Jesus says “I am the way the truth and the life,” he says that to receive one of many rewards, God, they must go through him. As a result the disciples must have a personal relationship with Jesus. This was also important as Jesus was human; he needed support in his time of need, and needed help and company on his mission.
Helen Orchard would say that Jesus’ relationship with the twelve is most vivid during his last evening spent with them in which Jesus’ washes their feet. This act is seen to be communicating, and teaching the disciples, but as to what it is he is teaching is thought to be different by many. For example Benard would say it is teaching humility, Dunn, Beastley and Murray say it is an act of forgiveness, and in turn teaching the disciples to forgive. Others may argue by acting as a servant, he is teaching them that they are to be servants of God, Segovia believes it is a warning that the disciples must be ready to become similarly worthless. But Helen Orchard would argue that Jesus is trying to become one of societies victims, it is what he wanted, fulfilling scriptures, and many of the disciples, especially Peter show complete lack of understanding in Jesus’ actions, and he cannot accept what he is doing. It is too radical, too frightening. Lightfoot also agrees that disciples can show a “great slowness of apprehension”. Orchard believes that by saying “you shall never wash my feet.” Peter is treating Jesus’ as a slave.
But still post to this Jesus refers to his disciples in a loving way. In chapter 15 he commands them to “love one another as I have loved you.” Orchard says this is Jesus’ bottom line, and Segovia sees this as the “pre-eminent command” This is again one of many responsibilities identified by… Others include to share the responsibility of serving one another (13:14-17), to obey Jesus’ commandments (15:14) and to live in unity with one another. These are the responsibilities, but Helen Orchard identifies that Jesus also teaches of the dangers of discipleship, the cost of discipleship, in chapter 15:18-16:4 Jesus identifies that the disciples must expect hatred, persecution, expulsion, and even the ultimate cost, death. But Jesus also teaches of the rewards received for the believers. …identifies the passage (1:12) saying disciples have the privilege of becoming a child of God, and passages (3:16, 20:31) saying they will receive the gift of eternal life. He says in 15:10, that the disciples will remain in his love, and “he who follows me will not be walking in the dark, he will have the light of light.”
Disciples in John are clearly important as the word is used 78 times, Scnakenberger says that the word Disciple has a far broader meaning than just the twelve but is a spiritual following here and now.
Consider the importance of his teaching for the original readers of the Gospel.
Baumbach says that the Johannine Community may have seen themselves represented by the disciples, and Kostenberger says that the term disciple is such an ambiguous one that it is hard to tell if it is referring to; the twelve, Jesus’ inner circle, or a larger group. He says it may even refer to later believers of in the post resurrection Christian community- The Johannine Community. He also says that as the Gospel progresses there is an increasing widening of the designation ‘disciple’, that goes beyond he followers of the historical Jesus. If the original readers thought the Gospel was about them then they may have felt Jesus’ teaching was especially important.
Jesus warns the disciples to expect hatred, persecution, expulsion, and even death (15:18-16:4). Helen Orchard identifies this section as being an attempt by the evangelist to warn the community about impending violent persecution to encourage them to remain firm. Moloney says that this section is deeply rooted in the concrete experience of the Johannine community.” He continues to say that for the evangelist and his community “it was important to see and understand that the experience of hatred and violence…was part of the experience of Jesus and is also part of the experience of his disciples.”
Schnakenberger says that “while the fourth evangelist is certainly aware of the historical followers of Jesus, later believers are incorporated into discipleship.” For many this may mean that believers must take on the responsibilities Jesus teaches of being a disciple. For example, all disciples are to love one another (13:35) to share the responsibility of serving one another (13:14-17), to obey Jesus’ commandments (15:14) and to live in unity with one another (17:20-25). And so believers would look to Jesus’ teaching to show them how to live their lives. Kostenberger says that the disciples’ responsibilities may be seen to extend to later believers, and that privileges do the same. “What is primarily true for Jesus’ original followers extends derivatively also to later believers.” And so numerous rewards are also extended to every believer, for example; every believer has the privilege of becoming a child of God (1:12) or every believer will receive the gift of eternal life (13:16, 20:31)
The original readers of the fourth gospel could look to Jesus’ teaching to find comfort that they are no less than the original followers of Jesus. Jesus says, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe”. In John Jesus elevates “believing” over mere “seeing”, rebuking Thomas’ unbelief. Similarly, the original readers may look to the fact that the original twelve followed Jesus while disciples with inadequate faith fell away. The twelve, the early Christians have a strong faith, where as “the Jews” fail to arrive at full faith in Jesus. (8:31-59, 9:41, 10:1-39, 12:39-50) this would show the Christians, their faith is the stronger one.
