The Gospel According To JohnSýnishorn

Last Supper and Comfort: John 13:1-14:31

Jesus’ ministry to his disciples at the Last Supper is described in four distinct parts. In the first part, Jesus served them by washing their feet in John 13:1-30.

Jesus symbolized his whole earthly ministry as he humbly washed his disciples’ feet. This event dramatically portrayed both his incarnation and his saving sacrifice on the cross. The creator of the universe bowed before his own people and served them by washing their weary, dirty feet. It was a service that would reach its climax the next day on the cross when he would wash their weary, dirty souls with his cleansing blood. After washing their feet, Jesus announced that one of the disciples would betray him. Then, after Satan entered Judas, Judas left the room to accomplish the betrayal.

After serving his disciples by washing their feet, Jesus comforted them in John 13:31–14:31.

After Judas left, Jesus began what is often called his “farewell discourse,” in which he prepared his faithful disciples for the fact that he would soon be leaving them.

Jesus began his farewell discourse by saying that the time had come for him to be glorified—meaning that he was going to die, rise from the dead, and ascend to his Father in heaven. His disciples were going to have to live without his bodily presence walking, talking, and living among them. He also predicted that Peter was about to deny him three times. But Jesus knew that these difficult pieces of news troubled his disciples, so he comforted them, and reassured them that he would eventually bring them to the Father, too. And he told them that he wouldn’t leave them alone; he would send the Holy Spirit to minister to them in his place. Consider Jesus’ promise in John 14:26:

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.

Jesus promised that his disciples would never be alone. They would be put on trial and persecuted by the world, but they would never need to defend Jesus’ name and themselves alone. The Spirit of truth would empower them to speak and to write infallibly and authoritatively on Jesus’ behalf.