_3 The house is, in our view, that of Mary, the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark. Acts 12.12.
_4 The Passover meal begins on Thursday evening, after 6 p.m. It is already Friday for the Jews (Mark 14.17, Matthew 26.20, Luke 22.14-18). This is therefore not the official Seder, which will take place on the evening of Friday John 18.28.
_5 The meal ends on Friday morning before dawn, between midnight and 2:30 a.m.
_6 Judas Iscariot left before the end of this meal. John 13.30.
You can consult the complete chronology in the study ANN026 : The Hour of the Crucifixion.
Commentary:
In John 15.15-17, Jesus reveals to his disciples that the relationship he establishes with them goes beyond that of a master with his servants, for he now calls them friends, not because they have reached a particular spiritual level, but because he has made known to them everything he heard from the Father.
He shows that divine friendship rests on transparency, revelation and participation in God's purpose, like Moses, who spoke with God face to face as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33.11), and like Abraham, recognized as the friend of God (James 2.23). This intimacy does not come from human initiative but from a sovereign choice of the Messiah Jesus.
It is he who chose them, called them and appointed them to bear fruit that remains, fruit that is not merely moral but tied to the mission, rooted in the sap of the true vine (John 15.1-5) and manifested in a life transformed by love, faithfulness and perseverance, echoing the fruit of the Spirit described by Paul (Galatians 5.22-23).
This lasting fruit stands in continuity with the calling of Israel, called to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49.6). The promise of answered prayer attached to this mission is not a guarantee of obtaining everything one desires, but the assurance that prayer aligned with the Father's will is heard. The Messiah Jesus himself lived this, doing nothing of himself but accomplishing what he sees the Father doing (John 5.19).
This prayer is carried by the authority of the name of the Son. The final command to love one another is not a mere moral exhortation but the seal of the disciples' identity, the new commandment that shows the world the reality of the Kingdom (John 13.34-35).
This love reflects that of Christ, ready to lay down his life for his friends (John 15.13). It becomes the tangible proof that election, revelation and mission find their fulfillment in a community shaped by Trinitarian love, called to abide in Christ in order to bear fruit that glorifies the Father (John 15.8).