THE FIFTH SUNDAYOF EASTER

Year C

April 24, 2016

Volume 20, Number 33ISSN 1071-9962

CONTENTS:

A Thought on Preaching Title Sermon in a Sentence Scripture Biblical Commentary Children's Sermon Sermon More Sermons on this Text Thought Provokers Hymns & Hymn Story Bibliography

A THOUGHT ON PREACHING: Vainly does the preacher utter the Word of God exteriorly unless he listens to it interiorly. (Augustine)

TITLE: Unsafe Love

SERMON IN A SENTENCE: Jesus calls us to move beyond safe conversation to unsafe love––love like his love––love that takes risks and makes sacrifices to benefit the other person––even though the other person might not deserve our love.

SCRIPTURE: John 13:31-35

BIBLICAL COMMENTARY:

JOHN 13: THE CONTEXT

"Now before the feast of the Passover" (13:1). In this Gospel, the supper that Jesus shares with his disciples is not the Passover as in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 26:17-25; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-13). In this Gospel, Jesus will die on the day of Preparation for the Passover (19:31).

During the meal, Jesus washes the disciples feet (13:2-12), a task reserved for the lowliest servant––a task too lowly to be required of a Jewish man. In a few minutes, Jesus will tell his disciples to love one another, but he begins by demonstrating love in action.

Jesus then tells the disciples that "He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me" (13:18) and predicts Judas' betrayal (13:21). After some discussion among the disciples, Judas "immediately went out. And it was night" (13:30). The hour was dark both physically and spiritually.

John 13:31 – 16:33 is a series of discourses (speeches) by Jesus, which together are commonly thought of as Jesus' Farewell Discourse. This is followed by Jesus' High Priestly Prayer (17:1-26).

The farewell address is a common literary form found in both testaments (Genesis 49; Deuteronomy 33; 1 Chronicles 28-29; Joshua 23:24; Acts 20; 2 Peter). The typical farewell address is given by a person facing death, and includes blessings, exhortations, and the naming of a successor.

JOHN 13:31-32. NOW THE SON OF MAN HAS BEEN GLORIFIED

31When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him immediately."

"When (Judas) had gone out" (v. 31). Earlier, preparing to identify Judas, "Jesus was troubled in spirit" (13:21), but he does not allow that mood to set the tone for the evening.

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It is as if, when Judas departs, a pall lifts. Judas' departure rids the group of his evil presence and sets in motion the events that lead to Jesus' glorification.

"Now the Son of Man has been glorified" (v. 31a). The title, Son of Man, comes from Daniel 7:13-14, where the Ancient of Days (God) gave to the one like a Son of Man "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Scholars agree that Jesus intended it as a messianic title.

The title, Son of Man, has the advantage of having none of the militaristic connotations associated with the title, Messiah. People expect the Messiah to raise an army, to drive out the Romans, and to re-establish the great Davidic kingdom. They have no such expectations regarding the Son of Man.

Jesus focuses on glorification, his own and God's. The word "glory" is used in the Bible to speak of various wonderful things––but it is used especially to speak of God's glory––an aura associated with God's appearance that reveals God's majesty to humans. In this Gospel, Jesus' glorification is his death, resurrection, and ascension. Just as God's glory was revealed at Sinai (Exod. 24:16-17), so also it will be revealed at the cross and open tomb.

"has been glorified"––"has been glorified" (v. 31)––"has been glorified"––"will also glorify"––"will glorify him immediately" (v. 32). While Jesus' glorification will take place in his death, resurrection, and ascension, he speaks of it as both past and future. The past tense, "has been glorified," reflects his decision, already made, to be obedient even to death on a cross. The future tense, "will also glorify," anticipates his retaking his rightful place with the Father through his resurrection and ascension.

The wait has been long, but now Jesus' time has come. His sacrifice will make visible his obedience to God and his love for people. On the cross he will open the door to eternity (John 3:14-15). On the cross he will draw all people to himself (John 12:32). The disciples understand glorification in traditional terms, so they do not understand Jesus. They will not understand until they see the open tomb and the resurrected Christ.

JOHN 13:33. WHERE I AM GOING, YOU CAN'T COME

33Little children, (Greek: teknia) I will be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you can't come.'"

"You will seek me.... Where I am going, you can't come." As Jesus notes here, earlier he spoke these words to "the Jews" (7:33-34; 8:21)––by which he means his opponents, the Jewish leaders. In that context, he meant them as words of judgment, because Jewish

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leaders were looking for him so that they might kill him (5:18; 7:1). He told them, "you won’t find me" (7:33) and "you will die in your sins" (8:21).

Here he speaks these same words affectionately, calling the disciples teknia––little children––and omitting "you won't find me" and "you will die in your sins."

• Instead of saying, "you won't find me," Jesus promises his disciples that he will prepare a place for them and "will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also" (14:3).

• Instead of saying, "you will die in your sin," Jesus promises, "because I live, you will live also" (14:19).

JOHN 13:34. A NEW COMMANDMENT

34"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another."

"A new commandment I give to you." The new commandment is not entirely new. Leviticus 19:18 says, "You shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am Yahweh."

That commandment required Israelites to love only other Israelites, but Leviticus 19:34 expands its scope: "The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God."

What, then, is new about Jesus' commandment?

• First, Jesus provides a clear model of the love that he requires: "Just like I have loved you, that you love one another" (v. 34). If we want to understand Christian love, we have only to look at Jesus' life and actions.

• Second, it focuses on the Christian community––we are to love Christian brothers and sisters. In the Synoptics, Jesus calls us to love neighbors and enemies (Matthew 5:44; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 6:27, 35)––and God loves the world (John 3:16)––but Jesus' call in this verse is for his disciples to love one another.

• Third, this new commandment inaugurates a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34). The mark of faithfulness to the old covenant was obedience to the Torah. The mark of faithfulness to the new covenant is love for those within the community of faith (see Brown, 613-614; also Krentz and Vogel, 42).

• Fourth, this new commandment is positive and open-ended. Rather than focusing on "Thou shalt not," it says, "thou shalt" (Gossip, 693). Where many Old Testament laws

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were very specific, this law is very broad. We can never claim full compliance, because there is no end to the requirement. When have we loved enough? There is always need for more love. People could respond to the old law with a bookkeeper's mindset. Not so with this new commandment!

The focus is on loving action rather than loving feelings. In chapter 15, Jesus will repeat the commandment, saying, "This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" (15:12-13). In his own life, Jesus translates love into action that benefits the beloved. He calls us to do the same.

This makes it possible to obey. While it might be impossible to feel affection for some people, it is not impossible to help them. Our action-love is a gift of Christ, who loved us, showed us how love behaves, and makes of us a new people born again in his image and capable of loving with his love. We can truly obey this commandment when "it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me " (Galatians 2:20).

If you believe yourself to have a valid excuse not to love a particular person, consider the context in which Jesus tells the disciples to love one another. Jesus has just told them that one of them will betray him, and they do not know who that will be. The betrayer has departed (v. 30), but the disciples do not know that (vv. 28-29). Jesus commands them to love one another anyway––in spite of the fact that they do not know who the betrayer will be––do not know who it is that they cannot trust.

JOHN 13:35. EVERYONE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES

35"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Christian witness can take many forms, from street preaching to solemn liturgy, but it always involves love.

The church grew rapidly after the resurrection, in part because of the powerful witness of Christian love. "See how they love one another," the pagans said (Tertullian, Apology). It is difficult not to respond to the witness of a loving person.

Ignoring this new commandment is not an option. Paul warns, "If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don't have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.... If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

But, as with all commandments, this one ultimately requires us to throw ourselves on the mercy of the court––to rely on God's grace rather than our compliance with the law. Most of us fail daily to act in loving ways, even toward loved ones––and even more so

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toward people who rub us the wrong way. The Good News is that God loves us anyway! We must pray for grace to keep the commandment––and for grace when we fail.

CHILDREN'S SERMON: Love One AnotherBy Lois Parker Edstrom

Do you like rules? Most of us don't. We get tired of hearing "don't do this and don't do that." But rules are necessary to teach us how to get along in the world. Rules help us learn polite behavior.

It seems as if most rules are about what we should not do. Your parents ask you to respect certain rules because they want you to learn and grow to be a happy, helpful adult. Let's list some of the "do not" rules.

• Do not lie.• Do not hit others.• Do not say hurtful things to others.• Do not forget to brush your teeth.• Do not eat with your mouth open.• Do not put on dirty clothes.

The list goes on and on, doesn't it? Adults have lists of rules too. There are many, many things we must think about – things we should not do.

Now Jesus says, "A new commandment I give to you…" (13:34). A commandment is a rule.

The new rule is this – "that you also love one another" (13:34).

This rule is not about what you shouldn't do, it is about what you should do – love one another.

It is only one rule. That should be easy – right? Wrong! Not everyone is loveable, are they? Sometimes we have to be creative and think of ways to show kindness to someone who is not kind.

The cool thing is that if we keep this one new rule in mind, it makes the other "do not rules" much easier. If we think about what we can do to love others we won't make the mistake of being mean or hurtful.

Everything works better if we learn to live together in peace and love. "Love one another" (13:34).

SERMON:

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Jesus said:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you;

that you also love one another" (v. 34).

Jesus was speaking to his disciples. He was calling them to love one another––calling us to love one another. Elsewhere, he called us to love our neighbor or our enemy, but here he calls us to love each other––to love other Christians––to love the people sitting near us in the pews today.

At first blush, that seems easy enough. If you have been here long enough to get acquainted, you know people whom you find it easy to love. If you glance around the congregation, you see people for whom you have genuine affection. That makes sense! You expect to meet nice people in church, and we have some very nice people here this morning. In such company, "Love one another" doesn't seem all that difficult.

Until you get involved! If you just sit in the pew on Sunday morning and enjoy light conversation at coffee hour, you will find people whom you meet here to be quite pleasant. But, once you get involved, that won't always be the case.

Polite conversation over a cup of coffee is one thing. Working together in the trenches is another. As long as we can avoid talking about politics and religion––in other words, as long as we can avoid talking about anything important––we can scarcely offend or be offended:

"Good morning, how are you today?"

"I'm fine, thank you––and you?"

"I'm fine, too! Nice day, isn't it?"

"Lovely, do you think we'll finally get some rain this week?"

"Well, you never can tell. You know what they say around here. If you don't like the weather, just wait awhile."

Safe conversation! There is something to be said for safe conversation. It gives us an opportunity to interact with other people without stepping on anyone's toes. It allows us to enjoy and to be enjoyed. It gives us a chance to get acquainted, at least at a surface level. It is a place to start.

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But life would be boring if that were all the further our conversations could go. We enjoy superficial conversation, but we also feel a need for something deeper––for sharing feelings and values––for talking about things that really matter.

There is risk in that. There is risk in unsafe conversation. There is risk in unsafe love. Some time ago, a friend whose politics are opposite mine made a remark that I couldn't let pass. My temper got the better of me, and I said some things that I regret. I haven't seen that friend since. Unsafe conversation! Unsafe love!

Jesus said, "Love one another!" Sometimes it isn't easy!

But, if unsafe conversation has the potential to injure, it also has the potential to heal. Some time back, I greeted a woman––a woman I don't know well. I said, "Good morning! How are you today?" She said, "Well, I'm all right now."

"Well, I'm all right now." That was almost the expected response, but not quite. I expected, "I'm all right. How about yourself?" Instead, she said, "Well, I'm all right now."

She was saying more than she was saying. "I'm all right now!" meant that she has NOT been all right, but is better now––but you have to be listening, or you would miss it. There have been times in my life when I would have missed it––wouldn't have noticed––would have just said, "Glad to hear it!" and kept walking. Frankly, there are times when we don't have the time or emotional energy to go deeper with someone. In those cases, it is probably best to say, "Glad to hear it!" and keep walking.

But, on this occasion, I said, "You're all right now. Has something been wrong?" That was all it took. Something had been wrong, and she needed to talk about it. A dear friend had died suddenly, and that had knocked her to her knees. Her grief had overwhelmed her. With the help of time and friends, she got through it, but it was tough. She wanted me to know that she had suffered, but was finally on the mend. It helped her to talk about what was really important. Unsafe conversation––but, in this case, healing conversation.

Jesus said, "Love one another!" Sometimes love just requires listening––caring. But sometimes it can be much more costly.

William Manchester, the historian who is, perhaps, best know for his book about J.F.K., but more recently known for his books about Churchill, was once a Marine. During World War II, he served in the Pacific Theater, and was wounded at Okinawa––received one of those "million dollar wounds" that we used to hear about––a wound serious enough to keep you out of combat but not serious enough to kill you. As his buddies continued to fight and die, Manchester found himself in the rear––in a hospital––safe. He couldn't take it. He slipped out of the hospital, and made his way to Sugar Loaf Hill––wounds and all––made his way back to his friends.

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It took him half a lifetime to understand why he had done that. When he finally figured it out, he wrote about it. He said:

"I understand, at last, why I jumped hospital that long-ago Sunday and, in violation of orders, returned to the front and almost certain death.

It was an act of love. Those men on the line were my family, my home.

They were closer to me than I can say, closer than any friends had been or ever would be.

They were comrades; three of them had saved my life.

They had never let me down, and I couldn't do it to them. I had to be with them, rather than let them die

and me live with the knowledge that I might have saved them."

Jesus calls us to love one another as he loved us. That was what Manchester was doing when he rejoined his friends on Sugar Loaf Hill. Love required him to leave his safe hospital bed to risk death or worse.

Unsafe love!

Jesus says, "Love one another." He was speaking to his disciples––telling them to love the other disciples. He wasn't calling them to feel affection, but to act in loving ways. We might not always be able to feel affection for another person, but we can always act kindly toward them.

Jesus says, "Love one another." He is speaking to us––telling us to love other Christians––to act kindly toward other Christians. Sometimes that's easy. Sometimes it isn't.

• When Jesus calls us to love one another, he is calling us to love the sweet lady who brought the flowers for the altar––but he is also calling us to love the person who wounded us with their sharp tongue.

• When Jesus calls us to love one another, he is calling us to love the nice folk with whom we talk at coffee hour––but he is also calling us to love the person who opposes our pet project––who blocks the realization of our dream.

• When Jesus calls us to love one another, he is calling us to love our Sunday school teacher––but he is also calling us to love the person who slanders us behind our back.

• When Jesus calls us to love one another, he is calling us to love the kindly old person who reaches down into an almost empty pocketbook to find a dollar to help the poor––

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but he is also calling us to love the old geezer who dangles his money tantalizingly just out of reach in an attempt to force us to do his will.

• When Jesus calls us to love one another, he is calling us to love the soprano who graces our church with lovely song––but he is also calling us to love the person who is afflicted with constipation of the brain and diarrhea of the mouth.

• When Jesus calls us to love one another, he is calling us to love the kid who works hard and gets good grades––but he is also calling us to love the kid who smokes joints behind the church building.

• When Jesus calls us to love one another, he is calling us to bear witness––to show the world to what he has done for us. He says:

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (v. 35).

"Love one another," Jesus says. It's more than a saying––it's a commandment––an order. "Love one another." It's the way that we spread faith in Christ. People can ignore almost anything we say, but they cannot ignore our love.

Who is Christ calling you to love today? What is he calling you to do about it?

FOR MORE SERMONS ON THIS TEXT:

Go to http://www.lectionary.org/ On the LEFT side, under SERMONS, click on the "By Book of Bible" link. Then click on the "John" link in the right-hand column.

THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

Do not save your loving speechesFor your friends till they are dead;

Do not write them on their tombstones,Speak them rather now instead.

Anna Cummins

* * * * * * * * * *

We can risk loving as passionately as God loves.For we know that the love God makes possible

is no scarce resource that must be hoarded so that it can be distributed in dribs and drabs––

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a little here and a little there.

Love is not a rare commodity; rather, the more we love with the intense particularity of God's love,

the more we discover that we have the capacity to love.

Stanley Hauerwas

* * * * * * * * * *

The whole point of the primitive Christian idea of Agape (Christian love)is that it is sinners God loves––

that is, those who in disobedience and rebellionhave turned away from him.

Anders Nygren, Agape and Eros

* * * * * * * * * *

C. S. Lewis advocates love as an act of the will. Do not waste time wondering whether you "love" another, he suggests,

act as if you do.

"As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone,

you will presently come to love him."

Lewis goes on to explain that the process works equally in reverse:

"If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more.

If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less."

Alan Loy McGinnis, The Romance Factor

* * * * * * * * * *

"Love cures—it cures not only those who receive it—

it cures those who give it."

Dr. Karl Menninger* * * * * * * * * *

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HYMNS:

Baptist Hymnal (BH)Chalice Hymnal (CH)Collegeville Hymnal (CO)Common Praise (CP)Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW)Gather Comprehensive (GC)JourneySongs (JS)Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW)Lutheran Service Book (LSB)Lutheran Worship (LW)Presbyterian Hymnal (PH)The Faith We Sing (TFWS)The Hymnal 1982 (TH)The New Century Hymnal (TNCH)United Methodist Hymnal (UMH)Voices United (VU)With One Voice (WOV)Wonder Love and Praise (WLP)Worship & Rejoice (WR)

GATHERING:

Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts (CH #101; CO #510; CP #70-71; LBW #356; PH #510-511; TH #649, 650; TNCH #329) Also known as "O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts"

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (BH #208; CH #517; CO #454; CP #485-486; ELW #631; GC #622; JS #391; LBW #315; LSB #700; LW #286; PH #376; TH #657; TNCH #43; UMH #384; VU #333; WR #358)

PROCLAIMING:

Bind Us Together (TFWS #2226)

Come Down, O Love Divine (CH #582; CO #498; CP #645; ELW #804; GC #465; JS #420; LBW #508; LSB #501; LW #162; TH #516; TNCH #289; UMH #475; VU #367; WR #330) Also known as Come Forth, O Love Divine

Help us Accept Each Other (CH #487; PH #358; TNCH #388; UMH #560; WR #596)

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Make Us One (TFWS #2224)

The Gift of Love (BH #423; CH #526; PH #335; UMH #408; WR #397)

Where Charity and Love Prevail (CO #387; CP #487; ELW #359; GC #625; JS #429; LBW #126; LSB #845; TH #581; TNCH #396; UMH #549)

Where True Charity and Love Dwell (ELW #642, 653; GC #625; LBW #126; TH #606; WOV 665; WR #399) Also known as When True Charity and Love Abide

Where True Love and Charity are Found (GC #631)

SENDING:

Blest Be the Tie That Binds (BH #387; CH #433; CP #507; ELW #656; LBW #370; LSB #649; LW #295; PH #438; TNCH #393; UMH #557; VU #602; WR #393)

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go (BH #292; CH #540; LBW #324; PH #384; TNCH #485; UMH #480; VU #658; WR #446)

They'll Know We are Christians (CH #494; GC #735; JS #580; TFWS #2223; WR #595) Also known as "We Are One in the Spirit"

HYMN STORY: Blest Be the Tie That Binds

John Fawcett was born into a poor family in Yorkshire, England, and was orphaned at age 12. To survive, he accepted a lengthy apprenticeship to a tailor. Then, while still in his teens, he heard the great George Whitfield preach and became a Christian.

While serving his apprenticeship, Fawcett became active in a Baptist church and was often asked to speak. Then at age 25 (and newly married) he was invited to serve as pastor of a small church at Wainsgate. The poor people of that little village were able to pay very little, and much of Fawcett's pay came as potatoes and other produce. Once his wife, Mary, began having children, they found it difficult to survive.

Then Fawcett learned that the pastor of a large Baptist church in London was retiring, and he let the church know that he would be interested in serving them. They called him to be their pastor at a much larger salary, so John and Mary packed their household and prepared to move. But then, as the story is told, Mary told John that she didn't think that she could leave these people whom they had both learned to love––and John allowed that he shared her sentiment––so the two of them unpacked the wagon and let the London church know that they wouldn't be coming.

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Then Fawcett, who wrote a number of hymns during his lifetime, wrote this hymn, "Blest Be the Tie," to convey his sentiments and those of his wife to the poor people among whom they had chosen to live. Fawcett served that little church for the rest of his life––54 years in all.

FOR MORE HYMN STORIES, go to http://www.lectionary.org/On the LEFT side, click on the "Hymn Stories" link

SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc.), which the WEB has updated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Barclay, William, The Daily Study Bible, "The Gospel of John," Vol. 2 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1955)

Beasley-Murray, George R., Word Biblical Commentary: John (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999)

Borchert, Gerald L., New American Commentary: John 12-21, Vol, 25B (Nashville: Broadman Press, 2002)

Brown, Raymond, The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to John XIII-XXI (Garden City: Doubleday, 1970)

Bruce, F. F., The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983).

Burridge, Richard A., in Van Harn, Roger (ed.), The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday's Text. The Third Readings: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001)

Carson, D. A., The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1991).

Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R.; McCann, J. Clinton; and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV––Year C (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994)

Craddock, Fred R.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; and Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year C (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1994)

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Gossip, Arthur John and Howard, Wilbert F., The Interpreter's Bible, Volume 8 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1952)

Howard-Brook, Wes, Becoming the Children of God: John's Gospel and Radical Discipleship (New York: Maryknoll, 1994).

Kostenberger, Andreas J., Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: John (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004)

Krentz, Edgar and Vogel, Arthur A, Proclamation 2: Easter

Lincoln, Andrew T., Black's New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John (London: Continuum, 2005)

Moloney, Francis J., Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of John (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1998)

Morris, Leon, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995).

O'Day, Gail R., The New Interpreter's Bible, Volume IX (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)

Ridderbos, Herman (translated by John Vriend), The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997)

Sloyan, Gerald, "John," Interpretation (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1988)

Smith, D. Moody, Jr., Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: John (Nashville: Abingdon, 1999)

Williamson, Lamar, Jr., Preaching the Gospel of John (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004)

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Copyright 2016, Richard Niell Donovan

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