Becoming One, Trinitarianism, God's Love, and more. 0:00 Introduction 10:29 Comforting Others 18:13 The Way, the Truth, & the Life 41:18 The Father & the Son 46:58 Greater Works 53:48 Love & Obedience 1:00:27 Another Comforter 1:14:46 Calling & Election Made Sure 1:30:28 Remembering 1:34:21 The Lord's Peace 1:38:53 Rejoicing for Jesus 1:44:30 The True Vine 1:50:22 Abide in Me 2:00:38 Greater Love Hath No Man 2:04:34 Chosen to Bring Forth Fruit 2:11:09 Hated Without a Cause 2:19:39 The Spirit of Truth 2:26:20 Thinking You Are Doing God a Favor 2:32:40 A Comforter to Take the Place of Christ 2:41:19 Guided into All Truth 2:48:52 From Sorrow to Joy 3:08:18 Overcoming the World 3:17:54 The Intercessory Prayer 3:23:55 Knowing God 3:31:20 Glory & Gifts 3:36:12 Prayer for the Apostles 3:44:06 In the World But Not of the World 3:58:46 Becoming One 4:08:00 Perfect in One, One in Glory 4:14:31 Trinitarianism 4:20:48 Knowing the Lord of Love 4:32:15 Conclusion

The apostle John records a vital discussion Jesus had with his disciples just before he was crucified. His last words are crucial to our understanding of what it means to be a true follower of our Savior.  Join Chris Brooks on Equipped as he delves into Jesus’ Farewell Discourse and His encouragement that empowers us to live faithfully as Christians in this present age!