THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapters 13-15)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Ben Bailey.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me“ (Jn. 14:6). Welcome to our study of the gospel of John. In this lesson we will be examining chapters 13-15, where Jesus is clearly seen as the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only way to live with God forever. Jesus is the Master Teacher. One of the main reasons we can see that is because His motivation in teaching is seen in John 13:1. The Bible says that although Jesus’ followers and disciples were in the world, He “loved them to the end.” The motivation of Christ’s teaching was the correct motivation—love for the lost and love for His followers. The Bible says that we are to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4: 15). That is our motivation, too. We are to say the truth out of love. How did Jesus show His love for His disciples all the way to the end? He clearly taught them God’s truth. He had the words of eternal life (Jn. 6:68). He said and did all things well (Mk. 7:37). When Jesus’ opponents and critics came to Him, even they said, “No man ever spoke like this man!” Jesus clearly taught people God’s truth, all the way to the end. Jesus loved His disciples to the end because He corrected them when they were in error. For example, in Mark 10 when the argument arose over who was going to be greatest in the kingdom, Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45). Jesus said that if a person wants to be first, then he should be last. If a person wants to be served, then he needs to make himself a servant to all. Jesus corrected His disciples when they were in error. He prepared them for the road ahead. In 1 Peter 4:16 we are told, “If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” Jesus taught His disciples that they would suffer. There would be people who would not listen, and who would run them out of the synagogues. Jesus taught His disciples to stay faithful to the end so that God could be glorified.
Just because Jesus was the Master Teacher does not mean that every student of His was a master student. In John 13:2 we learn concerning Judas that “the devil entered” him. Judas no doubt was chosen for his ability. God knew that He would use Judas in the scheme of redemption. But Judas was not a master student because he had problems of his own. We learned in John 11 and 12 that Judas was a thief. He pilfered funds from the money box. He was not concerned about the poor, but was concerned about lining his own pockets. The Bible tells us that the devil is an active adversary. He wants to get people to betray Christ and follow him instead. In Job 1 we learn of how Satan came before God, and God asked him, “Where have you been?” Satan said, “I have been going to and fro, and back and forth, on the Earth.” He was seeking people whom he could devour. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are told, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Satan is actively trying to cause people to be lost. In Luke 22:31 Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail.” Satan did enter Peter, too, in the sense that Peter betrayed the Lord by denying Him. But here, Judas is used as a pawn and tool in Satan’s arsenal. Judas betrays Christ to the chief priests and the elders for thirty pieces of silver (Mt. 26), just as Zechariah 11:11-13 had prophesied. Judas eventually becomes sorrowful and gives the money back. Then he goes out and hangs himself, which is not what God wanted. But the devil entered Judas and used his weakness in his ultimate scheme to get rid of Christ. God used Satan’s actions to bring salvation to the world. So, let’s look to our own lives and ask if we are really being as faithful as we should. Or, do we have cracks in our armor? Do we have things in our lives on which we need to work so that the devil does not enter us in a spiritual sense, and then use us through our sins and weaknesses—not for Christ, but against His cause.
In John 13 Jesus also is seen as the Master Teacher because of His great example of humility. Why is Jesus the Master Teacher? It is because He possessed a great sense of humility. In John 13:3-17 Jesus bends down and washes the feet of the disciples. When He got to Peter, Peter said, “Lord, are You washing my feet? You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus then said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Peter then said, “Lord, not my feet “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” In 1 Peter 5:6 and James 4:6 we are taught that whoever humbles himself under the mighty hand of God will be exalted. God wants us to be possessed of humility. The idea is that we are not to think of ourselves as higher or better than others, but to realize instead that we are servants in the kingdom of God and are stewards of what God has given us. This ought to motivate us to love one another.
Jesus’ example of humility led up to the teaching that Jesus gave in John 13:34-35, where Jesus said, “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 are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” This great act of humility was designed to show the disciples what real love is. Real love is seen in service, not in placing ourselves on a pedestal. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes wanted to be seen as the religious elite. They stood on the street corners wearing their religious garments, and prayed long prayers because they wanted to be looked up to by men. They had the chief seats in the synagogues. They wanted to sit there and be looked up to as the religious elite. Jesus said, “If you want to be My servants, that is not the way to do it.” Jesus taught us to realize that we are all in need of God’s grace, and that at our best, we are unprofitable servants. Jesus said in Luke 17:10, “When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’” If a person obeys the Gospel, he is a Christian. But without God’s grace and the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice, that person is an unprofitable servant. All of our righteousness is like filthy rags (Is. 64:6). Thus, Jesus wants His disciples to love one another. Hebrews 13:1 says, “Let brotherly love continue.” Do you remember the two greatest commandments? In Mark 12:30ff. a lawyer comes to Jesus. He asks, “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment?” Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” True love is not about elevating oneself, but is about helping others and being a servant. Proverbs 3:5-7 says that we are to trust in the Lord and lean not in our own understanding. We are to put others on a pedestal to help them excel so that we can be servants in the kingdom of God. If we want to please God, we must follow the Master Teacher’s example of humility, service, and love for all humankind.
In John 14 Jesus begins in verse 2, and closes the chapter toward the end, by saying, “Let not your heart be troubled.” Chapter 14 is designed as an encouragement to the disciples. Jesus knows that He will be leaving and will be returning to the Father. He knows that He will be leaving them on the Earth to do His work. So, He offers them some encouragement to remain faithful. This is a powerful and encouraging chapter for us to stay faithful as well. What does Jesus say? He says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” What encouragement is there for Christians to remain faithful, not throw in the towel, and not give up? If we stay faithful, we have the hope and promise of Heaven. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come again to receive you to Myself.” The hope of Heaven ought to be the motivating factor for each child of God to never give up. Hebrews 4:9 says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” It is not like the Sabbath rest. It is not like the rest of Canaan. It is an eternal rest in Heaven where there will be no more sin, sorrow, death, or crying (Rev. 21: 3-4). Jesus said in Matthew 25:46 that the righteous will go away into eternal life. We are looking for the home not made with hands and that will not fade (2 Cor. 4:16). Romans 8:8 says, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Let not your heart be troubled. Do not give up. Heaven is real, and Heaven will be worth it all.
In verse 3 Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; I am coming again.” It is not over yet. Jesus is going to return and receive His own to Him. He will vindicate them, and will punish the ungodly. In John 14:3 Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Do not get discouraged. Don’t give up. It’s not over. Jesus is coming again, and He is going to take us back with Him. At that time, He also will reap vengeance on the ungodly. How do we know that there will be a Second Coming? Hebrews 9:28 specifically says, “He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” If someone asks, “Is the Second Coming biblical?,” the answer is, “Yes, it is.” Jesus is going to come a second time “apart from sin.” What does that mean? It means that at Jesus’ return, He will not be dealing with the sin problem. He came the first time to make Himself a sacrifice for sin. The Second Coming will be “apart from sin.” It will be “for salvation.” Christ will receive His own to Himself. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 we read that those who have died will come back with the Lord. Those of us who remain will be caught up with Him in the air, “and thus we shall always be with the Lord.” When Christ comes again, for those who have not obeyed the Gospel and who have not been faithful to the Lord, He will come in flaming fire, “taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power.” When Christ returns, He will gather the saved to Himself, and He will punish those who have not done what God has taught. Do not be troubled, and do not give up. Jesus is coming to receive His own.
Jesus then says, “I am the way. Everything I have said is true. I have been teaching you God’s law. And if you stay true to Me, I am the way to the Father.” In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” There are not many ways. There are not many truths. And there are not many lives. There is one way. There is one truth. And there is one life. Jesus said, “I’m it, and I can get you to the Father.” Do not be discouraged. If you are a faithful child of God, and if you are living true to the teachings of Jesus, then you are in the right way. In Acts 4:12 Peter said, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” If we have obeyed the Gospel, we can be sure that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. But Jesus, after He offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus is the only way to the Father. It is sad that most people are not going down the right way. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Are you on the right path? If you are, do not get discouraged because you are in the right way. If you stay faithful, that way will leave you to a home with God.
In John 14:13-14Jesus then says, “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” What encourages us in our Christian walk? We have direct access to the Father through Jesus the Son. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing.” There ought to never be a time when we cannot pray to God. Parallel to John 14 (regarding prayer and not getting discouraged) is Luke 18:1 where Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray, and never lose heart.” When we get discouraged, what should we do? We should pray, and that will help us with our discouragement. James 5:16 tells us that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man overcomes much.” In 1 Peter 5:7 we are told, “Cast all your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you.” God cares. He has promised to hear our prayers. And if they are according to His will, He will help us. Therefore we can come boldly to the throne of grace that we may find grace and mercy to help us in time of need. Yes, we need to utilize the avenue of prayer.
Then Jesus says that if we keep God’s commands, it is proof that we love Him. There are a lot of people who say, “I have this good feeling in my heart, and I love Jesus so much. I’m going to get me a t-shirt and a button to tell everyone how much I love Jesus.” How can we prove our love for Jesus? John 14:15 says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” We cannot say, “I want Christ, but not His commandments.” We cannot say, “Yes, I love Jesus, even though I may not do exactly everything He says.” Those are in direct opposition. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” It is not wrong to say that we must keep God’s commandments if we want to demonstrate our love for Him. We cannot be faithful to God without obeying what He has said. That is taught throughout Scripture. Hebrews 5:9 says that Jesus is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” In Luke 6:46 Jesus asked, “What do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,” yet do not do the things that I say?” The implication of this is that if we do not do what Jesus says, then we do not have a right to call Him “Lord.” In Matthew 7:21 Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” In John 15:14 Jesus said, “You are My friends if You do whatever I command you.” We should not get discouraged or lose heart. If we are obeying the commands of God, that is how we prove our love to Christ.
Jesus then said that we should not allow our hearts to be troubled because we will have access to the inspired words of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26 and John 15:26 and John 16:13, Jesus said that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, would be coming, and that “when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” The apostles had the encouragement that the Holy Spirit would be coming, and would inspire them so that they had perfect ability to proclaim God’s Word. How does that translate for us today? We have in the Bible the words of the Holy Spirit. We have the written Word of God in its complete form. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we are told that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”
As we move into John 15, we see Jesus presented as the vine, while Christians are the branches. Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” He is the vine, and we are the branches. It is by the Word of God that we are made clean. In John 15:3 Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” Jesus, as the truth, is able to make us clean. How does the truth make us clean? How does the Word make us clean? In 1 Peter 1:23 we’re told that we are “been born again by the word of God which lives and abides forever.” It is the Word of God that causes us to be born again. How? In Acts 22 we see the Word being preached to Saul of Tarsus, who will become the apostle Paul. Ananias told Saul, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (vs. 16). How did Saul become clean by the Word? He was cleansed when he obeyed it by being baptized. In John 3:3 Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” How is a person born again so he can become clean? It is by obeying God’s Word, which culminates in the act of baptism.
In John 15 Jesus also clearly taught that if we cannot bear fruit unless we remain faithful to Christ, Who is the vine. In John 15:4-5 we read,
“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.”
We cannot be fruitful for God unless we remain connected to the way, the truth, and the life, which is Jesus Christ, the vine. The fruit that we bear is the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, kindness, longsuffering, etc. (Gal. 5:22ff.). Those are characteristics that ought to be part of the life of every Christian. The fruit that we bear is the good works that we do. James 2:14ff. says that we cannot have faith without works. We must put our faith into action and do what God says. Being a good example, helping those who are in need, reaching out to the lost, and remaining faithful unto death are good fruits.
In John 15 Jesus also shows us the great example of His love for us. What makes Jesus the way, the truth, and the life? One of the things is His great sacrificial love for humankind. In John 15:13 we read, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” When I think of Jesus as the great example and as my Savior, what is it that really is the culminating example of Jesus’ love? “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Do we realize that is exactly what Jesus did? He laid down His life for His friends. Those of us who are obedient to the Gospel have access to Heaven (“the way, the truth, and the life”) because of that. Romans 5:6-8 says,
“When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Christ willingly gave Himself as a sacrifice so that we could have the hope of Heaven. Jesus went to the cross and died. That is the greatest example of love a person could ever imagine. What a powerful statement of Jesus’ love that is! If we want to reciprocate that love, then look in John 15:14. What does it mean to be a friend of Jesus? Jesus said, “I am your best friend because I laid down My life for you.” Do you want to be a friend of Jesus? He tells us how to do that. In John 15:14 Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” To reciprocate Jesus’ friendship, we must do what He says. John 2:5 is some of the best advice in the Bible, and ought to be a motto for our lives. It was given by Mary, Jesus’ mother. She said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” We cannot find better advice than that. If we want to reciprocate Jesus’ friendship and be a friend to Him, we must be obedient to His will.
Does that mean that everyone will like us? No. John 15:18-19 teaches us that the world will not like us. Yet we still must remain faithful to God and do what God wants us to do. Truly, Jesus is the way.
Are you a part of that way? Jesus is the truth. Do you have access to that truth in your life? Jesus is the life. You cannot get to God except by going through Jesus as His Son. What did Jesus say that a person must do in order to be His friend and a child of His? Jesus clearly taught that a person must believe in Him. In John 8:24 Jesus said, “Unless you believe that I am He, you will surely die in your sins.” Is that all Jesus taught? No. Jesus said in Luke 13:3 that a person also must repent. “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Jesus also taught that to be a child of His, a person must confess Him before men. In Acts 8:36ff. the Ethiopian nobleman made the good confession when He said that he believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. A person must do that if he is going to be a child of God. A person also must do what Jesus said regarding baptism. Look at how simple Jesus made this. Jesus was the Master Teacher. He never tried to confuse anyone. He made His teachings so simple that little children could understand them. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mk 16:16). Everyone knows that if a person does not believe, then he or she is not a candidate for baptism. Yet Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” If a person has not been baptized, then he or she is not saved.
If you have not been baptized for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38), you are not yet a friend of Jesus. You can be, but you are not currently because you have not obeyed His will. In Acts 22:16 Saul was told, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Are you truly a friend of Jesus? Have you submitted your life to His will? Jesus is the way; without Him there is no going. Jesus is the truth; without Him there is no knowing. Jesus is the life; without Him there is no living. If you have not gotten your life right, why would you want to wait any longer? “Now” is all that we are promised. Life is too short. If you have not become a Christian, and if you have not followed the teaching of Christ to become a child of God, we are praying that you will do that today. Do not wait until tomorrow. That is what the devil wants you to do. Our prayer and hope for you today is that you will obey the Gospel of Christ before it is too late. Join us next time as we study the gospel of John in our examination of the New Testament.
Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
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1. According to John 6:68, who has “the words of eternal life”?
2. According to Mark 10:45, why did Jesus come to Earth?
3. What sad thing is recorded in John 13:2?
4. What specific act of humility does Jesus carry out in John 13:3-17?
5. What important teaching for us today is found in 1 Peter 5:6?
6. What important teaching for us today is found in James 4:6?
7. What “new commandment” did Jesus give His disciples in John 13:34?
8. According to Luke 17:10, even when we have done all that Jesus has commanded us to do, what, then, are we allowed to say?
9. According to Isaiah 64:6, to what is our righteousness compared?
10. What two important points for us today are contained in John 14:2?
11. According to Christ’s teaching in Matthew 25:46, what will happen to “the righteous” when this world comes to an end?
12. Explain the meaning of Hebrews 9:28, which states that Christ “will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
13. According to John 14:6, how many ways are there to God the Father?
14. What did Jesus say in Matthew 7:13-14?
15. What question did Jesus ask in Luke 6:46?
16. What did Jesus say in John 14:15?
17. What statement did Jesus make in John 15:14?
18. In John 15, we see someone presented as the vine, and someone else presented as the branches. Who is the vine, and who are the branches?
19. What important concept is found in John 15:13?
20. What does the last part of Romans 5:8 say?
21. What did Jesus say in John 15:18-19 about how the world likely would treat His disciples?
22. How does a person become a child of God?
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