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Three times in my ministry I have had to deliver “farewell messages” to congregations I had served, and it is not an easy thing to do. I may not have succeeded, but my purpose was always to prepare them for the future. This included warning as well as instruction. They would call a new pastor and enter into a new phase of ministry, and I wanted them to be at their best.
John 13–17 is our Lord’s “farewell message” to His beloved disciples, climaxing with His intercessory prayer for them and for us. Other farewell addresses in Scripture were delivered by Moses (Deut. 31–33), Joshua (Josh. 23–24), and Paul (Acts 20). However, Jesus added a significant “action section” to His message when He washed His disciples’ feet. It was an object lesson they would never forget.
In this passage, we see our Lord in a fourfold relationship: to His heavenly Father (John 13:1-5), to Simon Peter (John 13:6-11), to all of the disciples (John 13:12-17), and to Judas (John 13:18-35). In each of these sections of John’s gospel, you will discover a special message, a spiritual truth to help you in your own Christian life.