Jesus’ Farewell Discourse (John 13-17): Encountering Our Lord in the Upper Room
It has been customary in the Church’s history to identify Matthew 28:16-20 as “the Great Commission.” An argument could be made, however, that the really great, or at least fullest, commission Jesus ever gave his followers is the one we encounter in John 13-17. Here we learn, through word and act and prayer, how Jesus’ death and departure would factor in making known the Father’s glory and in founding a new community of the Spirit. Here we learn about the mission Jesus’ followers would fulfill and the principles by which they would do so, which is to say, the true nature of discipleship in the period of Jesus’ physical absence. Here we learn about the true character of the Church Jesus established, on which foundation his apostles and their successors would build. Here we learn about the heart of our Lord, from his washing the disciples’ feet to his praying to the Father. Here we meet Jesus like nowhere else in Scripture.
The aim of this course is to listen intently to this most intimate disclosure of our Lord to his disciples, with a view to being shaped by it for love and service and glory. We will approach our task by attending carefully to John 13-17 in the context of John’s Gospel and the larger scriptural canon, sitting at Jesus’ feet . . . and having him wash ours.
This course is available to take in person or online at your own pace. In-person class sizes are limited, so register early. Online classes will be available the day following each in-person class. In-person enrollments include free access to the online course.
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