The Beginning of the "Farewell Discourses"
When he [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified; if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going you cannot come.' " John 13:31-33, RSV.
The departure of Judas tells Jesus that His end rapidly approaches, that the tsunami of events will soon overtake Him. With the betrayer gone we find a turning point in the gospel story. Jesus is now free to say things that He hadn't been able to when Judas was there. He could not only teach more freely, but He must do so. He had been with His disciples for nearly three years, and they hadn't learned enough. They were not prepared for His departure. And Jesus has just a couple short hours left to teach them.
Here is where the "farewell discourses" begin. From John 13:31 through the end of chapter 16 Jesus explains to them the fact that He is going away but that they can't follow Him yet. In those chapters He provides what He believed was the most precious and important instruction that He could leave with His followers as He was facing death. These men, though not ready, would soon be forced into assuming the leadership role that He Himself had provided up to then. The great prayer of John 17 follows the farewell discourses. All of this material appears only in the fourth Gospel. How thankful we should be that God saw fit to inspire John's Gospel as the last of the four to be added to the New Testament's presentation of the life and teachings of Jesus the Christ.
One thing to note about the instruction in the farewell discourses is that Jesus begins to talk about Himself in new ways. An example of that phenomenon is His statement in John 13:31 that He will soon be glorified. Previously His focus had been on the glory of God. But with Judas on the fast track to betrayal and with Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven to sit on the right hand of the Father now looming, the time to openly speak of His own glorification has arrived. Verses 31 and 32 use the word "glory" five times as Jesus frankly tells His disciples that His hour has come in which He must leave them.
His final words, recorded in John 13:31 through the end of chapter 17, must have provided food for thought as the bereft disciples pondered their new mission without an earthly Jesus to lead them. With that reality we are in the same place as them. So listen carefully as Jesus provides essential material for each of us followers.
When he [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified; if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going you cannot come.' " John 13:31-33, RSV.
The departure of Judas tells Jesus that His end rapidly approaches, that the tsunami of events will soon overtake Him. With the betrayer gone we find a turning point in the gospel story. Jesus is now free to say things that He hadn't been able to when Judas was there. He could not only teach more freely, but He must do so. He had been with His disciples for nearly three years, and they hadn't learned enough. They were not prepared for His departure. And Jesus has just a couple short hours left to teach them.
Here is where the "farewell discourses" begin. From John 13:31 through the end of chapter 16 Jesus explains to them the fact that He is going away but that they can't follow Him yet. In those chapters He provides what He believed was the most precious and important instruction that He could leave with His followers as He was facing death. These men, though not ready, would soon be forced into assuming the leadership role that He Himself had provided up to then. The great prayer of John 17 follows the farewell discourses. All of this material appears only in the fourth Gospel. How thankful we should be that God saw fit to inspire John's Gospel as the last of the four to be added to the New Testament's presentation of the life and teachings of Jesus the Christ.
One thing to note about the instruction in the farewell discourses is that Jesus begins to talk about Himself in new ways. An example of that phenomenon is His statement in John 13:31 that He will soon be glorified. Previously His focus had been on the glory of God. But with Judas on the fast track to betrayal and with Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven to sit on the right hand of the Father now looming, the time to openly speak of His own glorification has arrived. Verses 31 and 32 use the word "glory" five times as Jesus frankly tells His disciples that His hour has come in which He must leave them.
His final words, recorded in John 13:31 through the end of chapter 17, must have provided food for thought as the bereft disciples pondered their new mission without an earthly Jesus to lead them. With that reality we are in the same place as them. So listen carefully as Jesus provides essential material for each of us followers.
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