I HAVE GIVEN YOU AN EXAMPLE

I HAVE GIVEN YOU an EXAMPLE

Jesus has washed the disciples’ feet and returned to the table (13:12). From our experience of church services and the other gospels we expect the institution of the holy communion next—but it is completely missing. Instead, Jesus begins to explain things to his disciples and continues through the long discourse of chapters 14—17. Some argue from this curious absence that John was not interested in communion, or even opposed sacraments all together. However, we noted that John used the ‘eucharist-’ word when Jesus ‘gave thanks’ over the loaves and fishes (see on 6:11) and that the discourse which followed talked of eating his flesh and drinking his blood (see on 6:51–59). Not only does chapter 6 look forward to the last supper, but this section has several links back to ch. 6. So John could not have been uninterested in communion and its omission here is even stranger…