John 16: Sadness and Joy

Jesus is about to die. He says that his disciples will become sad for some days (for his death), but after that, their grief will turn into joy (for his resurrection) as a woman in labor. 
It is very good to have prayers answered:

23-24 “This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!

The Spirit will be with the disciples, revealing more and more about Jesus. The Spirit will bring the disciples into communion with the Lord. Even though it is painful to live in this world, this sadness will be turned into joy due to the communion with the Father.

John 15: United with Jesus

Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. We live and produce grapes because we are in the vine.
Although Jesus is about to be crucified, he has joy because he says:

7 If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
 

I glorify the Father when I bear fruit. I will bear fruit when I remain in Jesus, when I love others. May the love of the Lord flow through me; may my joy be full. My son has some psychiatric problem. He lies a lot and in doing so, I am afraid he departs from reality. May the Lord bless my son through me. May Truth and Love save him from madness.

John 14: Jesus is preparing a place for me

Jesus is about to be crucified. He had already take the Lord's Supper with his disciples. In his last moments, Jesus assures that he will not abandon his disciples. Jesus is going to his Father's house but not only that, he will prepare a place to each one of his disciples. 

NASB 1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 

Now, imagine that Jesus is preparing a house to one of his disciples but something goes wrong: this disciple falls into temptation and can't go to this house. Strange, isn't it? It is much easier to believe that Jesus is with each disciple, not only preparing his place but also strengthening him in the faith.

John 13: Jesus foresaw

Why the disciples spread the gospel and suffered for it? In the Lord's Supper, Jesus foresaw his betrayal and after that, he said:

19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may believe that I am He. 20 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who receives anyone I send, receives Me; and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

The disciples understood that everything, Judas betrayal included, was under the control of Father and the Son.
Besides, in the Lord's Supper Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, Judas included. As Jesus came from heaven to earth for our sake, so Jesus that should have his feet washed, washed his disciples feet. Peter was very aware that it was weird to have his feet washed by the King, but what did Judas think? Judas judged Jesus when he was worshiped by Mary. An evil guy see bad things even when seeing good things.

John 12: the Messiah arrives in Jerusalem

The resurrection of Lazarus appears only in the gospel of John. Many Jews wanted to see Lazarus and Jesus. Lazarus, Martha and Maria lived in Bethany, a city near Jerusalem. Jesus went to their house where Maria worships Jesus: she anoints the feet of Jesus with a very expensive perfume and wiped them with her hair. It was very disturbing to Judas to see that. Jesus said that Maria was honoring the day of his burial that was coming soon. From Bethany, Jesus goes to Jerusalem where he is cheered as the Messiah, the king of Israel. In both events Jesus never said: "I am just a man, honor the Lord instead". By contrary, it is very important to accept Jesus as the Logos, Word of the Lord:

47-50 “If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn’t take it seriously, I don’t reject him. I didn’t come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I’m saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, that Word and no other is the last word. I’m not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it. And I know exactly what his command produces: real and eternal life. That’s all I have to say. What the Father told me, I tell you.”

John 11: the light and the darkness

Jesus is the light that came to shine on this world. Through him, all who trust in him, have life. Jesus made a great sign to show this reality: he resurrected Lazarus. Jesus said that this sign would happen in favor of his disciples:

14-15 Then Jesus became explicit: “Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn’t there. You’re about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let’s go to him.”

After the resurrection, many were led to believe in Jesus:

45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

The darkness fought against the light:

47-48 The high priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Jewish ruling body. “What do we do now?” they asked. “This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs. If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have.”
53 From that day on, they plotted to kill him. So Jesus no longer went out in public among the Jews. 

It is very interesting that Jesus saw the resurrection of Lazarus, not only to ground the faith of his disciples but also to glorify him, the Son of God.

4 When Jesus got the message, he said, “This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son.”

John 10: blasphemy

In John 10, Jesus continues in Jerusalem. People are asking among themselves: "Is Jesus the Messiah?". Thus, they ask Jesus.  

22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then surrounded Him and began saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Jesus answered that he had already told (that he is the Messiah indeed) but they didn't believe, however, some believed because the Lord (the Father) sent them to him. Jesus called the Lord, his father. Besides, Jesus said that he and the Lord are one. The reaction was to stone Jesus for blasphemy.

33 The Jews answered Him, “We are not stoning You for a good work, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

Even though they were near to stone him, Jesus asked them to pay attention to what he himself does:

37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to arrest Him, and He eluded their grasp.

The gospel of John is telling me, chapter after chapter, to believe in Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (ICTUS). He is the door: only through him we may get near the Lord.