In John 15:12-17 Jesus called his disciples to be identified by the badge of love. In doing so, He elevated his disciples from the status of servants to friends, gave them explicit instructions as to their responsibility to love each other and then set the highest standard possible by speaking of love as sacrifice. We often remember his words in John 15:13 when we remember our war dead, but these words were not given just to write on a tombstone. Instead they are to be lived out in the world.

In these verses, Jesus said ‘I am the true Vine’. By using this figure of speech, Jesus spoke to his disciples about the Father who prunes the vine so that it produces and increasing amount of fruit, and of the disciples’ need to remain connected to the Vine in order that their lives might be fruitful. To ‘abide in Christ’ means to stay close to Him through His Word and prayer. This is our responsibility and something that must take the highest priority in our lives.

In a standout passage from John’s gospel, Jesus spoke words of comfort to his fearful disciples, reminding them of the home we was about to build for them, the way he was about to provide for them and the Father he was about to reveal to them. These words have been a source of great comfort for many centuries to those who trust in Him and by them we are prepared for life in this world and life in the Father’s house when this world is done.

Seated at the table around the Last Supper, the disciples heard Jesus speak plainly that one of them would betray him and one of them would deny him. Judas was the betrayer – a man who failed to check the love of money within his heart and who was open to the schemes of the evil one. Peter was the a man who thought that he was as strong as an ox, only to be found to be as weak as a kitten. One fell into great sin and knew only remorse. The other was restored and forgiven by grace. Both serve to remind us that we cannot trust our own hearts.

Behind closed doors with his disciples and just before the Last Supper, John records some remarkable things about Jesus which led him to act accordingly. Jesus knew that he had come from God and was returning to God, so he proceeded to take the place of a servant and wash the feet of the disciples. This act of humbling himself would not be the end however. He humbled himself even further by submitting to death upon the cross. In washing the feet of the disciples, Jesus showed that the nature of true Christian ministry is always clothed with a towel and carries a basin – reflecting the nature of him who came ‘not to be served, but to serve’.

After some Greek men sought an audience with Jesus, He then began to speak openly about his imminent death. He spoke of it in terms of a seed that dies and in dying brings forth fruit and of being ‘lifted up’ as so drawing all types of men to himself. The Greek men were serious, persistent and believing, unlike the Jews whom Jesus then denounced for their stubborn unbelief. The death of Jesus continues to demand a response from people. Either we come seeking Him as Saviour in faith or we will end up facing Him as Judge.

Following the raising of Lazarus, a dinner was held at his home at which Jesus was present. The dinner would have been interesting to be at – for there was a man who had been dead sitting next to a mean who would soon be dead. At this dinner, Lazarus’ sister Mary showed her gratitude to Jesus by an extravagant gift of perfume upon his feet, while Judas was revealed to be far more interested in the money he could have got from the perfume. Meanwhile the Jewish authorities continued to reject Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God and so determined to put Jesus and Lazarus to death – in order to get rid of the evidence that would support this claim.

After claiming to be the ‘Good Shepherd’ who loves and dies for His sheep, Jesus went on to speak about the eternal security of His sheep. Because He is God and by His death saves His sheep completely, he can say that none of His sheep will be lost. Such truths are of great comfort to the believer, but also should cause discomfort to those who do not believe. If there is no salvation outside of Jesus, then no man or woman can have any hope of eternal security without belonging to Him.