Week 15 John 15:1-27
(Link to Outline of John) (Link to the first lesson of Gems in John)
John’s Theme: John 20:31 … these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Overview of Chapters 14-17
Chapters 14-17 form a unit, possibly all taking place while in the upper room still at supper or shortly thereafter. Or, chapters 15-17 may have been given while in route to the Garden of Gethsemane. The text does not give enough information to know conclusively.
Chapters 14-16 form a single, long discourse by Jesus to his disciples, while chapter 17 is a prayer to God by Jesus both for himself and for his disciples. A general description of each chapter is given below.
ch 14 Comfort with an emphasis upon the Trinity
ch 15 Admonition
ch 16 Prediction
ch 17 High Priestly Prayer
Chapter 15 (see Hendriksen, Vol. 2, 293-317)
Section 1: Abide in Me John 15:1-11
Section 2: Love One Another John 15:12-17
Section 3: Testify of Me John 15:18-27
I. Vine and Branches–Abide in Me John 15:1-11
ESV John 15:5 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.
A. The purpose of Jesus’ incarnation is to provide atonement and new life for humankind.
1. through the cross and resurrection
2. by faith
3. through the preaching of the Word
4. by means of sending the Holy Spirit
B. Jesus’ own exemplar is God the Father.
1. Throughout the book of John, Jesus has always said that he speaks and does only as he hears and sees the Father speaking and doing.
2. Jesus abides in his Father 100% thoroughly.
C. When he is gone, the disciples must say and do as Christ by means of abiding in Christ through his Word and the Holy Spirit.
1. There are no exceptions. Anyone who does not abide in Christ misses the mark, and will be left out, cast away, just like a fruitless branch of a grapevine.
2. Even though Jesus will soon be leaving the disciples, the Father is not going anywhere, and the principle of abiding in Christ remains.
D. The means of abiding in Christ is through the Word and the Holy Spirit (a theme to be developed in Chapter 16).
John 15:3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
E. What is fruit in this context?
1. Branches bear fruit because they abide in the vine–they are livingly attached and dependent upon the vine.
2. A fruitful branch is one that carries the living life juice and properties of the vine within it. Any branch so related to the vine will bear fruit–that’s what vines do; if not, it will be pruned, so that the remainder does bear fruit.
3. Bearing fruit in this context is to be livingly connected to Christ, to bear his image, to represent him to the world.
Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
a. Aspect one: to be like Christ.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
b. Aspect two: to do the works of Christ–i.e., to witness about him and about the love of God to the world.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
F. Three “fruits” of bearing fruit–
1. answered prayer
John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
2. love
John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I 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.
3. joy
John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
II. Love One Another John 15:12-17
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
A. God is love.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
B. Jesus demonstrates his love for God and for people by laying down his life.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
C. Jesus is leaving. The disciples must do for each other what prior to this time only Christ had been doing for them.
John 15:17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
D. Fruit, obedience, and love are intertwined
John 15:16 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. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
E. How did Jesus demonstrate all three? How can I demonstrate all three in the relationships and situations I encounter again and again each day in my own living environment?
III. The World Will Hate You–Go Testify About Me John 15:18-27 and 16:1-4
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
John 15:27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
A. Jesus is establishing a kingdom populated by those whom he has pulled from the fire by means of their faith in him.
1. Jesus will be physically leaving.
2. The disciples must carry on.
3. The Holy Spirit will also be engaged in this work.
B. Just as the world hated Christ and crucified him, so they will hate and even kill the disciples, who bear his image and preach in his name.
C. Implied: Don’t be like Judas, who gave up and left because he was a fruitless branch who did not abide in me.
John 16:1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
Looking Ahead: If all this seems too hard for you, it is. But don’t worry; you will have the Holy Spirit to be your friend and Helper.