John: Jesus, the Way, the Truth, & Life (Chapters 13-15)

To Jesus' disciples, He said, "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another."The essence of Christianity is the love that we have for God and for each other. That's what makes Christians unique in this life and that's what Jesus expresses in John 13:34-35.Welcome today to our study of the gospel of John. Beginning today in John, Chapter 13, following in the next few weeks through the end of the book of John, we're going to notice just the last few days and the last few teachings that John identifies in the life of Jesus. We encourage you today to locate your Bible and be following along as we study the gospel of John together.Today as we transition into thinking about John, Chapter 13, one of the great lessons that Jesus knows is His time is winding down. As He is preparing now for the final days in His life, Jesus is going to leave His disciples and leave us with some very powerful teachings that they needed to be reminded of. One of those is found in John 13:1. This is the love that Jesus had for His disciples, all the way to the end. Notice John 13:1. The Bible says, "Now, before the feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world unto the Father,having loved His own who were in the world," listen to this: "He loved them to the end."Jesus never stopped loving his children. He never stopped loving His disciples. Everything He did right up to the very last breath when He said, "It is finished" was motivated by Christ's love for His disciples and for the world. That love to the end is exhibited in several areas. How did Jesus love them to the end? Jesus taught them the truth, which would set them free. John 8:32, Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Right up to the end Jesus taught them God's truth. Peter asked in John 6:68, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Jesus prepared them for the road ahead. I Peter 4:16 says, "If any man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name." Jesus prepared His disciples that would be suffering, trials, difficulties, but it's all worth it in the end. It got them ready for that. He corrected error that might have been taught. Mark, Chapter 12, Jesus said to the religious elite, "You do therefore greatly err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." In His preparation, Jesus taught them the love of God right up to the end, and of course, His sacrifice was the greatest example of that.Now, in preparing Jesus' disciples, we also see that there is another force at work- the devil. It's sad, but in John 13, even though Jesus loved every one of His disciples right up to the end, the devil has already found his way into one of their lives. That man by name is Judas. Look in John 13:2. The Bible says these words, "And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him." One of the things we definitely learn about the devil, this force that is working in Judas, is that he'd already put his plan into action as well. The devil is a very active, militant, aggressive foe who is trying to defeat God, and today he is trying to defeat Christians and cause them to sin and be lost.I don't think sometimes we realize that the devil is still actively working to try to get people to be lost today. Think about Job, Chapter 1. There is, as it were, a heavenly council. The sons of God appeared beforeGod and the devil appears also. God says to Satan, "Where have you been?" "From going to and fro, back and forth on the earth." What's that mean? God's next question tells us. "Have you considered my servant Job? There's none like him in all the earth. Blameless, upright, man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" The devil said, "Yeah, take away everything he's got and we'll see about Job."The devil was behind that. His going to and fro and back and forth on the earth actively seeking men and women to tempt and destroy. Friend, that's the clear New Testament image that we're given as well. Remember 1 Peter 5:8. "Be sober, be vigilant." Why? "For your adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." That same agent of evil, the devil, who was actively seeking men and women in Job 1, the Bible says, is doing that today as well. Simon Peter fell victim to that, did he not? Luke 22:31 and Luke 22:3 Jesus said to Simon, "Simon, Simon Satan desires to have you that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you." We know the devil did work in Peter's life. Peter actually went on to deny the Lord. Now, he was restored. He got back to where he needed to be. The devil is a very active, militant, aggressive enemy. I need to be on guard against the wiles of the devil, 1 Timothy 3:7.I John 13, we also see Jesus teaching His disciples a great lesson about humility. Here's a very tender and compassionate picture of the Savior. Jesus gathers His disciples as it were and has them all sit down, if you could imagine that in your mind, and then Jesus girds Himself with a towel. He gets down on his hands and knees. He washes every one of the disciples' feet. Now, he comes to Peter, and Peter says, "Lord, you're not going to wash my feet." Jesus said, "If I don't wash your feet, you've got no part with me." In the nature of Peter, he said, "Well, don't just wash my feet; wash my whole body in essence." But why did Jesus do this? To show humility. Luke 14:11. "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; he who humbles himself will be exalted." In the kingdom of Christ it's not about what can others do to serve me, me getting up on a pedestal and everybody else being my servant. ‘Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, he'll exalt you in due time,’ James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:6. Jesus' greatexample of humility was to show His disciples and really to teach us as well that in Christ's kingdom, we're to be humble servants of other people.Listen to it this way, in Mark 10, Verse 45. Jesus said, "The son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life for ransom for many." In Christ's kingdom, I am a servant. I'm not on a pedestal. We're not sitting in, as it were, Moses' seat or the chief seats today looking down on other people. We're servants in God's kingdom, and the master servant clearly taught us that by washing the disciples' feet. Now, one of the reasons he also did that was to show His disciples the kind of love they ought to have for each other. Let me illustrate it in the words of Jesus. Look in John 13:34-35. The scripture records this, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all will know that you're my disciples if you love one another."Jesus is trying to help His disciples see there's not going to be preeminence and prominence and first place in the kingdom of Christ. He's already said, "If you want to be first, be last. The last will be first, the first will be last." He's trying to help them see the type of love that they ought to have for each other. "A new commandment I give you." What'd He mean, "New?" That you should love one another. Lord, show me that. "As I have loved you, so you also must love one another." When Jesus got down and washed the disciples' feet, that exhibited the type of sacrificial service love they should have for one another. That's what ought to make Christians unique. We should be thinking about others' interest before our own. Hebrews 13:1 says, "Let brotherly love continue." Mark, 12:30 following, Jesus is asked, "Good teacher, teacher, what's the greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is the first and great commandment. And the second like unto it is love your neighbor as yourself."Friend, do we really love each other in the church? Do Christians really have that type of love for each other? Am I willing to serve others? Get down on my hands and knees and get dirty and serve others? To help, to break a sweat, to do what I can to help somebody who might be inneed? That's the real type of love that Jesus illustrated in John, Chapter 13.Now turning our attention to John 14, knowing Jesus having just told His disciples that He's going to have to die, knowing His hour is near; preparing them for that ultimate, final event-Jesus knew that their heart would be troubled. Jesus said in John 14:1, following, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. Were it not so, I would have told you." Friend, as Jesus knew that His disciples were going to be discouraged. They were going to lose heart knowing that their master and their savior is about to leave them. Jesus gives them some things to help them with this discouragement. As I live life and as you live life, from time to time we each have heart trouble. There are things that we each have to deal with that may be discouraging or depressing and that we need to be reminded there's things that will help me get over this. What are those things? Friend, Jesus said, "when you've got heart trouble, remember heaven is what it's all about and heaven is real. Let not your heart be troubled. You've got faith in me; you've got faith in God. There are many mansions in my father's house. And you can go there." The hope of heaven encourages each one of us not to let this old world get us down. Hebrews 4:9 says, "There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God." This is not all that there is. The struggles, the fighting the good fight, the troubles that we face now- Heaven's going to be worth it all if we remain faithful. “Be faithful unto death and I'll give you the crown of life,” Revelation 2:10. Secondly, Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled. I'm not leaving you for good. I'm coming back again." John 14:3, Jesus said, "If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also." Hebrews 9:28 teaches us that Christ will come again a second time apart from sin, for salvation.The Bible teaches us there'll be a day coming when ‘we'll hear that shout, the voice of an archangel, the trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then he who are alive and remain will be caught up together within the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.’ And listen to this, ‘And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort oneanother with these words.’ Where's the encouragement? We can go to heaven. Christ is coming back. The separation is not going to be forever. He is coming back. And friend, let not your heart be troubled. You know the way. Jesus is the way. Jesus said, "The way I go you know, and where I go you know, and the way you go." And Simon said, "No, we don't know where you're going, how can we know the way?" Jesus said to Simon, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me."I know the way to get to heaven. I know the way to be a part of God's people who are reclaimed when Christ comes back. What is that way? Jesus. He's the way, the truth, the life. If I follow Christ, if I obey Christ, the only name that salvation is in, Acts 4:12, If I am faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10, If I walk in the light, 1 John 1:7, and if I am on that narrow path that leads to heaven- when Christ comes back, if I'm in the way, if I'm in Jesus, then friend, I need not be discouraged. I can have the hope of eternal life with God. Jesus also tells His disciples don't be troubled because there's other help that you can have as well. One of the ways that we can overcome heart trouble and discouragement, Jesus teaches us is through the avenue of prayer. Look at John 14:14-15. Jesus says in John 14:14, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." What do we know about overcoming the troubles of this life? There's help to be had. One of the ways we get that help is through prayer. This is why Paul would say, "Pray without ceasing," 1 Thessalonians 5:17. This is why Jesus said in Luke 18:1 “Let not your heart be troubled.” We're to pray. “Men ought to pray always.” Never give in to discouragement or let our heart be troubled. Prayer helps us with that. “The effect of fervent prayer of a righteous man overcomes much.” As the Hebrew writer said in Hebrews 4:16, "Christians can come boldly to the throne of grace that we might find mercy and grace to help in time of need."I love the words of 1 Peter 5:7. "Cast all your care upon him." Why? "God cares for you." Is there help to be had? Is there something that can help me to overcome heart trouble when I face discouragement and depression and when life gets us down, what do we do? “Let not your heart be troubled.” Christians have a special avenue of communication and help through the avenue of prayer. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep mycommandments." Friend, in keeping the commandments of God and following what the Bible teaches we have the assurance that we are right with God and it is proof of our love. Remember, the Bible says in Hebrews 5:8-9 that ‘Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.’ If I'm obeying God, if I'm following His commands, then I have the hope of eternal life. “It's not everybody that says, ‘Lord, Lord’ that's going to heaven, but he who does the will of my Father,” Matthew 7:21. Jesus looked down at the religious elite of His day in Luke 6:46, and He said, "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’? And do not do the things which I say?"Friend, there's joy in following the words of Christ. There's joy to be found in obeying what Jesus taught and living the life that is in accord with His teaching. We can know as we strive to do what's right, as we follow the example of Christ, as we try to walk in the light-the promises Jesus made about heaven and eternal life can be ours- if we trust Jesus unto the end. In John 14:26, Jesus teaches us that we can find comfort and encouragement in the all-inspired word that the Holy Spirit's going to leave. Look in John 14:26. Jesus makes this promise to His disciples in this chapter. Jesus says in verse 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 things that I said to you." Jesus is, in essence, telling His disciples in the immediate context- ‘You're not going to be without help and you're not going to be without word and encouragement from God.’ What is that word? It's the word the Holy Spirit, was going to give them. That word that the Holy Spirit gave the first-century disciples and writers- we have in the pages of the Bible. ‘Let not your heart be troubled.’ You have the word and the encouragement from God to help us and to help each of us through this life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable." The Bible says in John 17:17 that God's word, the Bible is truth. 2 Peter 1:3, we have everything we need for life in godliness. God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, Psalm 119:105. And so, the Bible, God's word, it ought to lift each of our spirits to help us to walk the way God wants us to walk in this life.It is that word of God that actually is going to make us clean and ready for that eternal home. Notice John 15:3. Jesus says to His disciples,"You are already clean, because of the word, which I've spoken to you." The word of God, we're born again by the word of God, I Peter 1:23-25. If I live by the Bible, then I can know that I can have the comfort of that. Listen to 1 John 5:13. John says, "These things we write to you, who believe in the name of the son of God that you may know there's comfort. That you may know you have eternal life."Is there comfort to be found in following the teaching of the Bible? Absolutely. I can have the confidence and know that I'm following Christ's teaching and that I'm alright in the sight of God because of that. Now, as Jesus discusses John 15, he's also going to teach His disciples though, that it's not enough to at one point in time have been right, you've got to be faithful to the end and you've got to be fruitful as a Christian. A Christian cannot obey the gospel and then sit down and think all the works done. A Christian must be a fruit bearer and must be fruitful in the kingdom of God and be faithful until his very last breath. Look at John 15:4-5. Jesus says, "Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me, you can do nothing." The Christian, by being faithful to Christ, by remaining true to Him, He needs to be fruitful. That means we need to bear the fruit of the spirit. As mentioned in Galatians 5:22, we need to be faithful unto death and follow the teaching of Christ. ‘Do good unto all men,’ Galatians 6, ‘help those who are in need. Spread the gospel. Be a good example, live as we ought to live every day.’ We are to bear fruit by our lifestyle. Christians who love one another produce that fruit, Jesus said in John 15:12. The greatest gift ever given, the greatest example of real love Jesus illustrates in John 15:13. "No greater love has any man than to lay down his life for his friends."When you think about showing fruit of your love Jesus is the perfect example of that. How do you know Jesus loves you? How do I know Jesus loves me? “No greater love has any man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus would go on to say, "You're my friends if you do whatever I command you." I will assure you, the greatest fruit of anybody'slove was shown by Jesus- by His willingness to sacrifice and to lay down His life for His followers.When we think about Christ and all that He did, we want to make sure that we're a friend of Jesus. Remember John 15:14? Jesus said, "You are my friends, if you do whatever I ask or command you." If I'm going to be a friend of Jesus, a lot of people say, "I want to be a friend of Christ. I want to be a friend of Jesus. What a friend we have in Jesus." That's all true. What does it really mean to be a friend of Jesus? "You're my friends," Jesus said. “If you do whatever I command or ask you.” Jesus' mother gave us a great motto for living, as it relates to that in John 2. Jesus is about to perform the miracle at Cana. His mother says to the servants, "Whatever he says to you, do it." Friend, isn't that a great motto for life? Whatever Christ days, I just want to do it. Why? Because He's the Lord, and I love him. I am His friend, and I want to show the fruit of my love for Christ by being faithful to Him. Now that may mean that the world hates us. Jesus said it would. John 15:18-19, "If the world hates you, it hated me first." The world might hate us for following Christ at times, but friend, that's no excuse for not being a friend to Jesus. Who do you want to be a friend to? A friend of the world, which brings separation from God James 4:4? Or a friend of Christ, who can lead us to heaven in eternity? And so, this is really a matter of whom are we going to serve, who are we going to love, how fruitful are we going to be?In these chapters, John 13 through 15, Jesus teaches us to love one another by our service and our action. Jesus teaches us how to overcome discouragement through the promises that He makes and teaches each of us that we need to be fruitful in the kingdom of God-by following Him and obeying Him in each and every way.Friend, as we think about following Christ and being a friend to Jesus, we ask you today- Are you a friend of Christ? Have you obeyed the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?Remember, Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands." What has Jesus commanded one to do to become a Christian? A person must beconvicted He is the savior. In John 8:24 Jesus said, "Unless you believe that I am he, you'll surely die in your sins." I must believe in Christ to be saved. Belief alone is not all there is. The Bible teaches one must also repent of sin. Peter preached in Acts 3:19, "Repent and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out." Having changed my way of thinking and changed my way of acting, I then must make that good confession. Matthew 10:32-33, Christ said, "If you won't confess me before men, neither will I confess you before the Father who is in heaven. But if you will confess me before men, I'll also confess you before my Father, who is in heaven."Jesus commanded to be saved; you must be baptized in water. Acts 2:38, Peter said, "Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins." Jesus said, "Unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." And John 3:5, Jesus said, "He that believes and is baptized, will be saved," Mark 16:16. Peter said it with such great clarity. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:21 that along with other things, ‘baptism is essential to salvation. We must be baptized to be saved.’We ask you today, if you're not a Christian, if you've not followed Jesus, become a friend of Christ. Have the hope of one day going to heaven by following Jesus and proving your love to Him by being faithful until death.Study Questions for:John: Lesson 61. According to John 13:1, how long did Jesus love?2. According to John 8:32, what will make us free?3. According o John 17:17, what is truth?4. What does 1 Peter 5:8 tell us about the devil?5. What does Luke 14:11 say about being humble?6. According to Mark 10:45, Jesus came to do what?7. What commandment is given to us in Jon 13:34-35?8. According to John 13:34-35, how will others know we’re Jesus’ disciples?9. According to John 14:1, why should we not be troubled?10. According to Hebrews 4:9, what will remain for the people of God?