Study Desk

"This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you.

"No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends.

"I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.

"This [is what] I command you: that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another.

"But they will do all these [hurtful] things to you for My name's sake [because you bear My name and are identified with Me], for they do not know the One who sent Me.

"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have [the guilt of their] sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world about [the guilt of] sin [and the need for a Savior], and about righteousness, and about judgment:

"But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future].

"So for now you are in grief; but I will see you again, and [then] your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away from you your [great] joy.

"Until now you have not asked [the Father] for anything in My name; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full and complete.

for the Father Himself [tenderly] loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from the Father.

"Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; because of this we believe [without any doubt] that you came from God."

"For the words which You gave Me I have given them; and they received and accepted them and truly understood [with confident assurance] that I came from You [from Your presence], and they believed [without any doubt] that You sent Me.

"I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You;

"Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth.

"For their sake I sanctify Myself [to do Your will], so that they also may be sanctified [set apart, dedicated, made holy] in [Your] truth.

"I do not pray for these alone [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through their message,

and led Him to Annas first; for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.