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John – From the Upper Room... (5 of 12)
Jesus Claims – I am the true vine.
John 15:1-17
Through God’s Word we’re sitting in the Upper Room with Jesus and the original disciples and following them as they walk from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane.
John 14:31 (ESV) –
“Rise, let us go from here.”
Jesus utilizes a metaphor to teach us about our union with Him. The picture is of a vine and its branches and grape vines were a crop that the disciples would have been familiar with.
John 15:1-8 (ESV) –
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
John 15:1 (ESV) –
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”
John 15:5 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
The picture Jesus describes demonstrates that it’s absolutely essential for us to remain connected to the vine. Apart from Jesus we are unable to produce anything of eternal value. As we abide in Him, we will produce fruit. Our lives will be changed, we’ll grow in love for Him and one another, we’ll seek to obey His commandments and our prayers will be effective.
1. Jesus paints a vivid picture of our absolute dependence upon Him.
John 15:1 (ESV) –
“I am the true vine...”
Psalm 80:8-9 (ESV) –
“You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.”
John 15:1 (ESV) –
“I am the true vine…”
John 15:5 (ESV) –
“I am the vine; you are the branches.”
Jesus’ point is obvious: Branches are dependent on their connection to the vine for continued life and fruit-bearing!
Hebrews 12:5-6 (ESV) –
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Pruning is for our good, it’s for our growth but it’s uncomfortable because it involves trimming away things that distract us from things of eternal value.
Branches must remain connected to the vine. In verses 4-10 the word abide (or remain) occurs 10 times.
John 15:4 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
John 15:5 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 (ESV) –
… apart from me you can do nothing.
Apart from Jesus we can’t produce anything of eternal value.
What is it to abide in Jesus? Abiding in Christ speaks of a living close relationship with Him. It’s being indwelled by the Holy Spirit – His presence in believers produces spiritual fruit.
John 8:31-32 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“If you abide in my word...”
This ought to provide motivation to go deeper into God’s Word (the Bible). We need to reflect deeply on God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to apply it in our lives.
John 15:6 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
John 10:27-28 (ESV) –
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
The main point is obvious – Remain in (or abide in) Christ and you will not be one of those branches that are thrown into the fire and burned! Don’t be a disconnected, fruitless branch!
What is fruit? Think about – the fruit of the Spirit, a changed life, growth in love, leading others to the Lord and more.
John 15:7 (ESV) –
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 15:7 (ESV) –
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you...”
Ask yourself – Am I abiding? What’s the place of God’s Word in my life?
We ought to be motivated to boldly ask in prayer.
John 15:7 (ESV) –
“...ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 15:8 (ESV) –
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
2. As Jesus explains the metaphor, we see that spiritual fruit is the natural result of a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
John 15:9-17 (ESV) –
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
John 15:9-10 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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.”
John 15:11 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Jesus teaches about the inseparable relationship of love and obedience. They can’t be separated and remember this is the path of joy.
John 15:12-13 (ESV) –
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:17 (ESV) –
“These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
Encountering and experiencing Jesus’ love for us leads us to love one-another.
John 13:34-35 (ESV) –
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
1 John 3:16 (ESV) –
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
John 15:14 (ESV) –
“You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Ponder being a friend of God. Being obedient doesn’t make us His friends but it characterizes those who are His friends. We’re called friends not simply servants but friends.
John 15:15 (ESV) –
“… for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Ask – Am I doing what Jesus commands?
John 15:16 (ESV) –
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
Ask yourself – Why am I a Christian? The answer is because God reached out and took hold of me. The Holy Spirit awakened us to our sin and need for rescue.
John 15:16 (ESV) –
“...so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
The logic of these chapters is like a spiral staircase where topics appear fade into the background and reappear. The themes of – loving one another, effective prayer, the promise of the Holy Spirit and obedience to Jesus’ commands – come up, fade to the background and came up again. And each time they reappear we get a fuller picture.
John 15:5 (ESV) –
“I am the vine; you are the branches.”
It’s absolutely essential that we abide in Christ, that we have a living personal relationship with Him. As we abide in Him the fruit of Christ-like character will be produced in our lives through the working of the Holy Spirit.
John 15:5 (ESV) –
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4 (ESV) –
“...apart from me you can do nothing.”
Ask – Have I begun a personal relationship with Jesus by receiving Him as my Savior and Lord?
And then ask – Where is the Lord pruning me? What areas of my life need to be pruned?
We ought to consider our practice of the spiritual disciplines. Think about – Bible intake, prayer, Christian fellowship, witness.
A life that’s genuinely connected to Christ will be marked by fruitfulness.
John 15:8 (ESV) –
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”