Lessons from Jesus: Friend of Disciples

Reconnecting with One Another

·       Think of a time when you were completely dependent on someone or something else to thrive — a mentor, a community, a season of life. What did that dependence feel like?

Reflections on Sunday’s Scripture and Sermon

Scripture Reading and Discussion Questions for John 15:1-17

C - Connect with Life Experience

1. When you hear the word “fruit” used to describe a person’s life, what comes to mind? What kinds of “fruit” do you most hope to produce in your own life right now?

O - Observe the Text Together

2.     Who are the key characters in this passage, and what role does each one play? (See vv. 1–2, 5.)

Look for: the Father as Gardener, Jesus as the true Vine, and the disciples as branches.

3.     The word “remain” (or “abide”) appears repeatedly throughout this chapter. How many times can you find it, and in what context does Jesus use it each time? Note: counting exact repetitions invites close reading. Look especially at vv. 4, 5, 7, 9, 10.

4.     According to Jesus, what happens to a branch that does not remain in him (v. 6)? Contrast this with what happens to the branch that does remain (vv. 7–8).

R - Reflect on the Meaning of the Text

5.     In verse 15, Jesus shifts the language from “servants” to “friends.” Why is this distinction significant? What does it reveal about how Jesus views his relationship with the disciples—and with us?

6.     Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you” (v. 16). How does this statement change or deepen the way you understand the call to bear fruit? What does it suggest about the source of fruitfulness?

7.     The passage connects remaining in Christ (v. 4), keeping his commands (v. 10), loving one another (v. 12), and asking in prayer (v. 7) as interrelated realities. How do these elements fit together as a whole picture of the Christian life?

E - Engage in Life Application

8.      Jesus says that apart from him we can do “nothing” (v. 5). Where in your current life or ministry do you most need to practice the kind of intentional “remaining” Jesus describes? What might that look like practically this week?

9.      Jesus’s command is simply: “Love each other as I have loved you” (v. 12). How does this passage affirm, challenge, or reframe your earlier answer about the “fruit” you hope to bear? Is there someone in your life or community toward whom you sense a call to greater self-giving love?

Closing Prayers            

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Key Themes from the Sermon: Jesus, Friend of Disciples, March 15, 2026

Scripture: John 15:1-17, Title: Jesus: Friend of Disciples, Preaching: Rev. Nate Schipper

Jesus redefines discipleship not primarily as hierarchy or duty but as relational friendship.

1. Scripture Uses Metaphor to Reveal Relationship

The Bible often speaks through metaphor, not to obscure truth but to open it. “Friendship” is one of Scripture’s relational metaphors — a way of showing closeness, shared purpose, and mutual understanding between Jesus and His disciples.

2. Jesus Redefines the Disciples’ Identity

In John 15:15, Jesus says He no longer calls His followers servants but friends. This shift invites disciples into His inner life and mission. Jesus still leads, but His authority is expressed through self‑giving love rather than control.

3. Friendship With Jesus Is Initiated, Not Earned

Jesus names the disciples His friends before they prove themselves faithful. Friendship is a gift of grace, not a reward for performance. Obedience flows from relationship — it is a response, not a requirement.

4. Discipleship Is Shared Life, Not Mere Belief

To follow Jesus is to walk with Him, learn His way, and be shaped through relationship. Friendship requires presence, time, and openness. Christian formation happens through lived experience with Christ, not information alone.

5. The Branch Metaphor: Three Truths About Belonging

Jesus deepens the picture with the image of vine and branches in John 15:

·       Most branches are similar — No branch earns special status; all share the same dependence on the vine. Friendship with Jesus removes comparison and pride.

·       Branches are pruned — God lovingly removes what hinders growth. Pruning is purposeful shaping, not punishment, so that fruitfulness increases.

·       Branches don’t choose the vine — Jesus chooses His disciples. Our connection to Him is rooted in grace, not our initiative.

6. Implications for the Church Community

If Jesus relates to His followers as friends, the church is called to reflect that same posture. Leadership becomes humble, relationships become mutual, and the community becomes a place of shared belonging and love.

 

 

Jesus: Friend of the Faithful

 John 14: Discussion, Sermon, and Commentary 

Discussion Questions

Connect (Relating to Personal Experience)

1.     When have you experienced a “troubled heart,” and what helped you move from anxiety to steadiness (or didn’t)?

2.     Think of a time you felt uncertain about “the way forward” (a decision, relationship, calling, grief, transition). What did you most want—clarity, presence, answers, reassurance, peace?

Observe (Examining the Text)

3.     Other than Jesus, who speaks in this chapter, and what questions do they ask Jesus? What do their questions reveal they do—or don’t—understand?

4.     What specific promises does Jesus make (list them)? What does he say he is going to do, what does he say the Father will do, and what does he say the Spirit will do?

5.     What repeated words, phrases, or contrasts stand out (for example: “believe,” “love,” “commands,” “in,” “peace,” “world,” “see/know”)? Where do you see repetition or contrast shaping the tone of the passage?

Reflect (Understanding the Meaning)

6.     What do you think Jesus was trying to communicate to his original listeners by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” and by talking about “my Father’s house” and “a place” prepared?

7.     What is the significance of Jesus saying, “I am the way and the truth and the life… No one comes to the Father except through me,” especially in response to Thomas’ confusion?

8.     What do these statements reveal about the relationship between Jesus and the Father (“seen me… seen the Father,” “I am in the Father,” “we will come… make our home”)? How does that shape what “knowing God” means in this chapter?

Engage (Applying to Life and Ministry)

9.     Jesus links love with obedience (“If you love me, keep my commands”) and connects that to God’s presence with believers. Where does this affirm, challenge, or reshape how you think about spirituality—feelings vs. faithful practice?

10.  Jesus offers a different kind of peace (“my peace I give you… not as the world gives”). In your current context (home, work, church, relationships), what “world-style peace” are you tempted to chase, and what would it look like to pursue Jesus’ peace instead—this week in one specific action?

Sermon Summary 

Jesus: Friend of the Faithful, John 14, selected verses

Preached by Pastor Ross Dielman — March 8, 2026

The sermon was framed around three movements in the text—"a Trinitarian text, a timely text, and a troubling text”—each revealing how Jesus befriends the faithful in moments of deep uncertainty.

A Trinitarian Text

John 14 is part of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse, a section saturated with the inner life of God. Jesus speaks of the Father, promises the coming of the Spirit, and locates Himself within this divine communion. Jesus is not offering abstract theology but relational assurance. The disciples are not being left alone; they are being drawn into the very fellowship of Father, Son, and Spirit.

A Timely Text

In this passage, Jesus meets the disciples in their moment of fear. He speaks to troubled hearts with pastoral tenderness: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” He acknowledges their anxiety without shaming it. He gives them promises shaped for their moments of need—preparing a place, coming again, sending the Spirit, granting peace.

A Troubling Text

Yet the passage is also unsettling. Jesus tells His disciples He is leaving. He speaks of a way they do not yet understand. He calls them to trust beyond what they can see. Faithfulness often involves walking through disorientation. Jesus’ words call us to relinquish control and follow a Savior who leads through death into life.

John 14:1 —Commentary Note: “You believe in God; believe also in me.”

 The difficulty in translating this verse comes from the Greek verb πιστεύετε (pisteuete), which has the same spelling in both the indicative (“you believe”) and the imperative (“believe!”). Because the grammar doesn’t decide the meaning, translators rely on the context.

Most modern translations choose indicative → imperative (“You believe in God; believe also in me”) because Jesus is comforting anxious disciples. He acknowledges their existing trust in God and then invites them to extend that trust to Him. This fits the pastoral tone of the Farewell Discourse and highlights the unity of Father, Son, and Spirit.

Some translations choose imperative → imperative (“Believe in God; believe also in me”), emphasizing Jesus’ authority and the urgency of trusting Him in a moment of crisis. Both readings are grammatically possible and theologically rich. A balanced explanation is simply: 

Jesus affirms their faith and calls them deeper into trust. 

Application

When our hearts are troubled, Jesus doesn’t begin with correction but with recognition: “You already trust God.” Then He gently invites us further: “Trust Me in the same way.” Faith grows not by suppressing fear but by placing it in the hands of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In every season of uncertainty, Jesus meets us where we are and leads us toward the peace that comes from trusting Him fully.

 

Jesus: Friend of Betrayers and Servant Leaders

                            Lessons from Jesus: Friend of Betrayers and Servant Leaders 

Reconnecting with One Another

·        When have you experienced being served in a way that surprised or unsettled you?
What made that moment meaningful—or uncomfortable?

 

Reflections on Sunday’s Scripture and Sermon

Scripture Reading and Discussion Questions for John 13:12-20

Discussion Questions

Connect with Life Experience

1.      What comes to mind when you think about leadership and service together?
Where have you seen those two things fit well—or clash—in your own life?

Observe the Text Together

2.      Who is present in this scene, and what has just happened before Jesus begins speaking?
What details stand out about the setting or timing?

3.      What words or phrases does Jesus repeat or emphasize in verses 12–17?
What contrasts do you notice (for example, teacher/servant, sent/received)?

4.      What actions and instructions does Jesus describe without explaining yet why they matter?
What do you notice about the flow of the passage?

Reflect on the Meaning of the Text

5.      What do you think Jesus was trying to communicate to his disciples about himself through this action and teaching? How might they have heard this in their original context?

6.      What does this passage reveal about God’s character and vision for community? How does servant leadership fit into the larger story of Jesus’ life and mission?

7.      Jesus connects humble service with blessing and with being “sent.”
What kind of discipleship is he shaping here, and how does it differ from common ideas of greatness?

Engage in Life Application

8.      How does this passage affirm, challenge, or expand what you shared earlier about service and leadership?
What assumptions—personal or cultural—does it confront?

9. What are some takeaways from this discussion?

Closing Prayers               

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Key Themes from the Sermon: Jesus, Friend of Betrayers

 

In John 13, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus chooses intimacy over distance, love over self‑protection, and service over power. This sermon invites listeners to linger in that tension: Jesus knows he will be betrayed, and yet he remains a faithful friend—even to his betrayer.

1. Jesus Knows—and Still Loves

At the table, Jesus is not unaware. He openly acknowledges that one of his closest companions will betray him, fulfilling Scripture about betrayal by a trusted friend. Yet this knowledge does not harden him or cause him to withdraw. Instead, Jesus stays present, sharing bread and conversation with Judas, treating him not as an enemy but as a friend. This moment exposes a love that is not reactive or conditional, but steady and deliberate, even when it will be costly.

2. The Shocking Act of Foot Washing

Against all expectations, Jesus rises from the table, takes the posture of a servant, and washes the disciples’ feet. Crucially, this act includes Judas. Jesus kneels before the very one who will hand him over, washing feet that will soon walk away into betrayal. Jesus does not withhold grace until loyalty is proven. He serves first. In doing so, he redefines greatness as humble, self-giving love and shows that his mercy extends even to those who will reject him.

3. Friendship Without Illusion

Jesus’ friendship with Judas is not naïve. He neither excuses the betrayal nor denies its seriousness. Instead, he holds together two truths: Judas is responsible for his actions, and Jesus continues to love him. The sermon emphasizes that divine love does not depend on our faithfulness but flows from Jesus’ own character. This reframes how believers understand friendship, forgiveness, and grace—especially when relationships are marked by disappointment or harm.

4. What This Reveals About Jesus

Jesus reveals the heart of God: a love that moves toward brokenness rather than away from it. Jesus does not merely teach about love—he embodies it in real time, under real threat, with real pain ahead. His actions foreshadow the cross, where he will again choose self-giving love for the sake of those who oppose him.

5. The Call to the Church

Finally, the sermon turns outward. If Jesus befriends betrayers and serves those who wound him, what does that mean for his followers? The call is not to enable harm or ignore injustice, but to resist the instinct to dehumanize, exclude, or withdraw love as a form of self-defense. The church is invited to be a community shaped by Christ’s posture—truthful, humble, and rooted in costly grace.

 

Commentary Insights on John 13:12–20

·        Blessing Comes from Obedience, Not Insight Alone (v. 17)

Insight: Jesus connects blessing not to knowing but to doing. Multiple commentaries emphasize that this verse undercuts any notion that spiritual maturity is measured by understanding alone. In John’s Gospel, truth must be embodied.

Websites: godsbless.ing/commentary/john/john_13_12-20/,  bibleinterpretation.org/john-1312-20/

·        Betrayal Is Named Without Abandoning Love (v. 18; Psalm 41:9)

Insight: Jesus quotes Psalm 41:9 to frame Judas’ betrayal as both deeply personal and scripturally anticipated. Commentators stress that sharing bread in the ancient world symbolized loyalty and covenant. The betrayal is real and grievous, yet Jesus neither retaliates nor retreats from his mission.

Websites: biblehub.com/commentaries/john/13-18.htm, pastorjasonelder.com/the-gospel-of-john/jesus-predicts-his-betrayal-john-1318-30

·        Foot Washing Leads Directly to Mission (v. 20)

Insight: Jesus moves from humility to sending. Commentaries note that receiving Jesus’ messengers is equivalent to receiving Jesus himself — and the Father. Service is not an inward‑facing virtue only; it shapes how Christ is encountered in the world.

Websites: bibleref.com/John/13/John-13-12.html, theologyofwork.org/new-testament/john/servant-leadership-john-13

Lessons from Jesus: Friend of Grievers

Lessons from Jesus: Friend of Grievers 

Reconnecting with One Another

• When you think about times of grief in your own life, what has helped you feel truly seen or understood by someone else?

Reflections on Sunday’s Scripture and Sermon (See "Key Themes..." Below)

Scripture Reading and Discussion Questions for John 11:14-44 

C - Connect with Life Experience

1. What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Jesus wept”? How does it shape your understanding of God’s nearness to us during times of sorrow?

O - Observe the Text Together

2. In John 11, what do Mary and Martha each say to Jesus when He arrives, and what does this reveal about their emotional state?

3. What details stand out to you in the scene where Jesus weeps? Who is present, and what reactions do you notice from the crowd?

4. As Jesus approaches the tomb and commands, “Lazarus, come out,” what actions, movements, or responses in the passage catch your attention?

R - Reflect on the Meaning of the Text

5. What do you think John wants his readers to understand about Jesus by including the detail that He wept?

6. How does Jesus’ statement, “I am the resurrection and the life,” connect to the larger message of John’s Gospel?

7. What does this story reveal about God’s character—both His compassion and His authority?

E - Engage in Life Application

8. How does this passage affirm, challenge, or expand your earlier reflections about how God meets us in grief?

9. Where do you sense Jesus speaking into your current season—inviting you to trust His compassion, His timing, or His power to bring life where something feels lost?

10. What are some takeaways from this discussion?

Closing Prayers                  -----------------------------------------------------

Key Themes from the Sermon: Jesus, Friend of Grievers

1. Jesus meets us in our sorrow

-When Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has already been dead four days. Mary and Martha are overwhelmed with loss, disappointment, and unanswered questions. Each sister says, “Lord, if you had been here,” a sentence many grievers know well.

Jesus does not rebuke their pain or rush them past it. Instead, He steps into it.

The sermon highlighted one of the shortest and most profound verses in Scripture: “Jesus wept.”

-Jesus’ tears are not a sign of weakness but of love. He grieves with those who grieve. He is not distant from human sorrow; He enters it fully.

2. Jesus brings truth into grief

-To Martha, Jesus speaks words of hope that reach beyond the moment:

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

-Grief often narrows our vision to what has been lost. Jesus widens Martha’s vision to who He is.

-Jesus offers Himself—His presence, His identity, His promise.

3. Jesus carries divine authority even while He shares human tears

The sermon held these two truths together:

-Jesus is fully compassionate.

-Jesus is fully powerful.

-Standing before the tomb, Jesus commands, “Lazarus, come out.”. The One who weeps is also the One who conquers.

4. Jesus is a friend who stays with us through the whole journey of grief

Listeners see that Jesus does not merely comfort us in grief or rescue us from grief—He walks with us through it.

He knows the ache of loss. He honors our tears. He promises resurrection. He brings life where death seems final.

5. The story points forward to Jesus’ own death and resurrection

-The raising of Lazarus is a signpost. It shows what Jesus came to do for all who trust Him.

-The sermon connected Lazarus’ story to the larger gospel story:

-Jesus will soon enter His own tomb and He will walk out of it—not by another’s command, but by His own authority.

-Because He lives, grief is never the final word.

A Closing Emphasis from the Sermon

Bring their grief honestly to Jesus. He is not only the Savior of the world, He is the Friend of grievers, the One who weeps with us, the One who calls us to life, and the One who promises that death will not have the last word.

Comments on John 11: Jesus, Friend of Grievers

John 11 is carefully structured to reveal both the humanity and divinity of Jesus.

“Jesus wept” (John 11:35): The Greek verb dakryō indicates quiet, heartfelt tears, not loud wailing. Jesus is not grieving because He is powerless — He is grieving because He is present. His tears affirm that divine compassion is not theoretical; it is embodied.

“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25):

This is the fifth of the seven “I AM” statements in John. Jesus does not merely promise resurrection; He locates resurrection in Himself. Martha is invited to shift from believing in a future event to trusting in a present Person.

“Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43): This command is short, authoritative, and personal. Early Christian writers noted that if Jesus had not specified Lazarus by name, every tomb might have opened. The miracle is both a sign and a preview — a sign of Jesus’ identity and a preview of His own resurrection.

“This illness… is for God’s glory.” (John 11:4): In John’s Gospel, “glory” is not spectacle but revelation — the unveiling of who Jesus truly is. The raising of Lazarus becomes the climactic sign that leads directly to the plot against Jesus (John 11:53). The gift of life to Lazarus sets in motion the path to Jesus’ death.

Sources:

Greek lexicon: BDAG (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich)

“I AM” statements: Andreas Köstenberger, John (Baker Exegetical Commentary)

Early Christian interpretation: Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John