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What I See by Michael Hall
In these three chapters Jesus seems to be explaining to the disciples that their lives are about to get rough and that he is going to leave them at the same time, but to not worry because (1) another will come in his place while he is away, and (2), there is more to life than this world. Although frustrating, Jesus starts off in terms they can understand, physical terms. He says that he's going to his father's house to get ready for them. The disciples are thinking of a physical house and ask where it is and how to get there. Jesus says that they can't come right now, but will eventually come and that they know how to get there, because he is the way to get there. Still thinking from a world standpoint, the disciples say, why can't you just show us your father. Jesus says that if you have seen him you have seen the father. At this point I would be completely frustrated and confused if I were a disciple. Yet, this is how Jesus begins to show the disciples that where he is going is not in this world. Rather, where he is going is back to his relationship with the Father. He also begins to explain that he, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are all part of eachother, and that he is going to leave this world to be reunited in this relationship.
Confused, the disciples continue to ask how to get where he is going. He seemingly dodges their question by saying that if they love him they will obey his command to love him and eachother. Jesus says that those that obey these commands will eventually go back to his father with him, but those that do not obey will not be in this relationship. Here Jesus makes the link that those that love him and obey his commands will be included in this circle with him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. He continues to explain this relationship by saying that they are no longer his servants, but rather his friends, and friends lay down their lives for eachother. He says this to show them that their are consequences for being in this relationship. He then plainly says that because of this relationship, the world will hate them.
Then in chapter 16 he says that he is telling them all of this because as a result of this new relationship, they may have to lay down their lives in this world. I think this is when the disciples start to realize that he is talking about two different things. He is leaving this physical world and going to a new world to be with his Father, and that one day they will also leave, meaning their physical life will end, and it probably won't be an easy end. At this point, I'm sure the disciples are thinking, Jesus just told us that if we love him, we are going to die. They must be feeling terrible at this moment. This man who is everything to them is telling them that he is leaving right when the world is going to basically make their lives terrible and eventually kill them. Jesus then comforts them by saying that they will not have to do this alone because although he is leaving, they are now in this relationship with the Holy Spirit who will help them through this while he is away. He further says that although this time is going to be difficult, like him, they will one day leave this world to be in a perfect relationship with the Father.
What I Do - Disciples Need Comfort by Lauren Knight
When I read these chapters, I have a hard time knowing how Jesus felt as he spoke them. Was he happy to proclaim all of these amazing truths about his being & purpose on earth- or is he sad that he is so clearly having to spell out his time on earth for his disciples that knew him best?
These two chapters have some of the most quoted passages of scripture in them. The analogy of the vine and it's branches, The Greatest Command, Jesus as the way, truth, and light, and the C of C standard baptismal verbage regarding to the Holy Spirit living in us. Verses we have sang a thousand time, signed on the backs of t-shirts, used as thematic scriptures for VBS weeks, summer camp sessions, & adult bible study mini-series.
Yet after all of these "churched" years, I find myself understanding from an academic standpoint what these things mean- but I can't quite work it out in my heart. I know it, but I can't always feel it. These are engrained in our minds & memory- but I find a eery parallel in my disconnect from knowledge to application & the disciples disconnect from Jesus's presence & his role as redeemer.
Why can't I absorb what Jesus is telling them. Instead I feel like my conversation would result similarly to when Jesus ask Philip, "Don't you know me... even after I have been among you such a long time?"
And that's when the Holy Spirit comes in. When the work & life is Christ is so much greater than my pathetic self can connect with- the Holy Spirit bridges the gap. As Jesus promised to his disciples in this passage: I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth."
And it's the addition of the Holy Spirit in my life that brings such lofty concepts of loving others more than I love myself from out of my memory into something I can inwardly sense & outwardly do. |
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What I See by Landon Horton
John 13 is the story of the last supper. It begins with Jesus washing the disciples’ feet while they are dining together. Jesus then predicts Judas’s betrayal, predicts Peter’s denial, and gives them some final instructions about loving each other.
What makes these events so remarkable, though, is that Jesus knew he was about to die. Verse 1 says that Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave the world. Verse 3 says Jesus knew he was returning to God. Jesus was fully aware that this was the last night before his death, and he chose to spend it with those closest to him. Jesus says many things to his disciples during this time, as recounted in chapters 13 - 15. But my guess is that it is not his words that are remembered by the disciples. It is his actions.
Somehow, Jesus is able to put out of his mind thoughts of his upcoming death. And, despite the fears and anxiousness that obviously must exist, he picks up a towel and a water basin and begins to wash their feet. He follows this by telling them that they should wash one another’s feet. Later, in verse 34, he says, “A new command I give to you: Love one another.”
Jesus had many things to tell his disciples that night, but it seems as if the simplest of all the messages – love one another – was the one that was important enough to be accompanied by an example. It’s as if Jesus was saying, “Here are lots of important things, but if you forget everything else, I want you to remember to serve and to love others.”
Ironically, the foot-washing may not be the best example on this night of the love Jesus had for his disciples. He predicts betrayal and denial, but never stops loving Peter or Judas.
What I see in the John 13 is a man who has one last chance to emphasize the importance of loving each other.
What I Do by Susan Rice
At first reading, this passage seemed "easy" and quite obvious in regards to what I should do in response to this story - serve. We see Jesus washing his disciples feet - a wonderful story we've heard many times about our Lord serving his disciples. It is humbling to think about Jesus performing this act. We know in first century Palestine that foot washing was a necessity as people walked in sandals through dirty, dusty streets. To wash another's feet was considered one of the most demeaning tasks one could perform and was usually reserved for household slaves. Jesus teaches in vs. 12-17 that we are to follow his example of service, and that we shall be blessed. Many times I think I've read the passage and understood this act of humbling himself to wash their feet as the method by which he "showed them the full extent of his love". Certainly this was part of it, but there seems to be something more and the scripture that kept coming back to me as I read this passage was when Jesus later in the meal said to Judas, "What you are about to do, do quickly" (vs 27). It reminds me on the cross of when Jesus, knowing what was to come, said, "My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me?". We often talk about how Jesus was man, but these statements show me his pain so clearly. I think it hurt him deeply that this disciple was going to betray him. I don't think just because he was Lord and knew what was going to happen that it was easy for him. In this passage he is also described as "troubled". He knew that Judas was to betray him, and even more that Peter would deny him. But yet he served and he loved. In verse 34 Jesus commands us to "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another". I think this is really the story about "what I should do" in response to this passage. It's serving and loving when it's not easy. Humbling myself for people who aren't loyal to me, and don't have my interests at heart. It's not hard to serve when others are watching or when you get lots of praise and kudos. It's not hard to serve or love people who are very grateful, and clean, and polite, and pretty, and appropriate. But it's something altogether different to serve and love someone who's betrayal will lead to your death...even if that death has been prophesied. This is the example of the kind of love that Jesus showed us and which he commanded us to demonstrate to others so that they would come to know Him. |
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What I See by Jeff Hubbard
John 10 begins with a metaphor that is found over 500 times in Scripture: the shepherd and his sheep. Jesus is reminding his followers that if they want to embrace Jesus’ model of leadership, they must embrace the concept of the shepherd. In the Old Testament, God is pictured as a shepherd looking after his flock and here we see Jesus making the same analogy of himself, reiterating what Ezekiel prophesied many years earlier. Just think... Jesus left the comforts of heaven and came into the universe, our pasture, to smell like sheep!
Jesus explains to those listening exactly who a shepherd was and what his responsibilities were supposed to be. In verse 4, he points out that the sheep know their shepherd’s voice. That is because a shepherd lived with the lambs for their entire lives - protecting them, caressing them, feeding them, and leading them to water. Each sheep came to rely on the shepherd and to know his voice and his alone. They followed him and no one else.
In verses 7-9 Jesus makes an interesting comparison between himself and a gate for the sheep. His listeners would have understood this because when the day’s grazing was done and night was approaching the shepherd would gather the sheep together and lead them into a protective fold/circle of brush or rocks. Each fold/circle was incomplete, broken at one place to form an opening for an entrance/exit for the sheep. In front of this opening the shepherd would take his place as he gathered his flock into the fold for night, inspecting each one as they came into their area of rest. Each sheep would feel the shepherd’s hands and hear his voice speaking its name as they walked past him. At the end of the inspection the shepherd would lie down, stretching his body across the opening, physically becoming the “gate.” His body kept the sheep in and the dangers of the night out. It was not uncommon in the morning to find scattered sheep, without a shepherd. Upon investigation, a bleeding, battle worn shepherd will often be found somewhere nearby - sometimes even a dead one. The shepherd would literally lay “down his life for the sheep.” This only confirms Jesus’ claim that “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
I “see” in this passage Jesus comparing himself to the “hired hand,” someone who does not care about the sheep. Jesus wants his followers to know that he chooses to never forsake or abandon them even when times get tough; just like a shepherd chooses to never abandon his sheep. That promise still stands today. We must believe in these promises and live by faith unlike the Jews later in chapter 10 who just can’t take that step of faith to follow Christ!
What I Do by Tobin White
John 10 - What I Do
3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
I was a counselor one year at Iron Springs Christian Camp. One of the activities we did with the teens was to set up an obstacle course. The students were put in partners. Half of the teens were blindfolded and had to try to make their way through the obstacle course; the other half were instructed to guide their partners through the obstacle course, but they had to stand on the sidelines and lead them with their voices. The trick to this was that everyone went through at the same time, making it difficult for the teens to distinguish their partner's voice from all of the noise. Of course, the application at the end of the activity was that it can be difficult to hear God's voice leading us with all of the other noise in our lives. I was reminded of this exercise when I reread this passage. The verses above jumped out at me, and I hoped that I have my ears tuned to hear the Good Shepherd's voice rather than the voices of strangers. As much as I love the conveniences of technology, I am often bothered by all of the potential for noise pollution in our lives. We can surround ourselves with noise everywhere we go until there is no longer quiet space in our lives for the Spirit to speak. Last year, I gave up weeknight TV for Lent. Though it was difficult at first since I craved time to veg out on the couch in the evenings, I began to enjoy the stillness created when the television was off. I decided to extend my times of silence to my morning commute as well. I drive an hour to work each way, and though I typically use my morning commute as worship time through singing, I challenged myself to sit in prayerful silence in an attempt to prepare my heart to listen rather than speak. During that time, I wrote the song below that I began to sing at the beginning of my drive to prepare myself for the time of silence.
I'm trying to make some quiet space where you can speak to me I'm longing for a word from you today My life so loud and rushed that I brush past you all the time Missing chances you have set right in my way
And I know that you are trying, but I often fail to hear Your still, small voice that speaks to me and whispers in my ear So I'm trying to make some quiet space where you can speak to me Soften my heart to you, Lord, give me ears to hear and eyes to see
Those times of silence became very meaningful for me, and I believe that I was better equipped to hear the Good Shepherds voice during those weeks of practicing silence. Unfortunately, my life has gotten noisy once again. The television is often on in the evenings, I fill my commute with music both going and coming, and there is very little silence in my life. While I believe that music is a gift from God, I realize that I miss the counterpart gift of silence. Is my life too loud to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd? Are my ears so un-tuned to His leading that I confuse his voice with the voice of a stranger? I hope not. But this passage inspires me to cultivate some stillness in my life once again.
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What I See by Michael Womble
Jesus traveled in Galilee and avoided Judea and the Jews that were trying to kill him there. I was surprised to see Jesus’ brothers testing him and telling him that he needed to go to Judea. I was also surprised by their comment “no one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret”. Jesus was lying low and acting in secrecy through the first few verses of the chapter. Jesus reputation preceded him in Judea. The crowds were whispering and gossiping about him before his arrival at the Feast. Once Jesus arrives at the Feast he began to teach. The crowds were amazed by his knowledge. Jesus preached that it is a choice to do God’s will. If you do God’s will, you will see the truth in Jesus’ teachings. Moses gave the Jews the law and no one kept it. The majority of the crowd was still trying to make their decision on Jesus. They were not sure what to believe. Jesus referenced the miracles that he had performed. He referenced that the Pharisees were okay with breaking the Sabbath for some things. However, they condemned Jesus for healing people on the Sabbath and would make no exceptions for him. The crowd questioned who this Jesus was and what his outcome would be. Jesus tells the crowd that God sent him and that they do not know God and his truth. The crowd tried to seize Jesus but they could not do it. Some began to put their faith in Jesus and others still stated that when Christ came he would perform more miracles. The Pharisees attempted to arrest Jesus. Jesus tells them that he is only there for a short period of time and that he will go to the one that sent him. Jesus tells them that they will look for him but cannot find him and that where he is they cannot come. Jesus tells the crowd that those that believe in him will receive eternal life and the Holy Spirit. The text says that until that time, The Spirit had not yet been given. The crowd was divided on the verdict on who Jesus really was. Some wanted to seize him but no one laid a hand on him. The guards would not arrest him. They declared that no one had ever spoken the way that Jesus did. The Pharisees said that because they nor the rulers believed, that it could not be true about Jesus. Nicodemus questioned those condemning Jesus before hearing him to find out what he was doing.
What I Do by Krister White
I am going to keep my reflections brief for this chapter especially as they relate to what this text says to me about ethical applications. I'm drawn specifically to the certainty with which the Pharisees accused Jesus of being a false prophet. "Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?" Their strict adherence to the holy scriptures blinded them to the reality of God's living and breathing Word in their midst. I wonder sometimes if we are not like the chief priests and Pharisees (as the author of John describes them). We know that some things are true because "the Bible says..." However, with Jesus, we see God doing a new thing. This newness affirms God's freedom not to be bound by a holy text and challenges believers to hold loosely to what we know with absolute certainty. Unfortunately for the persons called the Pharisees in John's gospel, their inability to believe in a God who was bigger than their text got in the way of their being able to receive the One for whom they had waited so long.
I wonder if there are people in our lives or in our communities that we write off because they don't meet a standard or definition found in our holy texts? May we heed the words of Nicodemus (aka Nico or Nicky according to Anthony) who asks whether we might not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing. |
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Resources 
Thoughts and dialog on the book of John from the You Too class. 
