Commentary on the Farewell Discourses in John

This gospel selection is taken from John the Evangelist’s reflection on the last discourse of Jesus to his disciples at his last supper with them. They are called the “Farewell Discourses”.

This is what George W MacRae, S.J., in his discussion of John’s gospel, called Invitation to John (part of a series from Image Books) has to say about the farewell discourses of Jesus:

The farewell discourses (13:33 to 17:26) are not unified in form or in content, most probably because they consist of various originally distinct portions of discourses. Chapter 14 alerts us to this problem in that it is complete in itself, ending with what appears to be a final remark by Jess. Yet there are three more chapters of discourses to follow. The result of this collection is a very long section characterized by repetition, variations on. The same themes, sometimes even contradiction. But there is an overall unity of themes throughout the chapters, such as the departure and return of Jesus, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the mutual love of Father and Son, the new commandment of love, and others.

What is most distinctive about these discourses, however, is the tone of them. There is none of the air of confrontation and challenge that marked the discourses of the Book of Signs (John, chapters 1:9 to 12:50). What accounts for the change in tone is that these discourses are addressed to the disciples—and thus to the Christian readers of the Gospel—to help them interpret the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is hard to discover logical patterns which would enable us to divide the discourses into smaller units, and perhaps we are not meant to.

Because the discourses comment on events yet to happen, time is, as it were, collapsed in them. Present past and future are not logically distinct. Verse 25 is a good indication of this, for Jesus speaks as though he had already departed.

The emphasis of the discourse in chapter 14 and indeed of the others also is on the consequences for the disciples of the return of Jesus to the Father, But the discourses continue to be christologically oriented, particularly in terms of Jesus’ relationship to the Father. Such statements as “If you know me, you know my Father too”, and “To have seen me is to have seen the Father” are some of the strongest assertions in the Gospel that Jesus is the revelation of God himself. In Johannine thought it is this primary role of Jesus as revealer which undergirds the exclusive claim of Jesus to be not only the Way to the Father, but the only way to him. Despite the lofty claims of Jesus to be the Revelation of the Father, the Fourth Gospel does not simply equate Jesus with God. Jesus and Father are mutually in each other (verse 11) yet Jesus must go to the Father, “for the Father is greater than I” (verse 28)

One of Jesus’ main purposes in this discourse is to instruct the disciples to carry on his mission in the world after his departure to the Father. They are to “perform the same word” as he, even greater ones (verse 12). Our acquaintance with Johannine vocabulary enables us to translate this task as to confront the world with the revealing word of God and thus bring people to faith, but the disciples, who lack understanding, are bewildered, and are even about to desert Jesus in his passion, can hardly carry out this mission unaided. Hence Jesus promises them the Holy Spirit of trust who will be with them forever.

Verse 16-17 and 26 are the first two of several passages promising that the Father ( or Jesus) will send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. This designation of the Holy Spirit is unique in the fourth Gospel (and the first Epistle of John) and obscure in its origin. It may be preferable to use the work “Paraclete”, which is merely taking over the Greek word used, since such translations as “Advocate” and “Counselor” indicate only limited aspects of what the Paraclete is to do for the Church. The most important is that this is another Paraclete (verse 16), implying that Jesus has fulfilled the same role while he was with the disciple. The Holy Spirit, therefore, in this capacity is the continued divine presence assisting the disciples to perform the mission of Jesus in the world. He will remain with them and within them. He will teach them everything and make them remember all that Jesus has said. The fourth Gospel itself is thus evidence of the work of the paraclete in the Johannine church.

Study Questions:

• What do we learn about God if the ultimate revelation of him is in the human Jesus?

• How does the Spirit function as a Paraclete (advocate, counselor, instructor) in the church of today?