Let us examine John chapters 13 through 17.

Learn From Jesus’ Exemplary Love

4. (a) How did John emphasize the dominant theme of Jesus’ meeting with his disciples when he instituted the Memorial? (b) What is one important reason why Jehovah loves Jesus?

⁴ Love is a prominent theme throughout these chapters containing Jesus’ parting counsel to his followers. In fact, various forms of the word “love” occur there 31 times. Jesus’ deep love for his Father, Jehovah, and for his disciples is nowhere made more apparent than in these chapters. Jesus’ love for Jehovah can be deduced from all the Gospel accounts of his life, but only John records that Jesus explicitly stated: “I love the Father.” (John 14:31) Jesus also stated that Jehovah loves him and explained why. He said: “Just as the Father has loved me and I have loved you, remain in my love. If you observe my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.” (John 15:9, 10) Yes, Jehovah loves his Son because of his implicit obedience. What a fine lesson for all followers of Jesus Christ!

5. How did Jesus demonstrate his love for his disciples?

⁵ Jesus’ profound love for his followers is underscored at the very beginning of John’s account of Jesus’ final meeting with the apostles. John related: “Now, because he knew before the festival of the passover that his hour had come for him to move out of this world to the Father, Jesus, having loved his own that were in the world, loved them to the end.” (John 13:1) On that memorable evening, he gave them an unforgettable lesson in lovingly serving others. He washed their feet. This was something that each of them should have been willing to do for Jesus and for their brothers, but they held back. Jesus performed this humble task and then said to his disciples: “If I, although Lord and Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash the feet of one another. For I set the pattern for you, that, just as I did to you, you should do also.” (John 13:14, 15) True Christians should be willing and happy to serve their brothers.—Matthew 20:26, 27, footnote; John 13:17.

Follow the New Commandment

6, 7. (a) What important detail does John supply concerning the institution of the Memorial? (b) What new commandment did Jesus give his disciples, and what was new about it?

⁶ John’s account of what occurred in the upper room on the night of Nisan 14 is the only one that specifically mentions the departure of Judas Iscariot. (John 13:21-30) Harmonizing the Gospel accounts indicates that only after this traitor was gone did Jesus institute the Memorial of His death. He then spoke at length with his faithful apostles, giving them parting counsel and instructions. As we prepare ourselves to attend the Memorial, we should be intensely interested in what Jesus said on that occasion, and all the more so because we certainly want to be among those whom God loves.

⁷ The very first instruction Jesus gave to his disciples after instituting the Memorial of his death was something new. He declared: “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:34, 35) What was new about this commandment? A little later that evening, Jesus clarified matters, stating: “This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends.” (John 15:12, 13) The Mosaic Law commanded the Israelites to ‘love their fellow as themselves.’ (Leviticus 19:18) But Jesus’ commandment went further. Christians were to love one another as Christ loved them, being willing to sacrifice their very lives for their brothers.

8. (a) What does self-sacrificing love involve? (b) How do Jehovah’s Witnesses manifest self-sacrificing love today?

⁸ The Memorial season is an appropriate time to examine ourselves, individually and as a congregation, to see if we really have this distinguishing mark of true Christianity—Christlike love. Such self-sacrificing love could mean, and sometimes has meant, that a Christian would risk his life rather than betray his brothers. More often than not, though, it involves our being willing to sacrifice our personal interests in order to help and serve our brothers and others. The apostle Paul was a fine example in this regard. (2 Corinthians 12:15; Philippians 2:17) Jehovah’s Witnesses are known throughout the world for their self-sacrificing spirit, helping their brothers and their neighbors and expending themselves to communicate Bible truth to their fellowmen.b—Galatians 6:10.

Relationships to Be Treasured

9. To maintain our precious relationship with God and his Son, what are we happy to do?

⁹ Nothing could be more precious to us than to be loved by Jehovah and his Son, Christ Jesus. To have and feel this love, however, we must do something. On that final night with his disciples, Jesus said: “He that has my commandments and observes them, that one is he who loves me. In turn he that loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will plainly show myself to him.” (John 14:21) Since we treasure our relationship with God and with his Son, we joyfully obey their commandments. This includes the new commandment to show self-sacrificing love and also the order Christ gave after his resurrection “to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness,” endeavoring to “make disciples” of those who accept the good news.—Acts 10:42; Matthew 28:19, 20.

10. What precious relationships are open to the anointed and to the “other sheep”?

¹⁰ Later that night, in answer to a question put to him by the faithful apostle Judas (Thaddaeus), Jesus said: “If anyone loves me, he will observe my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our abode with him.” (John 14:22, 23) Even while still on earth, anointed Christians, called to reign with Christ in heaven, have a particularly close relationship with Jehovah and with his Son. (John 15:15; 16:27; 17:22; Hebrews 3:1; 1 John 3:2, 24) But their “other sheep” companions, whose hope is to live forever on earth, also have a precious relationship with their “one shepherd,” Jesus Christ, and with their God, Jehovah, provided they prove to be obedient.—John 10:16; Psalm 15:1-5; 25:14.

“You Are No Part of the World”

11. What sobering warning did Jesus give his disciples?

¹¹ During this last meeting with his faithful disciples before his death, Jesus gave a sobering warning: If a person is loved by God, he will be hated by the world. He declared: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you. Bear in mind the word I said to you, A slave is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also; if they have observed my word, they will observe yours also.”—John 15:18-20.

12. (a) Why did Jesus warn his disciples that the world would hate them? (b) What would it be well for all to consider as the Memorial approaches?

¹² Jesus gave this warning so that these 11 apostles and all true Christians after them would not be discouraged and give up because of the world’s hatred. He added: “I have spoken these things to you that you may not be stumbled. Men will expel you from the synagogue. In fact, the hour is coming when everyone that kills you will imagine he has rendered a sacred service to God. But they will do these things because they have not come to know either the Father or me.” (John 16:1-3) One Bible lexicon explains that a form of the verb here rendered “stumbled” means “to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away.” As the time to observe the Memorial approaches, all would do well to reflect on the life course of faithful ones, past and present, and imitate their example of steadfastness under trial. Do not allow opposition or persecution to cause you to desert Jehovah and Jesus, but be resolved to trust and obey them.

13. What did Jesus request in behalf of his followers in a prayer to his Father?

¹³ In his closing prayer before leaving that upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus said to his Father: “I have given your word to them, but the world has hated them, because they are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. I request you, not to take them out of the world, but to watch over them because of the wicked one. They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 17:14-16) We can be sure that Jehovah watches over those whom he loves, to strengthen them as they keep separate from the world.—Isaiah 40:29-31.

Remain in the Father’s Love and in the Son’s Love

14, 15. (a) To what did Jesus liken himself, in contrast with what ‘degenerate vine’? (b) Who are “the branches” of “the true vine”?

¹⁴ During the intimate conversation he had with his faithful disciples on the night of Nisan 14, Jesus likened himself to “the true vine,” in contrast with the ‘degenerate vine’ of unfaithful Israel. He said: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the cultivator.” (John 15:1) Centuries earlier, the prophet Jeremiah recorded these words of Jehovah to his renegade people: “I had planted you as a choice red vine . . . So how have you been changed toward me into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?” (Jeremiah 2:21) And the prophet Hosea wrote: “Israel is a degenerating vine. Fruit he keeps putting forth for himself. . . . Their heart has become hypocritical.”—Hosea 10:1, 2.

¹⁵ Rather than producing the fruitage of true worship, Israel fell into apostasy and produced fruit for itself. Three days before his final meeting with his faithful disciples, Jesus told the hypocritical Jewish leaders: “I say to you, The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits.” (Matthew 21:43) That new nation is “the Israel of God,” made up of 144,000 anointed Christians, who are likened to “the branches” of “the true vine,” Christ Jesus.—Galatians 6:16; John 15:5; Revelation 14:1, 3.

16. What did Jesus urge the 11 faithful apostles to do, and what can be said of the faithful remnant in this time of the end?

¹⁶ Jesus told the 11 apostles present with him in that upper room: “Every branch in me not bearing fruit he takes away, and every one bearing fruit he cleans, that it may bear more fruit. Remain in union with me, and I in union with you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, in the same way neither can you, unless you remain in union with me.” (John 15:2, 4) The modern history of Jehovah’s people shows that the faithful remnant of anointed Christians have remained in union with their Head, Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 5:23) They have accepted cleansing and pruning. (Malachi 3:2, 3) Since 1919, they have brought forth Kingdom fruitage in abundance, first other anointed Christians and, since 1935, an ever-increasing “great crowd” of companions.—Revelation 7:9; Isaiah 60:4, 8-11.

17, 18. (a) What words of Jesus help the anointed and the other sheep to remain in Jehovah’s love? (b) How will attending the Memorial help us?

¹⁷ To all anointed Christians and their companions, Jesus’ further words apply: “My Father is glorified in this, that you keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples. Just as the Father has loved me and I have loved you, remain in my love. If you observe my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.”—John 15:8-10.

¹⁸ We all want to remain in God’s love, and this moves us to be fruitful Christians. We do this by seizing every opportunity to preach the “good news of the kingdom.” (Matthew 24:14) We also do our utmost to manifest “the fruitage of the spirit” in our personal lives. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Attending the Memorial of Christ’s death will strengthen us in our resolve to do this, for we will be reminded of God’s and Christ’s great love for us.—2 Corinthians 5:14, 15.

19. What further help will be discussed in the following article?

¹⁹ After instituting the Memorial, Jesus promised that his Father would send his faithful followers a “helper, the holy spirit.” (John 14:26) How this spirit helps the anointed and the other sheep to remain in Jehovah’s love will be examined in the following article.

Have You Received “the Spirit of the Truth”?

“The Father . . . will give you another helper to be with you forever, the spirit of the truth.”—JOHN 14:16, 17.

1. What important information did Jesus give his disciples during his final hours with them in the upper room?

“LORD, where are you going?” That was one of the questions that Jesus’ apostles put to him during the final hours he spent with them in an upper room in Jerusalem. (John 13:36) As the meeting progressed, Jesus informed them that now he was due to leave them to return to his Father. (John 14:28; 16:28) He would no longer be with them bodily to instruct them and answer their questions. He reassured them, however, saying: “I will request the Father and he will give you another helper [or, comforter] to be with you forever.”—John 14:16, footnote.

2. What did Jesus promise to send to the disciples after his going away?

² Jesus identified that helper and explained how it would assist his disciples. He told them: “These things, however, I did not tell you at first, because I was with you. But now I am going to him that sent me . . . It is for your benefit I am going away. For if I do not go away, the helper will by no means come to you; but if I do go my way, I will send him to you. . . . When that one arrives, the spirit of the truth, he will guide you into all the truth.”—John 16:4, 5, 7, 13.

3. (a) When was “the spirit of the truth” sent to the early Christians? (b) What was one important way in which the spirit was a “helper” for them?

³ This promise was fulfilled at Pentecost 33 C.E., as the apostle Peter attested: “This Jesus God resurrected, of which fact we are all witnesses. Therefore because he was exalted to the right hand of God and received the promised holy spirit from the Father, he has poured out this which you see and hear.” (Acts 2:32, 33) As we shall see later, the holy spirit poured out at Pentecost accomplished many things for the early Christians. But Jesus promised that “the spirit of the truth” would ‘bring back to their minds all the things he had told them.’ (John 14:26) It would enable them to remember Jesus’ ministry and teachings, even his very words, and put these into writing. This would be especially helpful to the aged apostle John at the end of the first century C.E. when he set about writing his Gospel. That account includes the precious counsel Jesus gave when he instituted the Memorial of his death.—John, chapters 13-17.

4. How did “the spirit of the truth” help the early anointed Christians?

⁴ Jesus also promised those early disciples that the spirit would ‘teach them all things’ and ‘guide them into all the truth.’ The spirit would help them to understand the deeper things of the Scriptures and preserve their unity of thought, understanding, and purpose. (1 Corinthians 2:10; Ephesians 4:3) The holy spirit thus empowered those early Christians to act as a collective “faithful and discreet slave” to supply individual anointed Christians with spiritual “food at the proper time.”—Matthew 24:45.

The Spirit Bears Witness

5. (a) What new perspective did Jesus open up to his disciples on the night of Nisan 14, 33 C.E.? (b) What role would the holy spirit play in fulfilling Jesus’ promise?

⁵ On the night of Nisan 14, 33 C.E., Jesus intimated to his disciples that they would later be received by him and dwell with him and his Father in heaven. He told them: “In the house of my Father there are many abodes. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going my way to prepare a place for you. Also, if I go my way and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will receive you home to myself, that where I am you also may be.” (John 13:36; 14:2, 3) They would reign with him in his Kingdom. (Luke 22:28-30) For them to have this heavenly hope, they would be “born from the spirit” as spiritual sons of God and be anointed to serve as kings and priests with Christ in heaven.—John 3:5-8; 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22; Titus 3:5-7; 1 Peter 1:3, 4; Revelation 20:6.