5/17/20

Sermon Notes:

The Farewell Discourse

Our lectionary gospel passages have taken back to that upper room to hear the words of Jesus we call “the Farewell Discourse .” Our gospel reading from last week, this week, and next week are each key passages from this Discourse  in the gospel of John. On May 31 we leave the season of Eastertide with the celebration of the Day of Pentecost, and then return to the predominance of readings from the gospel of Matthew, characteristic of this Year A of the lectionary cycle.

I thought you would like to know a little bit more in detail about the Farewell Discourse . It begins in chapter 14 of the book of John and ends with chapter 17. These chapters cover Jesus’ teachings and prayers that start right after the Last Supper on the night before his crucifixion.

 As he has been doing all along, Jesus tells the disciples he is going to the Father. This time he highlights the promise that they will have the Holy Spirit as their teacher and guide.

Jesus imparts his own peace to the disciples and leaves them with the commandment to love one another. He speaks in sparse language, but goes deep into the mystery of the unity of love that exists between Jesus, the Creator, and the Holy Spirit. What he is describing is a relational love between the three persons of the Trinity. What is does by assuring them of his love and commanding them to love is to invite them into the relational love, and to give them the power to invite others. 

The love of Christ as a saving power is key in this Discourse . Christ loves the disciples and this gives them the power to love, to heal, to forgive and to share the good news. The New Commandment Christ asks us to obey is to “love one another as I have loved you.” 

Chapter 16 contains the allegory of the True Vine. We will not read this section during the Year A cycle of Eastertide, but it is an integral part of the Farewell Discourse . In it, Jesus encourages the disciples to discern the difference between the world of human fallenness that does not understand Divine love and the reality of Jesus’ victory over that world. He prepares them for the troubles they will experience and commends them to hold tight to their own peace of heart, knowing they are safe and sound in his love, even when the outer world is raging. It is a subtle distinction and one we seek to live into as Christians every day of our lives.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

In the last chapter of the Discourse, Jesus prays for all his followers. This section gives us the longest prayer we hear Jesus prayer, and it is often referred to as the Priestly Prayer, the Farewell Prayer, or the High Priestly Prayer. Again, in this prayer, we hear Jesus calling for unity, our unity with Jesus, Jesus unity with God the Creator, and the Holy Spirit. When I read this prayer, I often get the feeling that these beautiful words are still ringing throughout the world, drawing us in as God’s beloved children: "may all be one as we are one" and that "the love with which you love me may be in them, and I in them.” It is deeply comforting to me to remember that not only do we pray for help, but Jesus too, prayers on our behalf.