Study Focus: John 13:1–20; John 14:1–3; John 14:5, 6; John 1:14; John 5:38–40
This week’s lesson tells the amazing story of Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. There is no one like Jesus. He is unique. He knows the Father intimately. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In the Gospel of John, we hear Jesus talk at length about the Father, for His name was on His lips and in His heart continually. Jesus is the only One who has seen God face-to-face, something no other human can claim. Thus, Jesus affirms His divinity when He asserts His relation to the Father. “ ‘Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father’ ” (John 6:46, NKJV).
One of the disciples, Philip, often heard Jesus emphasize His relation to the Father. Finally, Philip said to Jesus, “ ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us’ ” (John 14:8, NKJV).
Some of the most profound words about the close relationship between Jesus and His Father are found in Jesus’ response to Philip, in John 14:9: “ ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father”?’ ” (NKJV). Thus, in these words, we see that Jesus was the most profound representation of God. What a privilege for us to know Jesus, for in knowing Him, we know the Father.
Besides the “I AM” references to Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life” (NKJV), we will be studying some additional references to help us appreciate our tremendous gift in Jesus. In following Him, the Way, we walk with Him and learn His Truth, which leads to life abundant and life eternal.
Part II: Commentary
Christ’s Example to Emulate (John 13:1–20)
Jesus did not merely impart wisdom and instruction; He also illustrated His truths with living lessons that served to ingrain His teachings on the heart. As an example, let us look at the ordinance of humility. In inaugurating this ordinance, Christ did not first wait for His disciples to volunteer to wash one another’s feet. Jesus did not lecture them on humility and service. Nor did He expect a servant to be called upon to perform this menial work. Instead, Jesus Himself came forward to be that Servant, to show His followers a living example of how they should relate to one another.
Jesus’ words made plain His intended meaning in the service of footwashing when He said, “ ‘If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you’ ” (John 13:14, 15, NKJV). Notwithstanding this clear command, most Christians choose not to observe it. The humility needed to perform this ordinance is not palatable to the human heart. But, in refusing to meet the conditions necessary to participate, we miss out on the lesson in humility that Christ intended to teach us.
In the biblical culture of Christ’s day, the head represented the most noble part of the body, and the feet the basest. Thus, in Christ’s lowering His noble head to wash the dirty feet of His followers, He graphically illustrated His willingness to do His utmost to help them at their worst. Judas resented that Christ, whom he hoped would become king over Israel, would lower Himself to such an extent. Yet Peter, on the other hand, was humbled to see his Master in the role of a meek and lowly servant. Therefore, Peter initially refused Christ’s offer, feeling totally undeserving. But when Jesus said to him, “ ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me’ ” (John 13:8, NKJV), Peter responded immediately and affirmatively. Peter did not want to jeopardize, in any way, his important relationship with Jesus. Thus, Peter quickly said to Him in John 13:9, “ ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!’ ” (NKJV).
I Will Certainly Come Again (John 14:1–3).
We live in a very troubled and unsettled world. Thus, Jesus’ reassuring words in John 14:1 are quite timely: “Let not your heart be troubled.” These encouraging words are based on trust in the truthfulness of Jesus and of His Father. Also, this verse is anchored in Jesus’ sure promise to go and prepare a place for us to fulfill His ardent desire to be with us always.
Some desire to be in heaven because of the special mansions or palaces prepared for them; others because of the streets paved in gold. But should these incentives be our real motivation for being there? In the Greek, the text does not say “mansions” but rooms, which can imply that what is really important is not the physical space that we will own or occupy but, rather, enjoying the companionship of Jesus. His love leads Him to desire to be with us, for His love always seeks togetherness.
Jesus certainly does not want us to be troubled in this troubled world. He encourages us to place our trust in both the Father and Him, who alone can provide us with hope, peace, and a secure future.
In John 14:3, the verb “come” in the Greek language is in the present continuous or futuristic present tense. Implicit in Jesus’ promise about His future glorious coming is that it is a present reality. His coming is so certain, it is as if it were happening now. The joyous anticipation of His sure coming impacts our present lives to the extent that His kingdom of glory becomes interwoven in His kingdom of grace, giving us a foretaste of heaven.
The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:5, 6)
We may observe an interesting progression in how Jesus describes Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Consider the sequence of these three words. Jesus is the Way. As we walk, we learn the truth from Him, which eventually leads us to life abundant in this world and in the eternal world to come. Notice that this sequence was Christ’s response to Thomas’s question about the way to pursue, in John 14:5. We may wonder why Thomas made this query, considering Jesus’ clear explanation in the previous verse: “ ‘And where I go you know, and the way you know’ ” (John 14:4, NKJV).
Christ is the only way to the Father. Some may object to this statement on the grounds that Jesus is being too exclusive, especially in society today in which inclusiveness is the social norm. But not all paths lead to God. Jesus is the only path to God because He is the only One who is righteous and can take away our sins. He is the only One who can replace our death with eternal life. Jesus is the only One who can give us righteousness and life, for He possesses both. No one else in this world possesses them or can bestow them.
As we saw earlier, Philip requested that Jesus reveal the Father to the disciples. Jesus’ response to Philip links knowing Him with knowing His Father, for if we know the Son, we certainly know God. Jesus says: “ ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father”?’ ” (John 14:9, NKJV).
How comforting and reassuring that, in Jesus, we can draw close to the Father without fear or trepidation. The Father will treat us with the same mercy and compassion that Jesus showed to the people around Him, including the outcasts and sinners. Therefore, we are without excuse to refuse to come boldly before the throne of God, to receive His mercy and forgiveness.
Also, again as stated in John 14:6, Jesus testified that He Himself is the Truth, embodied and personified. In a shifting world of corruption and deceit, Jesus remains the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth. There is no variance in Him or in what He says. After all, He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8, NKJV). Jesus would return to heaven shortly, and soon after, the Holy Spirit would descend on the disciples during Pentecost, as Jesus promised. The Spirit of God would come as “ ‘the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me’ ” (John 15:26, NKJV). Moreover, Jesus always told the truth, and His disciples would testify to this fact because they were with Him “from the beginning” (John 15:27).
Jesus is the Light of truth all around us. He dispels the darkness of falsehood and confusion and makes it possible for us to see everything in the right perspective. Now, as in the time of Pentecost, when the Spirit of truth descends, “ ‘He will guide you into all truth’ ” (John 16:13, NKJV).
In a permissive and pluralistic society, truth is a moving target, for it seems to keep shifting and evolving. What is truth today is not necessarily truth tomorrow. But Jesus, in one sentence, cuts through all of that and declares: “ ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ ” (John 14:6, NKJV).
The Scripture and the Truth (John 5:38–40)
The entire Bible testifies to the truth. Scripture is a consistent and cohesive whole, for both Testaments have the same Author—the Holy Spirit. This same truth applies to the testimony of Jesus in His day. The religious leaders claimed to believe strongly in Moses, but they disbelieved his testimony about Jesus. (See John 5:46.) The leaders claimed to believe in the Old Testament; however, they felt that a mere assent to it guaranteed them eternal life.
But the Jewish leaders’ narrow views about Scripture drove them away from the heart of it, including from Jesus Himself. The leaders seemed to ignore the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets and prophecies about the hope of Israel and of the world. (See John 5:39.) It is truly astounding that, in searching for salvation, they had rejected the Lord of their hope and life. They did not seem to understand that, apart from Jesus, there was only death, and that life was possible only through Him.
Part III: Life Application
Think about and answer the following questions:
How does the reality of Jesus, our Savior, who is the perfect reflection of the Father, impact your daily life? Imagine you were Philip and heard Jesus tell you that seeing Him is seeing the Father. What does it mean to “see” the Father and His Son?
What is the significance of Jesus bringing His head close to Judas’s feet as He washed them? How does Jesus’ act of humility and condescension apply to you personally?
What is your real motivation for being in heaven: the mansions and the streets of gold or something else? What is the significance of seeing Jesus there? Why must He be our first and foremost priority?
How does the certainty of Christ’s coming impact our present everyday life?
What do you think of the idea that everything we believe should be anchored in Scripture and yet, at the same time, must always lead us to Christ? What does it say about our spiritual walk if we regard gaining intellectual knowledge as our primary goal?
How should our emphasis on Christ and the Bible impact our worldview as we see all sorts of disruption and confusion surrounding us?
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Study Focus: John 13:1–20; John 14:1–3; John 14:5, 6; John 1:14; John 5:38–40
This week’s lesson tells the amazing story of Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. There is no one like Jesus. He is unique. He knows the Father intimately. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In the Gospel of John, we hear Jesus talk at length about the Father, for His name was on His lips and in His heart continually. Jesus is the only One who has seen God face-to-face, something no other human can claim. Thus, Jesus affirms His divinity when He asserts His relation to the Father. “ ‘Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father’ ” (John 6:46, NKJV).
One of the disciples, Philip, often heard Jesus emphasize His relation to the Father. Finally, Philip said to Jesus, “ ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us’ ” (John 14:8, NKJV).
Some of the most profound words about the close relationship between Jesus and His Father are found in Jesus’ response to Philip, in John 14:9: “ ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father”?’ ” (NKJV). Thus, in these words, we see that Jesus was the most profound representation of God. What a privilege for us to know Jesus, for in knowing Him, we know the Father.
Besides the “I AM” references to Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life” (NKJV), we will be studying some additional references to help us appreciate our tremendous gift in Jesus. In following Him, the Way, we walk with Him and learn His Truth, which leads to life abundant and life eternal.
Part II: Commentary
Christ’s Example to Emulate (John 13:1–20)
Jesus did not merely impart wisdom and instruction; He also illustrated His truths with living lessons that served to ingrain His teachings on the heart. As an example, let us look at the ordinance of humility. In inaugurating this ordinance, Christ did not first wait for His disciples to volunteer to wash one another’s feet. Jesus did not lecture them on humility and service. Nor did He expect a servant to be called upon to perform this menial work. Instead, Jesus Himself came forward to be that Servant, to show His followers a living example of how they should relate to one another.
Jesus’ words made plain His intended meaning in the service of footwashing when He said, “ ‘If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you’ ” (John 13:14, 15, NKJV). Notwithstanding this clear command, most Christians choose not to observe it. The humility needed to perform this ordinance is not palatable to the human heart. But, in refusing to meet the conditions necessary to participate, we miss out on the lesson in humility that Christ intended to teach us.
In the biblical culture of Christ’s day, the head represented the most noble part of the body, and the feet the basest. Thus, in Christ’s lowering His noble head to wash the dirty feet of His followers, He graphically illustrated His willingness to do His utmost to help them at their worst. Judas resented that Christ, whom he hoped would become king over Israel, would lower Himself to such an extent. Yet Peter, on the other hand, was humbled to see his Master in the role of a meek and lowly servant. Therefore, Peter initially refused Christ’s offer, feeling totally undeserving. But when Jesus said to him, “ ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me’ ” (John 13:8, NKJV), Peter responded immediately and affirmatively. Peter did not want to jeopardize, in any way, his important relationship with Jesus. Thus, Peter quickly said to Him in John 13:9, “ ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!’ ” (NKJV).
I Will Certainly Come Again (John 14:1–3).
We live in a very troubled and unsettled world. Thus, Jesus’ reassuring words in John 14:1 are quite timely: “Let not your heart be troubled.” These encouraging words are based on trust in the truthfulness of Jesus and of His Father. Also, this verse is anchored in Jesus’ sure promise to go and prepare a place for us to fulfill His ardent desire to be with us always.
Some desire to be in heaven because of the special mansions or palaces prepared for them; others because of the streets paved in gold. But should these incentives be our real motivation for being there? In the Greek, the text does not say “mansions” but rooms, which can imply that what is really important is not the physical space that we will own or occupy but, rather, enjoying the companionship of Jesus. His love leads Him to desire to be with us, for His love always seeks togetherness.
Jesus certainly does not want us to be troubled in this troubled world. He encourages us to place our trust in both the Father and Him, who alone can provide us with hope, peace, and a secure future.
In John 14:3, the verb “come” in the Greek language is in the present continuous or futuristic present tense. Implicit in Jesus’ promise about His future glorious coming is that it is a present reality. His coming is so certain, it is as if it were happening now. The joyous anticipation of His sure coming impacts our present lives to the extent that His kingdom of glory becomes interwoven in His kingdom of grace, giving us a foretaste of heaven.
The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:5, 6)
We may observe an interesting progression in how Jesus describes Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Consider the sequence of these three words. Jesus is the Way. As we walk, we learn the truth from Him, which eventually leads us to life abundant in this world and in the eternal world to come. Notice that this sequence was Christ’s response to Thomas’s question about the way to pursue, in John 14:5. We may wonder why Thomas made this query, considering Jesus’ clear explanation in the previous verse: “ ‘And where I go you know, and the way you know’ ” (John 14:4, NKJV).
Christ is the only way to the Father. Some may object to this statement on the grounds that Jesus is being too exclusive, especially in society today in which inclusiveness is the social norm. But not all paths lead to God. Jesus is the only path to God because He is the only One who is righteous and can take away our sins. He is the only One who can replace our death with eternal life. Jesus is the only One who can give us righteousness and life, for He possesses both. No one else in this world possesses them or can bestow them.
As we saw earlier, Philip requested that Jesus reveal the Father to the disciples. Jesus’ response to Philip links knowing Him with knowing His Father, for if we know the Son, we certainly know God. Jesus says: “ ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father”?’ ” (John 14:9, NKJV).
How comforting and reassuring that, in Jesus, we can draw close to the Father without fear or trepidation. The Father will treat us with the same mercy and compassion that Jesus showed to the people around Him, including the outcasts and sinners. Therefore, we are without excuse to refuse to come boldly before the throne of God, to receive His mercy and forgiveness.
Also, again as stated in John 14:6, Jesus testified that He Himself is the Truth, embodied and personified. In a shifting world of corruption and deceit, Jesus remains the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth. There is no variance in Him or in what He says. After all, He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8, NKJV). Jesus would return to heaven shortly, and soon after, the Holy Spirit would descend on the disciples during Pentecost, as Jesus promised. The Spirit of God would come as “ ‘the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me’ ” (John 15:26, NKJV). Moreover, Jesus always told the truth, and His disciples would testify to this fact because they were with Him “from the beginning” (John 15:27).
Jesus is the Light of truth all around us. He dispels the darkness of falsehood and confusion and makes it possible for us to see everything in the right perspective. Now, as in the time of Pentecost, when the Spirit of truth descends, “ ‘He will guide you into all truth’ ” (John 16:13, NKJV).
In a permissive and pluralistic society, truth is a moving target, for it seems to keep shifting and evolving. What is truth today is not necessarily truth tomorrow. But Jesus, in one sentence, cuts through all of that and declares: “ ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ ” (John 14:6, NKJV).
The Scripture and the Truth (John 5:38–40)
The entire Bible testifies to the truth. Scripture is a consistent and cohesive whole, for both Testaments have the same Author—the Holy Spirit. This same truth applies to the testimony of Jesus in His day. The religious leaders claimed to believe strongly in Moses, but they disbelieved his testimony about Jesus. (See John 5:46.) The leaders claimed to believe in the Old Testament; however, they felt that a mere assent to it guaranteed them eternal life.
But the Jewish leaders’ narrow views about Scripture drove them away from the heart of it, including from Jesus Himself. The leaders seemed to ignore the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets and prophecies about the hope of Israel and of the world. (See John 5:39.) It is truly astounding that, in searching for salvation, they had rejected the Lord of their hope and life. They did not seem to understand that, apart from Jesus, there was only death, and that life was possible only through Him.
Part III: Life Application
Think about and answer the following questions:
How does the reality of Jesus, our Savior, who is the perfect reflection of the Father, impact your daily life? Imagine you were Philip and heard Jesus tell you that seeing Him is seeing the Father. What does it mean to “see” the Father and His Son?
What is the significance of Jesus bringing His head close to Judas’s feet as He washed them? How does Jesus’ act of humility and condescension apply to you personally?
What is your real motivation for being in heaven: the mansions and the streets of gold or something else? What is the significance of seeing Jesus there? Why must He be our first and foremost priority?
How does the certainty of Christ’s coming impact our present everyday life?
What do you think of the idea that everything we believe should be anchored in Scripture and yet, at the same time, must always lead us to Christ? What does it say about our spiritual walk if we regard gaining intellectual knowledge as our primary goal?
How should our emphasis on Christ and the Bible impact our worldview as we see all sorts of disruption and confusion surrounding us?