The Introduction.
IN meditating upon the last words of the Lord Jesus, recorded in John 13 to 16, we must ever remember that the Lord has in view the preparation of His own to bear witness to Himself in the place of His rejection, during the time of His absence.
For the accomplishment of this great end we have seen, in the former discourses, the necessity for having our feet washed (13), our hearts comforted and linked with divine Persons (14), and our lives setting forth the character of Christ, while our lips are opened to witness for Christ (15). Finally, in this last discourse, our minds are instructed so that we may render intelligent service, and not be stumbled by the treatment we may receive at the hands of a religious, but Christ-rejecting, world.
Instruction in the mind of Christ is the great underlying object of this last discourse. In the service of the Lord there may be much zeal yet not according to knowledge, and hence little result and much disappointment. How important then to have the mind of the Lord.
The instruction of the discourse is presented in the following order:
Firstly, we are forewarned as to the treatment that will be meted out by the religious world to those who bear witness to Christ (1-4).
Secondly, we learn that in order to be intelligent in the mind of Christ, it is necessary that Christ should go to the Father and that the Comforter should come (5-7).
Thirdly, when the Spirit comes, believers will be instructed in the true character of this present evil world (8-11).
Fourthly, by the Holy Spirit believers are led into the knowledge of another world—the world to come (12-15).
Lastly, believers are instructed as to the true character of the new day about to dawn (16-33).