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In the
New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
, chapters 14–17 of the
Gospel of John The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
are known as the Farewell Discourse given by
Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
to eleven of his disciples immediately after the conclusion of the
Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, the night before his crucifixion.''John'' by Gail R. O'Day, Susan Hylen 2006 , Chapter 15: The Farewell Discourse, pp. 142–168 The discourse is generally seen as having distinct components. First, Jesus tells the disciples that he will be going away to the
Father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
, and that he will send the
Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
to guide the disciples. Jesus bestows peace on the disciples and commands them to love one another. The expression of the unity of love between Jesus and his Father, in the Spirit, as it applies to his disciples in the
love of Christ The love of Christ is a central element of Christian belief and theology.''Christian theology: the spiritual tradition'' (2002) by John Glyndwr Harris. . Page 193. It refers to the love of Jesus Christ for humanity, the love of Christians for Chris ...
, is a key theme in the discourse, manifested by several reiterations of
the New Commandment The New Commandment is a term used in Christianity to describe Jesus's commandment to "love one another" which, according to the Bible, was given as part of the final instructions to his disciples after the Last Supper had ended, and after Judas ...
: "love one another as I have loved you".''Imitating Jesus'' by Richard A. Burridge 2007 p. 301 The next part of the discourse contains the
allegory As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...
of the
True Vine The True Vine ( ''hē ampelos hē alēthinē'') is an allegory or parable given by Jesus in the New Testament. Found in John , it describes Jesus' disciples as branches of himself, who is described as the "true vine", and God the Father the "hus ...
which positions Jesus as the vine (the source of life for the world) and the disciples as the branches, building on the pattern of discipleship in the gospels. The Vine again emphasizes the love among the disciples, but Jesus then warns the disciples of upcoming persecutions: "If the world hates you, remember that they hated me before you". "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 16:33 In the final part of the discourse ( John 17:1-26) Jesus prays for his followers and the coming
Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...
. This is the longest prayer of Jesus in any of the gospels, and is known as the ''Farewell Prayer'' or the ''
High Priestly Prayer In the New Testament, chapters 14–17 of the Gospel of John are known as the Farewell Discourse given by Jesus to eleven of his disciples immediately after the conclusion of the Last Supper in Jerusalem, the night before his crucifixion.''Joh ...
''. The key themes of the prayer are the glorification of the Father and petitions for the unity of the disciples through love. Jesus prays to the Father that his followers "may all be one as we are one" and that "the love with which you love me may be in them, and I in them".


Structure and overview

Although chapters 13 to 17 of
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...
may be viewed as a larger, monolithic unit, most of chapter 13 may be viewed as a preparation for the farewell, and the farewell prayer in chapter 17 as its conclusion.''John'' by Andreas J. Köstenberger 2004 p. 419 The discourse is preceded by 13:31–38 (just after Judas leaves the last supper), in which Jesus gives the remaining eleven disciples the
New Commandment The New Commandment is a term used in Christianity to describe Jesus's commandment to "love one another" which, according to the Bible, was given as part of the final instructions to his disciples after the Last Supper had ended, and after Judas ...
to "love one another" and predicts
Peter's denial The Denial of Peter (or Peter's Denial) refers to three acts of denial of Jesus by the Apostle Peter as described in all four Gospels of the New Testament. All four Canonical Gospels state that during Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples, he p ...
of knowing him during his upcoming crucifixion. The discourse starts after the literal cleansing (washing of feet) and the figurative cleansing of the community of disciples via the departure of Judas.''John'' by Andreas J. Kostenberger 2004 pp. 424–441 The discourse may be separated into four components:Johannes Beutler, 2001 "Synoptic Jesus Tradition in the Johannine Farewell Discourse" in ''Jesus in Johannine tradition'' by Robert Tomson Fortna, Tom Thatcher, Louisville 2001 pp. 165–174 * First discourse: 14:1–31, The theme of this part is departure and return; peace and joy, and is similar to the third discourse. Jesus states that he will be going to the Father, but will send the "Comforter" for the disciples * Second discourse: 15:1–17. This part is also called
the Vine The True Vine ( ''hē ampelos hē alēthinē'') is an allegory or parable given by Jesus in the New Testament. Found in John , it describes Jesus' disciples as branches of himself, who is described as the "true vine", and God the Father the " ...
and deals with Jesus' love and how Jesus is the source of life for the community. At the end of this, it leads to the discussion of the world's hatred in the next section. * Third discourse: 15:18–16:33. This section again deals with Jesus' departure and the Comforter which will come to the disciples; and contrasts Jesus' love with the world's hatred. * The "Farewell Prayer": 17:1–26. Here Jesus submits five specific petitions to the Father as he prays for his disciples and the community of followers. However, this four part structure is not subject to universal agreement among scholars, and at times, the third part is assumed to start at beginning of chapter 16 of John. Some scholars use a three part structure in which chapters 15 and 16 form one unit. The statement "these things I have spoken to you" occurs several times throughout the discourse, and emphasizes that the words of farewell spoken by Jesus are not to be forgotten.''The Gospel according to John'' by Herman Ridderbos 1997 pp. 510–512 The statement "while I am still with you" then also underscores the importance of the final instructions given. This discourse is rich with
Christological In Christianity, Christology (from the Greek grc, Χριστός, Khristós, label=none and grc, -λογία, -logia, label=none), translated literally from Greek as "the study of Christ", is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Di ...
content, e.g. it reiterates the
Pre-existence of Christ The pre-existence of Christ asserts the existence of Christ before his incarnation as Jesus. One of the relevant Bible passages is where, in the Trinitarian interpretation, Christ is identified with a pre-existent divine hypostasis (substantiv ...
in John 17:5 when Jesus refers to the glory which he had with the Father "before the world was".''Creation and Christology'' by Masanobu Endo 2002 p. 233


The four elements of the discourse


Part 1: My peace I give unto you

The three components here are:''The Gospel of John: Question by Question'' by Judith Schubert 2009 pp. 112–127 * Jesus says that he will go to the Father and reasserts his divine relationship with him ( 14:1–14) * Commandment of love, and the arrival of the Holy Spirit ( 14:15–24) * Jesus bestows peace and reassures the disciples not be fearful ( 14:25–31) At the start of this part Jesus tells the disciples that he will go to the Father, causing them to be nervous about his departure. Yet he assures them that he will "go to prepare a place" for them in his Father's house and that they know that the way there is through him. The statement in John 14:6: :"I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me." which identifies Jesus as the only path to the Father then formed part of the teachings in the early Christian community, with
Apostle Peter An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
stating in Acts 4:12: :"And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved." to identify Jesus as the only path to salvation. Jesus then asserts his unity with the Father in John 14:7-9:''Who do you say that I am?: essays on Christology'' by Jack Dean Dean Kingsbury, Mark Allan Powell, David R. Bauer 1999 pp. 246–251 :"If you know me, then you will also know my Father" and "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father". The statement in John 14:11 "I am in the Father, and the Father in me" further asserts the special relationship of Jesus and the father. The statement in John 14:26: "the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name" is within the framework of the "sending relationships" in John's gospel. In John 9:4 (and also 14:24) Jesus refers to the father as "him that sent me", and in John 20:21 states "as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you" where he sends the disciples. In John 15:26 Jesus also sends the Spirit: "whom I will send unto you from the Father,
ven Ven may refer to: Places * Ven, Heeze-Leende, a hamlet in the Netherlands * Ven (Sweden), an island * Ven, Tajikistan, a town * VEN or Venezuela Other uses * von Economo neurons, also called ''spindle neurons'' * '' Vên'', an EP by Eluveiti ...
the Spirit of truth... shall bear witness of me"''John'' by Andreas J. Köstenberger 2004 p. 442 In John's gospel, the Father is never sent, he is "the sender" of both Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is never the sender, but is sent by the Father and Jesus (however, see
Filioque ( ; ) is a Latin term ("and from the Son") added to the original Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (commonly known as the Nicene Creed), and which has been the subject of great controversy between Eastern and Western Christianity. It is a term ...
controversy) . The bestowing of peace by Jesus in 14:27 specifically contrasts it with political "worldly peace" by stating: :"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." Koestenberger states that this was likely to contrast the "Heavenly peace" of Jesus with attempts at worldly peace at the time such as the
Pax Romana The Pax Romana (Latin for 'Roman peace') is a roughly 200-year-long timespan of Roman history which is identified as a period and as a golden age of increased as well as sustained Roman imperialism, relative peace and order, prosperous stabilit ...
instituted by
Emperor Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
. The use of the word peace (''eirene'' in Greek) is rare in John's Gospel and apart from one other case in the Farewell Discourse ( 16:33) it is only used by the resurrected Jesus in John 20:19–26.


Part 2: I am the vine, you the branches

This part is a meditation on Jesus as the source of life for the community and builds on the pattern of discipleship in the gospels.''Patterns of Discipleship in the New Testament'' by Richard N. Longenecker 1996 pp. 85–87 In the beginning Jesus states: "I am the true vine", leading to the use of the term
The Vine The True Vine ( ''hē ampelos hē alēthinē'') is an allegory or parable given by Jesus in the New Testament. Found in John , it describes Jesus' disciples as branches of himself, who is described as the "true vine", and God the Father the " ...
to refer to this teaching.''Reading John: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Fourth Gospel'' by Charles H. Talbert 1999 pp. 219–229 The disciples (and hence the community) are then referred to as the branches that depend on the vine: :"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing." – John 15:5 The passages in John 15:9–10 then draw parallels between the relationship between Jesus and the disciples with that of The Father and Jesus: :"as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you" :"keep my commandments ... as I have kept my Father's commandments". Later in the discourse, this pattern is repeated in John 17:18 in which Jesus "sends the disciples to the world", just as the Father had sent him to the world. This pattern of discipleship reemphasizes the
Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd ( el, ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 ...
teachings in John 10:1–21 in which one "lays down his life" in obedience.''The Word of Life: A Theology of John's Gospel'' by Craig R. Koester 2008 p. 196 The theme of the instruction then emphasizes that abiding in Jesus results in fruitfulness, and is way in withering away. And Jesus now refers to his disciples as friends: :"Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you." – John 15:14 This component of the discourse again ends in 15:17 by reiterating the importance of love: "These things I command you, that ye may love one another."


Part 3: If the world hates you

In John 15:18–16:33 Jesus prepares his disciples for conflict and hatred by the world, reminding them he had also faced adversity: :"If the world hated you, you know that it had hated me before t hatedyou." ... "They hated me without a cause." Warning the disciples of coming persecutions he says: :"If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" This again draws parallels between Jesus and his disciples, as had been drawn earlier in the discourse. In the
First Epistle of John The First Epistle of John is the first of the Johannine epistles of the New Testament, and the fourth of the catholic epistles. There is no scholarly consensus as to the authorship of the Johannine works. The author of the First Epistle is te ...
( 3:13) the brethren are reminded of this again: "Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you". Drawing parallels again, Jesus states in John 15:23: :"He that hateth me hateth my Father also" But Jesus comforts the disciples by assuring them that he will send the "Spirit of Truth" to bear his witness: :"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father,
ven Ven may refer to: Places * Ven, Heeze-Leende, a hamlet in the Netherlands * Ven (Sweden), an island * Ven, Tajikistan, a town * VEN or Venezuela Other uses * von Economo neurons, also called ''spindle neurons'' * '' Vên'', an EP by Eluveiti ...
the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me" And Jesus adds that unless he departs the Holy Spirit will not arrive, and indicates that the continuation of his work in the world will be carried out by the Holy Spirit.''John'' by Andreas J. Kostenberger 2004 p. 470 Jesus also assures the disciples of the love of the Father for them, again drawing parallels: :"Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father." :"In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." After these statements, Jesus begins a series of prayers for the disciples.


Part 4: Farewell prayer

John 17:1–26 is generally known as the ''Farewell Prayer'' or the ''High Priestly Prayer'', given that it is an intercession for the coming Church.''The Gospel according to John'' by Herman Ridderbos 1997 ''The Farewell Prayer'': pp. 546–564 It is by far the longest prayer of Jesus in any of the gospels.''John'' by Andreas J. Köstenberger 2004 p. 482 While the earlier parts of the discourse are addressed to the disciples, this final part addresses the Father, as Jesus turns his eyes to heaven and prays. The prayer takes place at a unique time in the
ministry of Jesus The ministry of Jesus, in the canonical gospels, begins with his baptism in the countryside of Roman Judea and Transjordan, near the River Jordan by John the Baptist, and ends in Jerusalem, following the Last Supper with his disciples.''Chri ...
, at the end of his final instructions to his followers, and at the start of his Passion. Once the prayer has ended, the events of Jesus' Passion and the end of his earthly life unfold rather quickly. In the prayer, for one last time Jesus gives an account of his earthly ministry to the Father and by praying to him reiterates his total dependence on the Father. The prayer begins with Jesus' petition for his glorification by the Father, given that completion of his work and continues to an intercession for the success of the works of his disciples and the community of his followers. A key theme of the prayer is the glorification of the Father. In the first part Jesus talks with the Father about their relationship, thus indirectly reiterating that to the disciples. Then reflecting the nature of their relationship, Jesus asks the Father to glorify him as he has glorified the Father, as he had in his earthly ministry – referring to the theme of eternal life, stating in John 17:3: : "And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God" The Farewell Prayer consists of the following five petitions: :* 17:1–5: Petition for glorification based on the completion of his work :* 17:6–10: Petitions for his disciples :* 17:11–19: Petition for the preservation and sanctification of "his own" in the world :* 17:20–23: Petition for unity of "his own" :* 17:24–26: Petition for the union of "his own" with himself The last two petitions are for unity, as characterized by: :"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one." – John 17:22 :"I made known unto them thy name, and will make it known; that the love with which thou loves me may be in them, and I in them." – John 17:26 with the final petition being for the eternal unity of Jesus with his followers. The references to "thy name" in John 17:6 and John 17:26 emphasize the importance of the name of God in Christianity, which in Christian teachings (e.g. by Cyril of Alexandria) has been seen as a representation of the entire system of "divine truth" revealed to the faithful "that believe on his name" as in John 1:12.


Historicity

The
Jesus Seminar The Jesus Seminar was a group of about 50 critical biblical scholars and 100 laymen founded in 1985 by Robert Funk that originated under the auspices of the Westar Institute.''Making Sense of the New Testament'' by Craig Blomberg (Mar 1, 200 ...
has argued that verses John 14:30–31 represent a conclusion, and that the next three chapters have been inserted into the text later. This argument considers the farewell discourse not to be authentic, and postulates that it was constructed after the death of Jesus. Funk, Robert W., Roy W. Hoover, and the
Jesus Seminar The Jesus Seminar was a group of about 50 critical biblical scholars and 100 laymen founded in 1985 by Robert Funk that originated under the auspices of the Westar Institute.''Making Sense of the New Testament'' by Craig Blomberg (Mar 1, 200 ...
. ''The five gospels.'' HarperSanFrancisco. 1993. "Introduction," pp. 1–30.
Similarly, Stephen Harris has questioned the authenticity of the discourse because it appears only in the Gospel of John, and not in the
Synoptic gospels The gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Mark, and Gospel of Luke, Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical ...
. Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "John" pp. 302–310 However, scholars such as Herman Ridderbos see John 14:30–31 as a "provisional ending" just to that part of the discourse and not an ending to the entire discourse. Fernando Segovia has argued that the discourse originally consisted of just chapter 14, and the other chapters were added later, but Gary M. Burge opposes that argument given the overall theological and literary unity of the work and that the discourse has much in common with the gospel as a whole, e.g. the themes of Jesus' death and resurrection and his care for his own.''Interpreting the Gospel of John'' by Gary M. Burge 1998 pp. 67–71 In 2004, Scott Kellum published a detailed analysis of the literary unity of the entire farewell discourse and stated that it shows that it was written by a single author, and that its structure and placement within the Gospel of John is consistent with the rest of that gospel.''The Unity of the Farewell Discourse'' by L. Scott Kellum 2004 pp. 1–6''John, Jesus, and History, Volume 2'' by Paul N. Anderson, Felix Just, Tom Thatcher 2007 p. 273


See also

*
Bread of Life Discourse The Bread of Life Discourse is a portion of the teaching of Jesus which appears in chapter 6 of John's Gospel ( verses 22–59) and was delivered in the synagogue at Capernaum. The title "Bread of Life" ( grc, ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς, ''ar ...
*
Five Discourses of Matthew In Christianity, the term Five Discourses of Matthew refers to five specific discourses by Jesus within the Gospel of Matthew.''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament'' by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kell ...
*
Gospel of John The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
: chapter 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 *
Life of Jesus in the New Testament The life of Jesus in the New Testament is primarily outlined in the four canonical gospels, which includes his genealogy and Nativity of Jesus, nativity, Ministry of Jesus, public ministry, Passion of Jesus, passion, prophecy, Resurrection of ...
*
Ministry of Jesus The ministry of Jesus, in the canonical gospels, begins with his baptism in the countryside of Roman Judea and Transjordan, near the River Jordan by John the Baptist, and ends in Jerusalem, following the Last Supper with his disciples.''Chri ...
* Water of Life Discourse * Paraclete


References

{{Jesus footer, state=expanded Gospel of John Doctrines and teachings of Jesus Last Supper Farewell addresses