1 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
19 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.
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 have kept my saying, they will 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.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
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.
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.
John 15 is a profound chapter in the New Testament of the King James Version (KJV) Holy Bible. It is part of the Farewell Discourses, the final teachings of Jesus to His disciples before His crucifixion. The chapter presents a rich tapestry of spiritual truths and principles centered around the themes of the vine and branches, love and obedience, and the world's hatred. It provides insight into the intimate relationship between Jesus, His Father, and His followers, and the implications of that relationship for believers' lives.
John 15 opens with the powerful metaphor of the vine and the branches. Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman" (John 15:1). The imagery here is rich. Jesus is the source, the life-giving vine, and the believers are the branches, dependent on the vine for their sustenance and growth. The Father, as the husbandman or vinedresser, is the caretaker who prunes the branches to make them more fruitful. This metaphor illustrates the intimate, organic relationship between Jesus and His followers and the necessity of staying connected to Him. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Similarly, believers can accomplish nothing of spiritual value unless they remain in Christ (John 15:4-5).
The principle of pruning is also significant. The Father removes every branch in Jesus that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit (John 15:2). This speaks to the process of sanctification in the believer's life, where God removes what is unfruitful and purifies what remains to increase spiritual productivity. It may be a painful process, but it is necessary for spiritual growth and fruitfulness.
The second major theme of John 15 is the intertwining of love and obedience. Jesus commands His disciples to "Abide in my love" (John 15:9), and He explains that they can do this by keeping His commandments, just as He has kept His Father's commandments and abides in His love (John 15:10). Love is not merely an emotion but an action, a commitment to obedience. The ultimate expression of this love is self-sacrifice. Jesus says, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Jesus exemplifies this love through His impending death on the cross.
Furthermore, Jesus introduces a new status for His followers. They are no longer servants but friends, because He has made known to them everything He heard from His Father (John 15:15). This elevation of status underscores the intimate relationship Jesus shares with His followers, a relationship characterized by love, mutual understanding, and obedience.
The final theme of John 15 is the world's hatred toward Jesus and His followers. Jesus warns His disciples that if the world hates them, they should remember it hated Him first (John 15:18). He further explains that the world hates them because they are not of the world, just as He is not of the world (John 15:19). This hatred is not a mere dislike but a violent opposition to the message and life of Jesus, culminating in His crucifixion.
Moreover, Jesus declares that the world's hatred is rooted in its ignorance of God. "If they had known me, they would have known my Father also" (John 15:21). The world's rejection of Jesus is a rejection of God Himself. Yet, this hatred and rejection fulfill what is written in their law, "They hated me without a cause" (John 15:25).
Despite the world's hatred, Jesus promises the coming of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will testify on His behalf. The disciples, too, are to bear witness, because they have been with Jesus from the beginning (John 15:26-27). This promise offers hope and encouragement amidst the hostility, underscoring the believers' role as witnesses to the truth of Jesus.
The themes of the vine and branches, love and obedience, and the world's hatred are deeply interconnected. They present a holistic understanding of the believer's relationship with Jesus and the implications of that relationship. The believer is organically connected to Jesus, the true vine, and is called to abide in His love through obedience. This connection and obedience inevitably provoke the world's hatred, but they also guarantee the believer's fruitfulness and fulfillment of their role as witnesses to Jesus.
John 15 is a rich and profound chapter that provides valuable insights into the nature of our relationship with Jesus and how we should live as His followers. It calls us to a life of intimate connection with Jesus, obedience to His commands, and courageous witness to His truth, even in the face of the world's hatred. It reminds us that we are not alone in our journey of faith, for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are with us, guiding us, pruning us, and empowering us to bear much fruit for God's glory.
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