Passing the Baton - Day 5

8 Day Week

Passing the Baton - Day 5

It is now Day 5.

Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure.

He knew they would need comfort for their loss.

Jesus passes the baton of His ministry.

Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to both comfort and equip.

Are you full of the Spirit of God?

John starts by saying,

Jesus is “now showing the full extent of His love.” John 13:1

Jesus, the Lord and Teacher, demonstrates His love

through serving His disciples by washes their feet.

Jesus said we would be blessed if we served like He did.

After Jesus washed their feet,

they observed the Passover where Jesus

reveals Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial.

The Gospel of John is the only Gospel

not to record the Lord’s Supper.

It is probably because John records

Jesus declaring He is the Bread of Life.  John 6:25-ff

Jesus said, “unless you eat my flesh

and drink my blood you have no life in you.” John 6:53

In verse 60,

many disciples could not accept

His words and left Him.

John now records three chapters of Jesus preparing

His disciples for His departure.

Jesus shares that in the Father’s house, where He is going,

there is plenty of rooms for those who follow Him.  John 14:1-4

For those who follow Jesus,

they will know the way

because Jesus is the (only) way, truth and life.

There are two reasons for believing Jesus;

 the one is you believe what He says,

the other is you believe because of the miracles.  John 14:11

For those who believe,

Jesus said they would do even greater works in His Name

after He went to be with the Father.  John 14:12-15

Jesus makes a promise to the believer

that He will send the “Parakleetos” meaning comforter or counselor

which is the Holy Spirit to teach and remind us.  John 14:15 & 25

Jesus promises to leave the believer with a peace

that is different than the peace the world offers,

His peace is not based on the circumstances.  John 14:27

Jesus tells us that if we remain in Him like a branch to a vine

He will give us whatever we ask for

in order to bear fruit for Him.  John 15:7, 8 & 16

Jesus said He had many more things to say but it would be too much

 so He said He would leave the rest of the info

up to the Holy Spirit.  John 16:12

Again, Jesus tells the disciples

that the Father will give them whatever they ask in the name of Jesus

and our joy becomes complete when we receive what we ask.  John 16:23 & 24

Jesus concludes His word of preparation with:

John 16:33 NIV

 "I have told you these things,

so that in Me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart!

I have overcome the world."  

Then we find Jesus close in prayer

for Himself, the disciples and finally a prayer for us.  John 17

Jesus made sure you and I

were equipped before He went to the Father.

He sent us the Holy Spirit,

so we would have peace, comfort, counsel, and power.

Jesus has sent to you and I,

the same Holy Spirit that anointed Him

to preach good news with power.  Isaiah 61; Luke 4:18

We can read in the book of Acts

what the disciples did after they received the Holy Spirit;

and now it is our turn.

Scripture Reading

Selected verses from John 13-17 NIV

John 13:1

13:1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world,

he now showed them the full extent of his love.  

John 13:12-17

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

John 13:33-38

33 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

34 "A new command I give you: Love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 

36 Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"

Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." 

37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

38 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me?

I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

John 14:1-4

14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.

I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

4 You know the way to the place where I am going." 

John 14:5-7

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going,

so how can we know the way?" 

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.

From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

John 14:11-21

11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;

or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.

He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father,

and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.

But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.

Because I live, you also will live.

20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father,

and you are in me, and I am in you.

21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them,

he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father,

and I too will love him and show myself to him." 

John 14:25-27

 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 15:1

15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

John 15:5

5 "I am the vine; you are the branches

John 15:7-8

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish,

and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory,

 that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:12-16

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 16:5-14

5 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.

7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away.

Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;

10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father,

where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment,

because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.

He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears,

and he will tell you what is yet to come.

John 16:23-24

23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything.

I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.

Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

John 16:33

33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

John 17:15-16

15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world

but that you protect them from the evil one.