Last time, (see part 4), we looked at Wednesday of Christ’s Holy week – where Jesus revealed the exact day of His crucifixion, and where Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus to the chief priests and the Temple guards. Then we looked a part of Thursday, seeing the Last Supper, where Judas is exposed in his treachery.
Thursday (cont.):
Let’s return to the Last Supper, right after Judas flees into the night…
Jesus immediately says:
“The time has come for the Son of Man to enter his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.” Jn. 13:31, 32. NLT
Christ is saying that everything has now been set in motion for His imminent death and resurrection, which glorifies His Father – for Jehovah’s wisdom put forth in His salvation plan for humankind. It also glorifies the Son, for His passion for God’s children, and for His willingness to be our sacrificial substitute, to take our punishment for our sins:
(He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief…it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down…he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed…the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. Is. 53:3 – 6. NLT)
Jesus continues:
“Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Jn. 13:33 – 35. NLT
This ‘new commandment,’ evolves the Mosaic Law of ‘loving your neighbor as yourself’ to a higher level. Christ is implying that love must be the primary drive behind all that we think and do, as well as to have an attitude of selflessness and servitude, as we strive to emulate Christ.
However, Jesus’ love commandment must have gone right over Peter’s head, because he is still stuck on the part where Christ said He was going to leave. Peter tells Him that he would follow Him anywhere, even laying down his life if necessary.
Jesus shocks Peter with His answer:
“Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter – before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny that you even know me.” Jn. 13:38 NLT
He then turns to the other ten apostles and declares:
“Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd and the flock will be scattered.’ (Zech. 13:7) But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” Mt. 26:32, 32. NLT
Next, Christ initiates the celebration of Communion:
And when He had taken bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant [ratified] in My blood.” Lk. 22:19, 20. AMP
And when He had taken a cup and gave thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the [new and better] covenant, which [ratifies the agreement and] is being poured out for many [as a substitutionary atonement] for the forgiveness of sins.” Mt. 26:27, 28. AMP
(…every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread and drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 1 Cor. 11:26 – 29. NLT).
When we take ‘Communion,’ we are performing a ritual, whereby we take something physical, (often referred to as a ‘sacrament’), to remind us of the offer of Jehovah’s grace through Jesus Christ.
We visibly utilize the sacrament to act out Christ’s proclamation, (in faith), trusting in the power of the grace of the New Covenant that replaces / transcends / enhances the Mosaic Law.
We do not put our faith in the physical sacrament itself (that would be trying to earn salvation by works). Rather, it is our faith in Christ’s forgiveness of our sins, that is replayed and renewed in our memories, when we accept the sacrament – knowing there is nothing else upon which we can rely.
Jesus concludes the Communion, and gives the apostles what would be their last in-depth teaching:
“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.” Jn. 14:1 – 3. CSB
[For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 Cor. 5:1 NLT]
Awesome, yes? Christ then reinforces how there is only one way to get to that heavenly home:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jn. 14:6 NKJV
(“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 NLT)
Christ is the only door to the Kingdom. He is the living word of God, and the giver of life. There are no gray areas here. It’s matter of life or death. God said, “choose life” (Dt. 30:19), and He is still saying it today.
Jesus then taught them that because the very essence of God fills Him, and is expressed by Him, they have essentially had God in their midst the entire time that they’ve been together:
“If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Jn. 14:7 NLT
Philip pops up and asks to see the Father. Christ gently rebukes him:
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!…The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.” Jn. 14:9 – 11. NLT
Jesus is empowering His disciples. He foreknew it would be difficult for them when His physical presence was gone. He’s building up their faith:
“…anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.” Jn. 14:12, 13. NLT
He then shifts gears and tells them how best to express their love for Him and their Father in heaven:
“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them…and we will come and make our home with each of them.” Jn. 14:21 & 23. NLT
“…if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.” Jn. 15:7- 9. NLT
“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jn. 15:11 NLT
Jesus then assures them that He is not abandoning them. In fact, He will always be available – through the ‘Holy Spirit:’
“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
No, I will not abandon you as orphans – I will come to you.” Jn. 14:15 – 18. NLT
(…let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves…which is the opposite of what the Spirit wants…These two forces are constantly fighting each other… Gal. 5:16, 17. NLT
…the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Gal. 5:22, 23. NLT)
(…God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets…And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 1 Cor. 2:10 & 12. NLT)
Christ continues:
“I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” Jn. 14:25, 26. NLT
“…I will send you the Advocate – the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.” Jn. 15:26 NLT
“…in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sins, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.
There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.” Jn.16:7 – 9 & 12 – 14. NLT
In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that because He taught them so much, they would not be able to recall it all. However, the Holy Spirit would bring what they need, to the light of remembrance. Also, because of Christ’s limited 3-year ministry on earth, the Holy Spirit will give ongoing revelations about the full nature of our Savior.
Next, Jesus offers us even further comfort:
“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.” Jn. 14:27, 28. NLT
(When Jesus was tied to the flesh, He was inferior to His Father, His resurrected self is not.)
Jesus would not leave this earth until He accomplished everything His Father intended Him to do – even to the point of submitting to the violence of Satan; and He did it all for you:
“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches me. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father.” Jn. 14:30, 31. NLT
Lastly, Jesus draws up an allegory of our intertwined relationship with Him and Jehovah:
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” Jn. 15:1, 2. NLT
Our Savior is saying that it is not enough to know God. We must live, as He would have us live. And, from time to time, (like any good parent), our Father in heaven will dole out a little divine discipline to nudge us back on track when we stray from His ways.
Indeed, we need this relationship:
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
Yes, I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.” Jn. 15:4 – 6. NLT
(My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Pr. 3:11, 12. NLT)
“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you what you ask for, using my name.” Jn. 15:16 NLT
You were chosen by Christ Himself for the Kingdom of God, and for advancing it by inviting others to the love of God, through the love of His Son.
Jesus wraps up the Last Supper with these words:
“…the time is coming – indeed it’s here now – when you will be scattered, each going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Jn. 16:32, 33. NLT
Goodnight and God bless.