Jesus’ Farewell Discourse in John 13–17

I began my series on articles from IVP Academic’s the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 2nd edition, edited by Green, Brown, and Perrin. Since Easter is coming up, the first two posts will be on Jesus’ farewell address in Luke and John’s Gospels from Scott Kellum’s article. On Monday we looked at Jesus’ farewell in Luke’s account; today we will look at John’s longer account.

Jesus’ Farewell Discourse (John 13–17)

As I write before, the Jewish testaments were longer than their Greco-Roman counterparts. The length of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse (John 13:31–17:26) accounts for almost 15% of John’s Gospel, which is a departure from most Greco-Roman and Jewish farewells. It offers no rehearsals of the past, extended prophecies, or funeral preparations. It contains an extended analogy. Because of this, the farewell discourse in John is both familiar and unique among other farewells.

The Message

Jesus’ farewell address is divided into an introduction (Jn 13:31–38), three units (14; 15:1–16:4a; 16:4b–32), and a short conclusion (16:33). Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 is a summary that transitions to his arrest and passion. As this address occurs the night before Jesus’ death, “it stands at a strategic point in the literary plan of John’s Gospel” (267). Israel has largely rejected Jesus as their Messiah (Jn 1:11; 12:37). From John 13 and on, “Jesus is concerned with the establishment and the life of the messianic community (cf. Jn 20:30–31). The Johannine farewell discourse is the main substance of that teaching” (268).

Consolation and Continuing Presence (Jn 14:1–31)

Jesus gives two basic appeals in John 14:1–15:

1. to believe, and
2. to love/obey.

Jesus intends to console the disciples in light of his coming.

^14:1–3 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

As well, believing and loving God “and his servant are familiar covenantal themes (Deut 6:5; Ex 14:31). These covenantal overtones are important for understanding the substance of the Johannine farewell discourse” (268).

Yet there are points of discontinuity between the old and this coming new covenant.

1. The object of faith in the new covenant is both God and Jesus (Jn 14:1–6). Jesus is the way to and the substance of the Father’s presence (Jn 14:6, 21).
2. In Moses’ farewell (Deut 33), it is only Joshua who enjoys the presence of the Spirit of wisdom
   1. ^{Deut 34:9} And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
   2. But in the new covenant, “the true followers of Jesus will receive the Paraclete and enjoy several benefits,” including:
      1. the continued presence of Jesus (Jn 14:18, 21),
      2. a permanent indwelling teacher (Jn 14:16, 26), and
      3. the promise of greater works (Jn 14:12–14; p. 268).
3. In the Mosaic covenant, the blessings given for obeying the covenant are followed by curses for breaking the covenant (e.g., Deut 31:16–18), but within the new covenant provision is made for those who follow Jesus.

The Life of the New Community (Jn 15:1–16:4a)

The analogy of the vine and the branches is unique and is likely the climax of this discourse as it highlights the life of the new messianic community (a unifying theme in this unit). In contrast to Israel, Jesus identifies himself as the “true vine.”

^{Jn 15:1} “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”

^{Isa 5:7} For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
….is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
….are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed;
….for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

Kellum adds, “The implication is not that the new community replaces Israel; rather, it is Jesus himself who stands in for Israel. And it is the relationship to Jesus that defines membership in Israel” (268).

Jesus said in John 14:23, “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/“abode” with him.” That the Father and the Son (through the Spirit) will make their home/abode in the new community helps make sense of all the “abiding” language in John 15 (vv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 16). Kellum notes how “abiding is the disciple’s duty, the essence of which is to love Jesus (Jn 14:21; 15:10). As branches are in vital connection with the vine, so likewise a unity is produced through loving/obeying Jesus” (268). Within the new covenant, in this new community in which the trinity dwells, believers are commanded to love one another (Jn 15:17).

But identifying oneself with Jesus, who will soon be crucified, is to open the door to the same hatred that Jesus received from the world. The disciples will be hated, persecuted, and killed.

^{Jn 15:18–19} If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

But what is the disciples’ task? Through the power of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, they are to “bear witness to the world in the midst of this hostility on behalf of Jesus” (268).

^{Jn 15:26–27} But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. ²⁷ And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

The Advantages of Jesus’ Departure (Jn 16:4b–33)

In this final section, Jesus gives three benefits to his going away.

1. the giving of the Paraclete,
2. the promise of joy in Jesus’ presence,
3. direct access to the Father.

The Paraclete has a two-sided ministry:

1. He prosecutes the world (Jn 16:8–11)
2. He glorifies Christ by guiding the disciples (Jn 16:12–15).

The disciples will grieve now, but like a woman who gives birth, their will be joy afterwards. Jesus will rise again, and the disciples will have an abiding joy. In this new era, they will enjoy new privileges in prayer.

Jesus concludes his farewell by returning to earlier covenantal language for those who follow him: those who believe, obey, abide, and love will have peace.

^{Jn 16:33} 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.

The Final Prayer (Jn 17:1–26)

Biblical testaments (like Jacob in Gen 49 and Moses in Deut 31–33) commonly ended with blessings, but in Jesus’ final prayer he instead intercedes on behalf of the disciples. In John 17:1–6 Jesus is stating that he has completed his mission. He “prays for the protection of the current disciples and that future disciples would have unity, both reflecting God’s glory for the sake of the mission” (268).

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