For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Chapter 15 tells us about our relationship to Jesus (vv.1-17), using three different analogies.

15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunesto make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansedby the word that I have spoken to you.

• 15:1 is the last of the 7 "I Am" statements. The 7 signs concluded in John 11, the 7 "I Am" statements here in John 15. The 7 confessions of faith will not conclude until John 20.
• Israel is often represented in the OT by a vine or vineyard. See Psalm 80:8-18; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 15:1-5; 17:1-21; 19:10-15; Hosea 10:1-2.

4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and becomemy disciples.

• First analogy: Jesus is the vine; we are the branches (v.1ff).
  • We are therefore wholly dependent on him.
  • Pruning (v.2) is literally cleaning.
  • There is a word play in the original Greek: hairei (takes away) v. kathairei (cleans). Consider the right and wrong understandings of pruning.
  • The fruit, in context = those who believe the message.
  • The vine is Jesus, not the church.
• Second analogy: Jesus is the teacher; we are the students [disciples] (v.7ff).
  • Re: v.8, in one sense, Christians are disciples.
  • In another, we are always becoming disciples (v.8). As Ignatius of Antioch was being led to his martyrdom in Rome (c.107 AD), he wrote, "Now I am beginning to be a disciple" (Ign. Rom. 5:3).

9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servantsany longer, because the servantdoes not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

• Third analogy: Jesus is a friend; we are his friends (v.12ff). Many ancient writers spoke of true love being willing to surrender its life for its friends (v.13).
• Although the concept of fruit-bearing in the N.T. is considerably broader than evangelism, verse 16 suggests the mission is in view.
  • For the seven types of fruit in the N.T., Click here.
  • Read also Tom Jones' helpful article on fruit in John 15.
• Chapter 15 also tells us about persecution (vv.18-27).

18 “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you.

• The world and the kingdom don't mix. There is tension, rejection, polarization...
• Seven "signs" that we belong to the world:
  • Overly concerned with not appearing fanatical, intolerant, or otherwise politically incorrect
  • Lifestyle: materialism, greed, level of giving
  • Heart: envy, jealousy, lust, coveting
  • Tongue: coarse language, gossip, deceit, angry outbursts
  • We don’t make room in schedule for holiness (meditation, prayer, fasting, silence, study...)
  • Online secrets
  • More time in virtual worlds than making a difference in God’s world.

20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘Servantsare not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

• The world hates us because it hated Him. There is no avoiding this. See Matthew 5:10-12; Luke 6:22-23,26; 2 Timothy 3:12.
• We have ceased being worldly, or are at least earnestly striving to be holy. This galls the worldly.
• They persecute us because they do not know God.
• No one who rejects Christ accepts God (v.23).
• This is all in fulfillment of scripture. (See Psalm 35:19 and 69:4; Psalm 69 is the most mined OT passage in the NT.)

26 “When the Advocatecomes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

• The Spirit/Counselor/Advocate will testify to Jesus -- through us (vv.26-27)!
• The Spirit comes from the Father (vv.26-27). Thus the context is mission, not procession; the ancient Christian creeds, which state that the Spirit proceeds from the Father (and the Son) cannot appeal to this passage for theological justification.
• In this chapter, several other Johannine themes (themes in John's theology) are found. How many points of contact with other passages do you recognize?

Thought questions:

• Which metaphor about my relationship with Christ most speak to me: vine/branch, teacher/student, or friend/friend?
• Am I bearing fruit for Christ in my life?
• Am I ever opposed by others for the spiritual stands I take for Christ?