JOHN 15 COMMENTARY
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Jesus uses the allegory of the vine in the same sense Paul used the body
.
ICorinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. Christians are in Christ. The final act to put one in Christ is baptism.
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as
have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Jesus is the true vine, with life giving qualities. The Father is the husbandman. Hebrews 12:6-9 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
4 Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, except it abide in the
vine; no more can ye, except
ye abide in me. 5 I am the
vine, ye are the branches: He
that abideth in me, and I in
him, the same bringeth forth
much fruit: for without me ye
can do nothing. 6 If a man
abide not in me, he is cast
forth as a branch, and is
withered; and men gather
them, and cast them into the
fire, and they are burned. 7 If
ye abide in me, and my words
abide in you, ye shall ask what
ye will, and it shall be done
unto you.
Christ is the vine, the branches are “in”
Him, and derive their life from Him. The church is the body of Christ; his disciples are members of his body. The
branches represent individual Christians, any where in the world. “Ye
[the disciples] are the branches.” Each individual follower of the Lord is a branch; is “in” him, and derives life from Him. When a branch does not bear fruit;
the husbandman (owner) prunes, severs it from the vine. The scriptures pose an impossible difficulty for the teachers of the impossibility of apostasy; however, they cannot see or understand because they do not want the truth, thus cannot understand the truth. They have blinded their eyes. Jesus says, Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. The promise, “ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you” is not unconditional, the blessing is dependent on abiding in Christ and harboring his teaching in the heart. The promise follows because those who keep His words, and live in close union with him, will know to ask, and will desire to ask only that for which He desires us to ask.
Those who truly love the Lord do not desire to ask for forbidden things nor will they seek to influence the will of God in that which would not be best.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my
commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
When we obey the commandments of Jesus, we are bearing the fruit John is writing about. Galatians 5:22-26 “...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Fruit bearing, referred to includes every act taught in the New Testament for the Christian to perform.
As we continue to live day by day, we are assured nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
By keeping His commandments, we abide in His love:
Those who bear fruit abide in His love.
Those who love keep His commandments.
Those who keep his commandments abide in His love.
All who do, “walk in the light”.
It was necessary for Jesus to keep His Father’s commandments to abide in His love. It is necessary for us to keep the commands of Jesus to abide in His love.
I have concluded, it does not matter what the Bible teaches, or how plain the Bible is, how much evidence is presented by Jesus Christ, we [humans]
are going to believe and do the things we want to do. Be honest, could John have been any more concise, or made it any plainer in teaching, that our behavior matters as we seek to abide in the love of Jesus Christ?
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The Joy Jesus had was:
Complete. (to make replete, level up a hollow, coincide with a prediction, accomplish) [stuffed, carry out, realize]
Unchanging. Hebrews 13:8-16 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 9 Be not carried
doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace;
not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Total, wholly (absolutely perfect, all, altogether, every whit, throughout) Our joy is made complete as we continue in faithfulness, as we grow to maturity. We are to grow to the point we will not be carried about by every form of false teaching, as Paul told the Ephesians in chapter 4:14-20 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body
unto the edifying of itself in love. 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
I am convinced, no one can experience JOY better that a Christian:
Communion and fellowship with the best on earth.
Union with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Satisfaction of doing good to others.
Consciousness of doing the Father’s will.
Assurance of everlasting life at the end of the age.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
A servant may not be aware of his master’s interest, plans or mission. We are not left in the dark, as to the things transpiring around us. We know, there is no greater position than to be included in Jesus Christ inter circle and have the privilege of serving as His friends. (an associate) [unite, connect, bracket together] Colossians 2:13-18 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (companionship, conjointly with, from the same as) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. All are called, those who respond are “CHOSEN”. Judas Iscariot, was chosen the same way the others were; however, he became unfaithful and was rejected. Romans 11: 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness:
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Jesus instructs concerning the Christians relationship to each other, and the relationship the world has for the Christian. He does not want the Christian to become discouraged by pointing out, the world hated Him before it hated them. The Devil rules the world.
He and his subjects hate the followers of God. Thank God, we living in the USA have a form of government that makes it a violation of law to persecute Christians or disturb public worship. Some nations, do not have this freedom we enjoy. In Paul’s day Christians were persecuted even to the point of death. Paul said, Acts 22:4 “...I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.” I Timothy 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they
keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
Remember Jesus is training the Apostles, He is explaining to them things that will happen. He wants them to be prepared for the task before them.
Some would rejoice in their teaching, some would be antagonistic and become angry. Anger has always led to persecution and murder. Most of the Apostles were murdered. Jesus imparted knowledge to the Apostles enable them to be prepared and not become discouraged. Peter and John learned the lesson and demonstrated their faith soon after the church was established. Acts 4:7 The rulers ask,
“...By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?” Peter answered, verse 10 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.” The ones who boasted most of their knowledge of the sacred writing—the scribes and
Pharisees—demonstrated their ignorance of God by their repudiation of
his will sent to them through his Son.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
An individual who has never heard of Jesus has not sinned against Him. They are lost because of sin committed.
come short of the glory of God; It is difficult to accept Christ, after one has heard and rejected Him.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
When we reject Jesus, we reject God.
One cannot accept one and reject the other. Jesus did works among the Jews that had never been done by others.
Jesus says, “but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.”
It had been prophesied, “they hated me without cause” and this prophesy was being fulfilled.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Jesus is promising them the Comforter again. No doubt they needed this encouragement; however, He had to go away for the Comforter to come. Acts 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. Jesus was on earth, the Father and Holy Spirit was in heaven. Jesus was to return to heaven, the Father was to send the Holy Spirit to earth. These events clearly demonstrate the three personalities; thus, the theology which denies the separate and distinct personalities of the godhead is false.