Introducing Jesus’ Farewell

Introduction

This morning, I want to begin a new series on John 13–17, on what commonly known as the “Upper Room Discourse” or as the “Farewell Discourse.” I’ve always loved this section. As a child, I’d get excited about Jesus preparing a place for me in heaven. And I really enjoyed Jesus’ discussion of the vine and the branches in chapter 15. But the best part of the Discourse is how it communicates the Savior’s love. You feel it at every turn.

But the Farewell Discourse is far more than a sappy love letter; it’s also packed with theology, encouragement, and practical direction that is extremely helpful for life on earth while Jesus is away, preparing a place for us in heaven.

Think of it this way. Imagine you are a child who is about to spend your first night away from your mother. You’re nervous about being away from her and from your normal routines with her. But mom understands, and she packs your suitcase carefully to provide everything you need to be comfortable. When you open your suitcase, you immediately see your favorite pajamas. There’s your blanket, your favorite bedtime snack, your toothbrush, and even a little note. It immediately puts you at ease because Mom thought of everything. It feels like she is there, and you have confidence to face the night.

That’s what Jesus does for his disciples in this discourse. He lovingly prepares them for life while he is gone. He gives reassurance, comfort, and vital direction. Today, I want to give you a big picture view of the discourse through the lens of the opening words in 13:1–3. I love how John begins his memoirs on this special evening. He paints a powerful, warm image of the Savior. I pray you will leave reassured that Jesus loves you, and he has provided all you need. But first, I must set the Farewell Discourse in context. In particular, the contrast between the warmth of the upper room and the chaos outside is remarkable. While the disciples are secure with Christ…

I.  The world rejected Jesus.

John’s Gospel is built on a simple outline—Introduction (1:1–18); Book of Signs (1:19–12:50); Book of Glory (13:1–20:31); Epilogue (21:1–25). So, our text begins at the major hinge point in the book, and it takes John’s Gospel in a dramatically different direction.

The “Book of Signs” focuses on the world. John 1–12 cover most of Jesus’ 3-year, public ministry. And John chooses a very different perspective from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For example, the Book of Signs pays hardly any attention to the 12 disciples. John doesn’t say much at all about Jesus’ ministry to them or their attitude toward Jesus. Instead, he focuses almost exclusively on Jesus’ evangelistic ministry to the world.

Jesus proved he is the Son of God with some incredible signs. He turned water into wine. He fed the 5,000, and he healed a man born blind. John also includes several powerful evangelistic sermons and conversations such as Jesus’ beloved conversations with Nicodemus and the Samaritan women. And John tells us how Jesus offered himself as the “bread of life,” the “light of the world,” and the “good shepherd.” Jesus was a compelling evangelist!

So, everyone believed, right? Wrong! The Book of Signs is mostly a story of rejection. It culminates in John 11 with Jesus’ greatest sign. He raised Lazarus from the dead after his body had decayed for 4 days. You’d think that would convince everyone. Instead, the Sanhedrin made plans to kill Jesus.

Notice John’s commentary in 12:37–43. Jesus makes a final plea, but that’s how the Book of Signs ends. The world refused the greatest evangelistic ministry of all time. Then 13:1 does a complete 180.

The Book of Glory focuses on the disciples. They’re bystanders in the Book of Signs, then seemingly out of nowhere, 13:1b states, “having loved…” Jesus turns all his love and attention to his friends. It’s incredible because Jesus shows love at time where we might expect him to be distracted. He is about to suffer and die in the climactic moment of his ministry. John says…

II.  Jesus’ hour had come.

Again, the contrast between the warm, peaceful scene inside the upper room with the utter chaos, malice, and violence outside the room is startling.

Verse 1 says the scene begins during “the Feast of the Passover.” It’s Thursday, the day before Good Friday. The Law said every adult male must eat the Passover in Jerusalem. But Jerusalem is not a safe place for Jesus. The Sanhedrin is grasping for an opportunity to quietly arrest and kill him.

So, the other Gospels indicate that Jesus made secret plans to observe the Passover and to enjoy a final evening with the 12. Then he sent Peter and John into Jerusalem looking for the unusual sight of a man carrying a pitcher of water (normally women did that). They made final preparations.

Then Jesus and the other 10 snuck into the room for the last supper. It was the last meal Jesus ate in his pre-glorified body, and it was the final Passover of the old covenant. The disciples know it’s a big night, but not how big as they enjoy a peaceful, secure, and intimate night with Jesus. Verse 23 says John sat beside Jesus through it all. Can you imagine? It clearly made a deep impression on him.

But while the disciples were mostly clueless (Luke says they argued about who would be the greatest), Jesus understood the chaos happening outside the room and even the cosmic powers working inside the room. Jesus knew “His hour had come.” The time had come for him to die as our sacrificial lamb. Jesus also knew…

Judas will betray Jesus (v. 2). That’s an incredible verse. Jesus is eating the last supper with his disciples. He’ll wash their feet and institute the Lord’s Supper. And the devil is moving under Jesus’ nose. Jesus knows, and he could have squashed it anytime, but he allows the devil’s scheme to continue even though he also knows he…

Jesus will be humiliated, tortured, and killed. You know that few hours, Jesus will be arrested, falsely accused, mocked, beaten, and cruelly executed. Jesus knew all of that too. He understood that the next 24 hours would be horrendous.

If I were in his shoes, I’d be very distracted and afraid. But not Jesus. He’s focused on preparing his disciples for what’s next.

Jesus will depart. Verse 1 says he knew “He would depart out of this world to the Father,” and v. 3 says he “was going back to God.” This is an important key to the Farewell Discourse. Jesus is not just preparing his disciples for his death, though he does some of that; he’s primarily preparing them for life after his ascension to heaven. That’s why we call it the Farewell Discourse. It's also why it is so relevant to us because we are living while Jesus is away. Jesus knows the disciples need him to pack their bags, so to speak because…

The disciples will be traumatized. First, they will be traumatized that night (13:36–38). Imagine how that prediction must have hit Peter but all the disciples. But Jesus is even more concerned about what will happen when he is in heaven, and the world directs its malice squarely toward the disciples (16:1–4).

Jesus knows it won’t be pretty. He knows James will be the first apostle to die when Herod kills him with the sword. He knows all of them will endure terrible persecution and most will be killed.

And they must do better than endure. They must continue Jesus’ mission, found the church, and start taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. It’s a lot.

So, Jesus’ fundamental purpose is to prepare the disciples for life after Jesus’ ascension. Remember this as we go because it will bring a lot of clarity to the smaller portions of what Jesus says.

Again, we are still living in the time between Jesus’ departure and his return. And we were also on Jesus’ mind (17:20–21). So parts of the Farewell Discourse are pretty specific to the 12, but most of it is also directed to you. Jesus is preparing you to thrive and make an eternal impact while he is preparing a place for you in heaven. We’ll see that he thought of everything. He has meticulously packed our bag for life while he is gone. This is because like our earthly mothers…

III.  Jesus loves his disciples.

Over the last few weeks as I’ve prepared this series, I have been amazed at the first verse, and I want you to give it your full attention for a few minutes (13:1).

Please note that these are not Jesus’ words; they are John’s commentary on the evening. Imagine John writing his gospel, probably about 50 years after these events. As a young man, maybe not even 20 years old. He sat next to Jesus through the supper, he talked with Jesus, ate with Jesus, and listened to everything he said.

Now as an old man, he looks back at what he experienced with amazement. He knows that what Jesus said must be preserved for every generation of Christians. And as he grasps for the right way to frame this all-important discourse, one idea stands out above the rest. Jesus “loved his own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

John was still amazed at the love of Jesus. In fact, from this point forward, John describes himself several times as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” I had always assumed this was John’s way of saying that Jesus especially loved John, but this week I heard Sinclair Ferguson say in a sermon that he does not believe John was trying to put himself in exclusive company. Instead, John was amazed that Jesus would love a sinner like him, and he wanted to be known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”

One memory outshined the rest—Jesus loved me. Christian, he loves you just the same. You are “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” And John wants you to see this entire discourse as flowing from his love for you.

John adds that Jesus was leaving those he loved in the world. Jesus will warn his disciples that the world will be a malicious place. John 17 warns that he has left us in the world, and the world will hates us and persecute us.

But Jesus loves his “own” who are in the world. He’s not talking about everyone. He’s talking about the 12 and all who will be saved by believing the gospel they preach. John 3:16 says Jesus loves the entire world, but John 13:1 says he has a special love that is reserved for “His own,” or as we saw last week in chapter 10, for the sheep the Father gave him.

Jesus loved his own. Then I love how John can’t walk away from this reality but adds, “He loved them to the end.” The Greek word is telos, and it has a range of meanings, and here it probably communicates two ideas.

First, Jesus loves us “to the uttermost.” His love is full and complete. And because of this, a 2^nd idea is that he loved us to the point of making the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life. Jesus merges these ideas in 15:13. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, and he did it for his friends.

Now some 50 years later, John reflects back on that amazing love. Jesus wasn’t focused on the chaos and hostility that awaited him outside the doors of the upper room. He wasn’t panicking over the pain, and he wasn’t bitter about the coming false accusations and humiliation. John wants you to know Jesus left all that outside the door, he closed it, and he put all his attention on the 12 because he loved them, he loved them to the end.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this little statement for several weeks, and I hope I never do. I hope my memory of Jesus’ love always remains as sharp as John’s. Jesus loves me; he loved me to the end.

Christian, Jesus loved you to the end, and he still loves you to the uttermost. His heart for you is the same as if you were the one sitting beside him at the last supper. Your relationship to Jesus has many facets beyond love, but love is the axle on which everything turns. You are the disciple whom Jesus loves. Rehearse that love, give thanks for that love, and rest in that love as the anchor of your soul. Jesus loves you to the end.

Maybe you are not yet one of Jesus’ own because you have never received his gift of salvation. Maybe you aren’t sure that you can entrust your life to Jesus. You want to be your own boss, chase your own desires and hold onto some of your sins.

Please see how much Jesus loves you. He loves you more than you love yourself. His love is pure, wise, and generous. You don’t need to fear receiving Jesus as your Savior. He’s a better master of your life than you will ever be.

So, right now, pray and receive him as your Savior. Tell him you have broken his law and that you repent. Tell him you believe Jesus is the Son of God and his death is sufficient to pay for all your sins. Ask him to save you. John 1:12 promises, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Please receive him now, and I hope you tell me afterwards.

This entire sermon series is anchored in Jesus’ love for his own. But that’s not all the Farewell Discourse has to say. Rather, Jesus’ love compelled him to…

IV.  Jesus prepared his disciples.

You need to keep this perspective as we study John 13–17. It’s all going to make more sense, and it’s all going to come to life as you remember that Jesus is lovingly preparing us for life between his ascension to heaven and his return. I’d like to highlight 4 major themes Jesus wants you to know for the days in which we live.

“You will suffer” (16:1–4). We don’t like that, but we need to hear it. That’s because when the world ratchets up its hostility, we are tempted to panic. “What am I doing wrong?” “The church is dying.” “God is losing.” When we panic, we compromise or we retreat from ministry.

So, Jesus lovingly tells us, “You are going to be persecuted. Don’t panic; instead, remember that I told you this would happen. You aren’t doing anything wrong. Keep doing what I said.”

We feel that tension, don’t we? I’m looking forward to hearing Jesus’ warning and how he told us to respond. The Farewell Discourse is very relevant for life in a hostile world. Jesus’ most important instruction for life in this hostile world is…

“I will provide everything you need.” Probably no other verse sums up the message of this passage like 16:33. The world is a bad place, but Jesus overcame it. He rose from the dead. He won the victory. Take courage because you have everything you need.

For one, Jesus has set you apart for himself (17:15–19). Don’t let some of the election results last week fool you. We are not the cool kids; we are “not of the world.” But we are something better. We are Christ’s kids, and he prayed that the Father would keep us. God will give you the grace you need to stand and to make an impact in this world. Don’t be intimidated. Be encouraged.

And one of the most important ways Jesus sustains us is by the gift of the Holy Spirit (14:16–18; 16:7). We all like to think that if Jesus were standing beside me, everything would be okay. But Jesus says you have something even better. The Holy Spirit lives inside you. I’m really looking forward to meditating on his ministry. You are not an orphan. God is always with you.

“Obey my commandments and abide in by grace. We have everything that we need, but Jesus urges you to make sure you take advantage by obeying God’s Word and remaining near to his grace (14:23; 15:10).

We desperately need that emphasis because we all want the grace of God, but we often want it on my terms. But Jesus says that enjoying the fullness of his grace requires actively abiding in him and submitting to his will.

This is a crucial aspect of godliness, but it’s also a bit mystical and hard to comprehend. We must avoid a legalism where we think that we earn the nearness of God, but we must also avoid a coldness that drives us from grace. I’m really looking forward to exploring what it means to abide in Christ through practicing the true disciplines of grace. So, Jesus says that if you are going to stand and make an impact in this dark world, you must stay near to me. But he will also urge us to stay close to each other.

“Love one another” (13:34–35). Satan wants to intimidate the church into splintering, but Jesus urges to not let him win. We must love each other, and we must cultivate true brotherhood (17:20–23). The world, the flesh, and the devil are hard enough on us. We don’t need to compound that by tolerating petty strife.

Jesus prays that we would enjoy a unity that parallels the Trinity. So, think hard about your conflict or critical attitude toward a brother in this church. Is it really that important? Are you really standing for the good of his soul, or are you being a jerk?

Love one another and pursue unity. And one of the great ways we get there is by putting aside our pride and serving one another. Jesus gives a compelling object lesson by washing the disciples’ feet. Next week we get to think more about what it means humbly serve each other. Finally, Jesus encourages us that this “farewell” is not final.

“I will return and receive you” (14:1–3). Think about how meaning that promise must have been to the disciples. They loved Jesus, and he left them. But he hasn’t forgotten about us, and he hasn’t left of us suffer forever. Jesus is in heaven preparing a place for all his disciples. Someday, he’ll return and take you to be with him forever. All your suffering will end, and you will enjoy the presence of Jesus for all eternity.

Conclusion

Christian, Jesus loves you even while you are in the world. He loves you to the end. Marvel at his love and rest in his love knowing that he packed your bag with everything you need. So, study this passage on your own. Meditate deeply, and come each week hungry to hear from your Savior.