Vulnerability, Fraternal Love, and Unity with Christ in Mission

John 15

Spoken with romance to His dearest pupils

Note to the leader: this session is 1) a good flavor session to help inspire a greater cohesion amongst the group, and 2) a preparation for the difficulty/nature of the coming sessions with a) a reminder of the fundamentality of Relationship with Christ, His love, and the support of the fellow Christian in the Christian life and b) an introduction to objective interpretation. Communion cannot be reduced to mere acquaintanceship. Alternative to what is below (opportunity to make it natural): One can simply be hyper-diligent about interpretation asking questions to answer with the group, then ensure it is mentioned that Christ expects us to have a relationship with each other that we have with Him as disciples, when that part comes.

Verses 1 - 17

• 1-2: We notice a very particular description of our relationship to the Divine through/in/with Jesus. What might be a similar image?

• 3: What happens when we read sacred scripture or come into close contact with the Divine Perfections?

  • Luke 5:8 - Our sins are made plain to us not only our guilt but their true nature

• 4-7: What is metaphysically possible apart from Existence Itself?

  • We receive our existence from Him like a river so insofar as we participate in Existence Himself, we exist, and this carries into every aspect of our being, where, when, and how we find ourselves damaged, hurting, or wounded is where sin has made itself present which of course is the state of being "apart" from reality, in pieces within ourselves, isolated from our neighbor, and thus God Himself

  • Our every need

• 8: What does the saying "the Glory of God is a Human being fully alive" mean? What does that have to do with this verse?

  • A Covenant is a contract of persons. In normal trade, both parties benefit from transactions. () Do we suffer a poverty when we gift our lives to God and allow Him to change us? If so is it the good kind? If it is not good, how might it eventually serve our good?

• 9: If we are not able to exist without God even partially then how much less would we be able to love in the real sense of the term without Him? Without God, our love often devolves into indirect egotism. It is by His love that we love.

• 10: Is God the best of tyrants?

  • All command God give describe what He envisioned when He made us and thereby, He does not impose laws as much as He reveals what He had written when He wrote us, we will find more proof of this as we continue

• 11: Here we see Jesus giving Himself as the Way. Culture today gets nauseous at the idea of not having any good alternative option on the table. However, Jesus outright refutes this and asserts that our joy can only be complete in our entrance into the Way i.e. in our transformation into who we were meant to be the closest thing to being Jesus and still ourselves. 

• 12: Now Jesus begins to describe what it will look like. How is it possible that we can love as He has loved us? How has/does Jesus love us and what does it require/consist of?

  • Let's read on and find how 13 answers this

• 14-15: Is Jesus saying we are His friend if we don’t do what he tells us? Is that not slavery? What does He mean? 

  • If we are truly close with God, we will know why obedience to him is in our best interest. Our sinful perspective warps how we see God, and this is apparent in the beatitudes. We sooner believe that God makes us follow Him but in truth, it is necessary in order to redeem and restore our being to our natural place as alter Christus. What sin has warped Christ's heals? This is the case even in our hearts we feel we must suffer to restore justice 

• 16: How do you respond to this (being chosen)? Do you ask why? Do you feel worthy? Who in the Bible besides Jesus was worthy? 

  • Indeed, He chose us when we were sinners (Romans 5:8) and died for us when we still hated Him. We are not worthy and yet always have been on account of our belovedness in Him. We are God’s children and were made little less than a god from the beginning and though we are corrupted Christ has the remedy for our condition, He guides us if we follow, He heals us if we permit Him, and He will satisfy our truest nature the one that bears fruit, the loves the other, and that departs not from God’s love.

• 17: Here God demonstrates the purpose of the law and lives in His divinity. He reveals the law He wrote into man's being not only that there is order but rather that there is harmony. Man seeks to help his brother, not in the struggle so much as in peace and virtue.

Verses 18 thru 27 - A shift in Christ's focus

• 18: What contrast do we notice between this proposition and the previous?

  • Christ mentions what He envisions for them and recognizes that it will not be so between them and the world.

  • He Goes on to explain this saying... Read verses 19-25

• 19-25: Have you seen what Christ Describes here? If you stand up for a room and say I am a Christian, what do think most people feel at that moment? Where does this aversion come from?

• 26-27: He is yet another moment of contrast from previous statements.

  • What did Christ do throughout this chapter? What is he trying to make His Apostles aware of?

    • Do you feel capable of leading the Church?

    • Jesus let His Apostles know what to expect when they are on a mission

    • How does this help us understand? Matthew 10:34

How do we interpret this Chapter? It is very literal with exception of the analogies. You will want to remember this for future discussions. Next session we will begin looking at the big picture or core narrative of the Bible which brought us to this moment. Once we have begun this effort, we will dive deeper into what interpreting scripture in the greatest possible way consists of.