John 15, The Vine (Overview)

Jesus has been telling the disciples that he is going away, but that they are not to be concerned, for he will leave them with The Counselor. Jesus is apparently still in the Upper Room

John 15:1‑8, The Vine
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. 

"No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Jesus is the source of spiritual nutrient.  We grow like a wild vine if we are linked to him and relying on him.  This is necessary for all who consider themselves a Jesus-follower.  If we stay linked to the vine, we begin to "bear fruit", developing in healthy ways into the person God wants us to become.

John 15: 9-16, My commandment
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit‑‑fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

The first mark of the Christian is that we love each other. We should start there. "Greater love has no one than this..." is a statement that Jesus will demonstrate his love for those around him whom he has chosen, not just as disciples, but as friends.

John 15: 17-27, The world will hate you (if you love each other)!
This is my command: Love each other.

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Remember the words I spoke to you: `No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: `They hated me without reason.'

"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

The quote in verse 20 is from John 13:16. The quote in verse 25 is from Psalms 35:19 or Psalms 69:4.

There is a warning included in the command, "Love each other."  If one follows Jesus, and along the way, insists in acting in love, the world will turn away.  The World has other goals.  The citizen of heaven should not expect to gain power and control in this realm.  (And the citizen of heaven does not want power and control in the next realm!)

What comfort does this passage give us? What is the explanation for our persecution? What responsibility does this give us?

Meditation: What should be a Christian’s expectations of society?  (Is society getting better and better as Christians make an impact? Is it getting worse and worse? staying the same? Should Christians expect success? failure? pleasure? pain? understanding? anger?)

How do our expectations influence our actions? Why is it important to have proper expectations?