Words to Loved Ones: Series - Meet Messiah: A Simple Man's Commentary on John Part 3, Chapters 13-17

By Paul Murray

Jesus' public ministry is finished. There will be no more miracles, no more healings, no more preaching to the masses, no more teaching in the porticos of Solomon in the temple. This third section of John's gospel covers only a few precious hours in the life of Jesus. He has gathered with His twelve disciples in a private upper room. Passover will begin the following day, Friday, at 6:00 p.m. Jesus knows that He will be arrested in a matter of hours. He knows that He will be dragged before three religious hearings and three official government trials. During that time, He will be brutally beaten, almost beyond recognition. He will be crucified and dead by about 3:00 p.m. that same day. He knows this because He understands what the Old Testament Scriptures have clearly foretold. The mission He was sent to accomplish was about to be completed. The twelve disciples dining around the table with Him have no idea of these events that are soon to unfold. This is just a time of celebration before the Passover event. The city is bustling with millions of pilgrims from all over the empire. Soon, however, the mood turns somber. There is talk of Him leaving them and going away where they cannot follow, talk of another Helper coming, and talk of a betrayer. They can sense the heaviness in their Master's heart and they too become troubled in heart. They have no idea that sitting with them at that meal, not six feet away, is not only God incarnate in the person of Jesus but also the devil, himself, incarnate in the person of Judas whose heart Satan has possessed. A drama for all the centuries is about to be played out. Jesus has only a few hours to prepare these men for the events of this night that will transform them forever. These are Words to Loved Ones, words to keep them safe and secure in a hellish storm about to be unleashed that will overwhelm them and change human history. Sit among these men these men and listen carefully to Jesus' words. Upon leaving this room, you will never be the same.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781098005245

Paul Murray

Paul Murray was born in 1975 in Dublin. He is the author of the novels An Evening of Long Goodbyes, which was short-listed for the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award. Skippy Dies (2010) was long-listed for the Booker Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. The Mark and the Void (2015) was the joint winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize and was named one of Time’s Top 10 Fiction Books of the year.

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Series – Meet Messiah:

A Simple Man’s Commentary on John

Part 3, Chapters 13-17

Words

to

Loved Ones

Paul Murray

ISBN 978-1-0980-0523-8 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-0980-0524-5 (digital)

Copyright © 2019 by Paul Murray

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Your Dirty Feet (John 13:1–20)

Chapter 2 - When Jesus and Satan Meet (John 13:21–38)

Chapter 3 - Words for Troubled Hearts (John 14:1–11)

Chapter 4 - Who Needs a Helper? (John 14:12–31)

Chapter 5 - Keep My Word! (John 14:22–31)

Chapter 6 - Every Branch Needs a Vine (John 15:1–11)

Chapter 7 - A Love/Hate Relationship (John 15:12–27)

Chapter 8 - Where Are You Going? (John 16:1–15)

Chapter 9 - How Long Is a Little While? (John 16:16–24)

Chapter 10 - Plain Speak, Please (John 16:25–33)

Chapter 11 - Jesus’ Self-Analysis (John 17:1–8)

Chapter 12 - Jesus Prayed for You! (John 17:9–19)

Chapter 13 - Who’s in Whom? (John 17:20–26)

Epilogue

Introduction

We begin the third part of this four-part series on the Gospel of John called Meet Messiah. In part one, Behold the Man, we saw the introduction of the Messiah to both the human family and the nation of Israel. It covered chapters 1 through 4. In part two, Faith or Frustration, we joined His disciples as they walked in the footsteps of the Master throughout Galilee, Samaria, and Judea. This section covered chapters 5 through 12.

Part three now includes the events of chapter 13 through 17. We are calling it Meet Messiah, Part 3: Words to Loved Ones. As we come to this section, Jesus is done with His public ministry. No more miracles, no more interaction with the Pharisees, no more debating, no more interaction with the masses in general. Everything that has needed to be said has been said and everything that needed to be done has been done.

The hearts of the Pharisees had become hardened and unyielding. To seek further dialogue would only amount to casting pearls before swine.¹ The time for dialogue had passed. The Jews have already plotted together to have Jesus killed at the earliest possible opportunity. Even the disciples of Jesus were in great danger at this time.

Therefore, Jesus turns His attention to His men, the twelve disciples. This passage before us is generally called the Upper Room Discourse. What is so fascinating about this entire section is that it is almost completely unique to John’s gospel. We learn things from John in this section that are not mentioned by the other three gospel writers. This passage covers a time span of approximately eight hours.

All four gospels mention something about Judas’ betrayal. However, there are several things unique to John. Only John mentions the foot washing that took place as they were arguing about who was the greatest. Only John addresses their troubled hearts, speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit, teaches the lesson of the vine and the branches, tells them how much the world will hate them, and gives them a new command, to love one another. Only John records the Lord’s high-priestly prayer in chapter 17.

This is what makes this gospel so fundamental to the narrative of the life of Christ. It seems obvious from this text that these few hours in the life of Christ had a life-changing impact on the Apostle John. Oftentimes a man’s final words carry great weight. This could not be truer of these Words to Loved Ones.

Sitting on this side of history, let your mind and heart get caught up in the dramatic and completely unexpected events that these men are about to experience in the next six or eight hours as Jesus prepares them for His certain death. Feel the soothing water as the Master gently cleanses your feet. Express the passionate emotion that certainly I will not deny the Master. Wonder why Judas leaves halfway through the meal. Ponder the meaning of the vine’s relationship to the branch. Climb into the confusion of why He is leaving and why you can’t follow Him anymore. Question the need for another helper when all you need or want is Jesus. Wrap your tunic around you tightly. Things are going to get tense.

---

¹. Matthew 7:6.

Chapter 1

Your Dirty Feet (John 13:1–20)

John 13:1–20

As crazy as this sounds, I still don’t know what makes me tick. If someone were to ask me, Do you have a servant’s heart? I’m not sure I could answer that very clearly. I think I have more of a selfish heart than a servant’s heart. I like to be alone; I like my own company; I like doing things my way. If you want me to pick up the trash, I’m okay with that, just don’t tell me how to do it. Let me do it my way. For years, I used to pack up my fly rod and gear and head out into the woods for ten days at a time with no plan or destination, just looking for the next best spot to wet a fly. I called it my walkabout. I loved the sense of adventure.

As I’ve grown older, I don’t do that much anymore. In fact, the last time I headed out, I came home about five days early. Both Carol and I were surprised. I couldn’t explain why. It seemed like I got lonely and just wanted to come home. I’m not as much of a risk-taker as I’ve always been. Just this last fall, I took my son-in-law on one of my walkabouts and we had a great time. The company was good.

But am I a servant? Do I put the needs of others before my own? Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think so. At least, it’s not my first inclination. In the text before us, Jesus lays the foundation of all ministry and it is a foundation of being a servant. I need to pay attention to what John is about to write.

Ministry Shift

Between chapters 12 and 13, a major shift takes place is Jesus’ ministry. His public ministry had come to an end. He was done teaching the multitudes. He was done arguing with the Pharisees and the scribes. He was done doing signs and wonders.

There was nothing further anyone could do to demonstrate or prove that Jesus was the Messiah, sent from the Father. The rejection of His antagonists was not an issue of a confused mind—it was an issue of a hard heart. It wasn’t an issue of reason—it was an issue of will. From this point on, He will only focus His attention on His twelve disciples. He knows that in less than twenty-four hours, He will be dead.

We are entering a section of John’s gospel, from chapter 13 through 17, that is commonly called the Upper Room Discourse. The reason is because a large section of this passage takes place in an upper room borrowed for this occasion. As the scene opens in chapter 13, the Last Supper is well underway.

This wasn’t unusual for the twelve disciples of Jesus. For the last three years, they had shared the Passover meal with their Lord, probably in this very same room. There is no indication in the preceding text that anyone was uncomfortable or that they were in a strange setting. In fact, given what was about to take place, they are all very comfortable.

The only thing that was different about this Passover meal was the events that would transpire in the next twenty-four hours. None of the disciples had any idea that, by this time tomorrow, Jesus would be dead. They had no idea that this night He would be arrested and they would all be severely tested. It was going to come crashing down on them like a freight train out of control. The meal had been underway for a good half hour as the text begins. Jesus had to prepare them as best He could.

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

2 And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,

3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God,

4 rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about.

John begins by telling us some of the things that Jesus knew and were going through His head at this time. Jesus was fully aware of their oblivion to what lie immediately ahead of them, which made what was rolling through His mind all the more burdensome.

Jesus’ Troubled Spirit

Jesus was every bit as smart and knowledgeable of Bible prophecy as the Magi that had discerned that a King of the Jews would be born in Israel. He knew to the exact year and day when the Messiah would be cut off.² He knew from the beginning of His ministry, three and a half years earlier, when His time would come to a close. He knew before Passover officially began at 6:00 p.m. on a Friday, He would be dead. It wasn’t supernatural insight. It was a clear understanding of biblical prophecy.

The Pharisees and Sadducees of Israel also knew the exact time the Messiah would appear. Messiah fever was everywhere in Israel at this time. The Pharisees had just rejected Jesus as the Messiah because of their preconceived notions of how He would manifest Himself. Jesus didn’t fit their cherry-picked concept of Messiah. They weren’t looking for a suffering Servant, but a triumphant King.

For Jesus, His impending death was both a negative and a positive. Clearly, the suffering He knew that lay ahead was not going to be an easy cross to bear (pun intended). He was going to depart out of this world to the Father and He knew where He was going. In the words of ET, He was going home to the Father. Returning to His Father would be the sweetest homecoming ever. He very much looked forward to that.

As believers, we can all face death with the same anticipation. We too will depart this world to the Father. It will be a glorious homecoming. It certainly doesn’t preclude some very difficult times before we get there. The Apostle Paul puts those difficulties we face in life in their proper perspective, For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.³

He also knew that He had accomplished everything the Father had given Him to do. Of those the Father had given Him, He had lost none, except for one, the son of perdition whom the Scriptures said would betray Him. He loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. To the end is emphasized in the text. He had completed His task. He had done everything possible to communicate and provide everything they would ever need. He could say with confidence at the end, It is finished.

He knew that the devil had already planted into the heart of Judas to betray Him. Jesus knew from the prophetic Scriptures that Judas had not fully committed himself to Him. Judas, sitting right next to Him, on the opposite side from John, had already purposed in his heart to betray Him. Again, the Old Testament revealed that to Jesus.⁴

There was no turning Judas around at this last hour. Jesus demonstrated His love for Judas as He washed Judas’ feet. Jesus’ heart ached for Judas. The decision Judas had already made in his heart was about to have an eternal impact on his soul. His fate was about to be sealed and irreversible.

Jesus found what peace He could in the fact that the Father had given all things into His hands. His Father had trusted Him, and entrusted Him, with the work of redemption that had been planned from eternity past. Even though the road ahead would be extremely rough, Jesus found security in the intimate relationship He had with His Father.

He knew that outside the walls of the upper room, there was a murderous meeting going on among the Jewish authorities. A plot had been hatched to kill Him. He knew that plot would come to fruition within hours. Passover was at hand and they would be driven to accomplish their scheme before the holy holiday began, if at all possible. It was madness and very dangerous outside the walls of that room.

Who’s the Greatest?

There is a sidenote here, something that occurs between verses 3 and 4 that John doesn’t mention, but which gives us a clue about why He now rises from the supper and girds Himself as a servant to wash the disciple’s feet. Luke’s gospel tells us that at this time, an argument had arisen among the disciples about who was the greatest among them and who would occupy the best places in the kingdom to come.⁵

The amazing thing about this argument was the timing. Luke records that this argument arose just after Jesus told them that He was about to suffer greatly and that one of them was going to betray Him.

Think about that for a minute. Jesus was in perhaps the most stressful situation of his entire earthly life. If He ever needed the support and encouragement of His dearest friends, which these men were, this was the time. And what were they concerned about? They were only concerned about themselves and who was better than whom.

At this point, Jesus should have said, You bunch of self-centered, self-absorbed idiots are worthless. All you can think about is yourself. I’ve been with you three and a half years, showing you what it really means to put the needs of others before your own. Here I am, about to be killed, and you only think of yourselves. I realize it is the last hour, but I think I’m going to go out tonight and find twelve new disciples! (At least, that would have been my approach, if I were Jesus!)

This is amazing to me. Here were his men arguing among themselves about who was better than whom, and Jesus was struggling with the fact that Judas would succumb to the devil and be lost for all eternity. To complicate Jesus’ internal turmoil, He knew He would be arrested in just about three to four hours. He was staring in the face a torturous, horrible death on a cross, and they were arguing about how great they were. Soon, the mood in the room would grow much more somber, but as they sat there eating, it was still all about how important they were.

A Teachable Moment

Jesus realized there was a teachable moment here. To turn the tide on this misplaced, self-importance argument, Jesus got up from the supper, took off His outer robe, girded Himself with a large towel, and went over to the large water pot by the door and poured out some water into an open, smaller basin. It was the bowl sitting there next to the door that was normally used for washing the feet of guests.

As Jesus got up and left the supper, the arguing continued. John, James, and Peter seemed to be winning the argument based on the fact that they had accompanied Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and they had been included in seeing Jairus’ daughter brought back to life when the others hadn’t. Peter actually had the upper hand in the argument, being by nature more boisterous and assertive.

As Jesus began to disrobe and prepare Himself for the task He was about to do, Matthew, who continued to talk, followed Him with his eyes. Matthew was the first to go silent. Thaddaeus, sitting next to Matthew, was caught by Matthew’s distraction and he too seeing what Jesus was doing went silent. Then the domino effect happened. Within just a few moments, you could hear a pin drop. All eyes were fixed on Jesus. No one uttered a peep. What was He doing?

5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

This was common courtesy when you came into someone’s home as a guest. Usually this was done by the servant of the house, but there were no servants at this house, at least, not available for this meeting. This self-absorbed bunch had ignored the common, courteous practice of foot washing. It would have been appropriate for one of them to assume that job. But they were too interested in arguing about who was greater than to do that. How could you claim to be greater than the next guy if you consented to wash his feet? So no feet got washed.

Thomas was the first that Jesus approached with the basin of water because he was the closest to the door. Jesus carefully kneeled, placing first his right foot into the basin, washing it gently, and then resting it on His lap to wipe it dry before reaching for the left foot. Thomas did not say a word. In fact, he didn’t even look at Jesus. His cheeks had grown red with embarrassment and humiliation. Nor did Jesus speak to Thomas.

The atmosphere in the room had grown uncomfortably silent. Next was Andrew. All had realized by now that, even though all were guests, one of them should have taken the role of the host and washed the others’ feet. It was customary—it was the proper thing to do.

As Jesus got to John’s feet, it began to dawn on all of them that the reason none of them assumed this task was because it would have been counterproductive to their claim to be the greatest. By now, the uneasiness of having the Master wash their feet was almost unbearable.

Peter Objects

Peter, who was sitting next to John, couldn’t take it any longer. Peter knew this was wrong; everyone knew this was wrong. Jesus was their Master and their Messiah, God. Everyone was thinking the same thing. Every one of them should have been washing His feet. Peter, who had been so passionate about claiming his position of greatness, began to see his own self-centeredness staring him in the face. This wasn’t right. Something needed to be said.

6 And so He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, Lord, do You wash my feet?

Peter broke the silence and objected to Jesus washing his feet. Peter punctuated his comment so all would understand, "Lord, do

you

wash

my

feet? Peter clearly saw the inappropriateness of what was going on. He was so embarrassed He didn’t want Jesus to wash His feet. This was the work of a menial servant and Peter knew Jesus was no servant. He was the sent One."

The other eleven disciples were quietly grateful for Peter’s bold statement. They were all thinking and feeling exactly like Peter. Philip, Bartholomew, and James (the son of Alphaeus) quietly nodded in agreement. Peter was objecting to Jesus washing his feet because of how inappropriate it was. They were not greater than the Master. This was upside down and backward. They should be washing the Master’s feet. (So why didn’t Peter think of that when they first came into the room?)

7 Jesus answered and said to him, What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter.

Jesus’ response seemed a little vague. He told Peter that he did not understand the significance of what He was doing, but later, he would. Peter’s mind was racing. If I don’t realize what is going on now, how am I supposed to realize it later? That doesn’t make any sense to me! (Just a sidenote here. You don’t have to be fully aware of what God is doing in your life. You might like to know, especially if you are going through a rough situation, but oftentimes,