A pair of scissors consists of two single blades. Yet the blades, regardless of how sharp or shiny, are useless without one essential element — the small metal screw that holds them together.
Can you imagine trying to cut some paper or fabric without that tiny screw? Of course, you could put a blade in each hand. But think of the effort and difficulty involved in trying to make an even, precise cut that way. But when that tiny screw brings both blades together, suddenly the cutting becomes effortless.
In our relationship with God, abiding in Jesus is the screw that holds everything together and makes us useful to Him.
In these opening verses, our Lord uses a similar homespun illustration — that of a vine and its branches — to teach His disciples the importance of fellowship with Him.
In these verses, Jesus will also use the seventh and last “I Am” statement recorded by John. These two pictures reveal both our privileges and our responsibilities.
As branches, we have the the privilege of sharing His life, and the responsibility of abiding. As friends, we have the privilege of knowing His will, and the responsibility of obeying.
Not everyone in that Upper Room found these moments so peaceful and refreshing. The time Judas spent in that Upper Room must have been almost unbearable for him. A good portion of chapter 13 is devoted to Judas and to his departure that night, a departure that forever sealed his doom. As they sat at the table, Jesus shocked every one of His disciples by indicating that one of them was about to betray Him. The eleven believing disciples were perplexed and greatly troubled. But imagine what it must have been like for Judas. Jesus knew what Judas was up to! What would happen next? What would Jesus do? What would the disciples do? (Peter, we know, was armed with a sword—see 18:10.) Judas must have been wide-eyed as he watched Peter gesture to John, and as this disciple asked his Lord (who seems to have been just on the other side of Jesus) who the traitor was. Jesus indicated that the traitor was the one to whom He would hand the bread He had dipped. Judas’ heart must have stopped when Jesus handed him the bread. Surely the others would now know that he was the traitor! Our Lord’s words to Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly” (13:27), must have been “music to the ears of Judas,” who couldn’t get out of the Upper Room quickly enough. And all of this was calmly brought about by our all-knowing Lord, so that His death would perfectly fulfill the plans, purposes, and prophecies of God.
After the departure of Judas, Jesus announces to His disciples that He will be leaving them behind, and that they will not be able to follow Him where He is going, at least for a while. The disciples are caught completely off guard. Peter seeks to assure Jesus of his dedication, supposing (it would seem) that this might convince Jesus that he could be taken along, even if the other disciples could not be trusted. What a blow our Lord’s words were to Peter. Did Peter wish to assure Jesus that he was trustworthy? In but a short time, he would deny his Master, not once, but three times!
Peter was silent from this point on, but not the rest of the disciples. Chapter 14 is John’s record of the “question and answer session” that takes place in response to what Jesus is saying. The disciples supposed Jesus meant that they would no longer enjoy the intimate relationship with Him that they had been privileged to experience up to this point in time. How wrong they were! It was our Lord’s “departure” that made it possible for them to enjoy His presence and fellowship more intimately than they had ever experienced it before.
In our text in John chapter 15, we come to the final “I am” of John’s Gospel. The words of our text are some of the most familiar words in the Gospel of John, but this does not necessarily mean they are well understood. Many are the interpretations of this passage, and while people are drawn to this text, they are also perplexed by it:
… Christians have long been attracted to these verses, both because they are profound and because they are perplexing. They are profound in that they deal with certain deep realities in the Christian faith. … But the passage is as perplexing as it is profound. Exactly what kind of fruit are we expected to bear? Does any believer really enjoy the extravagant prayer promises in verses 7 and 8? Exactly what does ‘remaining in Christ’ really mean? Above all, how is it that branches are said to be in this vine, yet fruitless? And how can these branches be cut off and destroyed?[1]
Texans use the expression, “between a rock and a hard place.” Verses 1-17 deal with the disciples of our Lord as those who are caught “between a rock and a hard place.” The “rock” is our Lord’s distressing announcement that He will be leaving His disciples behind (chapter 13). The “hard place” is that the Jews will turn against them:
18 “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own. But because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me” (John 15:18-21).[2]
1 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember that I told you about them” (John 16:1-4).
The disciples are not only going to be left behind by their Master, they are also going to be rejected by their peers. Yet in all of this, they are not being abandoned by their Lord. He is sending His Spirit to dwell within them, uniting them with Himself and with one another. The disciples will now be able to “abide in Him” in a way they never could have previously. Things are about to change significantly, but all for the better. Later on, this same change is recognized by the Apostle Paul:
15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. 16 So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer. 17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away, see, what is new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:15-17, emphasis mine).
This new relationship with Christ is described by our Lord as “abiding in Him.”[3] It is apparent that the central concept in these verses is abiding in Christ. Eight times in these eight verses the word rendered “abide” is found.[4] I know from my own experience that abiding in Christ is one of my greatest struggles. From what others tell me, it is their struggle, too. It is perhaps the most serious failure among Christians. The benefits of abiding in Christ are as great as the dangers of neglecting it. Let us first seek to learn what it means to abide in Christ, and then let us strive to do so, by His grace, to His glory, and for our good.
This chapter contains one of the many rhetorical masterpieces of Jesus found in the gospels. Speakers strive for a lifetime to attain the pround simplicity, beauty, and practicalness expressed in the allegory of the Vine and the branches.
The first and most important relationship which the disciples should maintain was with Jesus. The relationship between Christ and the Christian is not organizational but organic and living.
In order to enforce its meaning, Jesus used the allegory of the vine, for the culture of the vine was one of the common occupations of that day in Palestine. Vineyards were everywhere, and it may be that they passed several on the road from Jerusalem to Gethsemane.
The vine was also known as an emblem of their own nation, just as the eagle is the emblem of the United States.
The key term in this text is abide; used 10 times in 11 verses, it emphasizes unity. The key word is love, used four times in six verses, to emphasize communion.
* Five points of resemblance between the vine and the gardener are given:
– The right stock: “I am the true vine.”
The first essential in planting a vineyard is to have the right stock. Every nurseryman guarantees that the plants he sells will run true to type.
– The right expert: “My Father is the husbandman(gardener):”
Every vineyard must be pruned by an expert. The vinedresser had to know how and when to prune and fertilize the vine, so that it would produce the maximum stock.
– The right culture:
Those branches which did not bear fruit had to be taken away, while those which bore fruit were cleaned so they could bear more fruit.
– The right contact: “Abide in me, and I in you:”
The process of pruning must never sever the fruit-bearing branch from the main vine. Cuttings will often bear leaves independently through the vitality resident in them, but they will never bear fruit.
– The right fruitage: “The same bears much fruit:”
In scripture, fruit, more fruit, and more fruit is the divine order! Growth brings increase in fruitfulness, and the more mature a Christian becomes, the more is expected of him.
Let’s look at the text in detail: “”I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. {2} He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[1] so that it will be even more fruitful. {3} You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. {4} 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.”
There are four elements in this allegory that we must understand if we are to benefit from His teaching:
1. THE VINE.
Jesus identifies Himself as the genuine vine—the only source of spiritual life. He is the one responsible for the fruit which we, the Christians, bear. Many view the fruit of John 15 as the result of evangelism, but in all probability it also refers to character qualities of Christlikeness, namely, the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
2. THE BRANCHES.
“”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. {6} 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. {7} If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. {8} This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Jesus uses the figure of the branch to depict the Christian. Those “in Christ” must “abide in me.” If we abide in Christ, we bear fruit. If not, we become barren.
3. THE VINEDRESSER.
God the Father is pictured here as a busy, active, faithful gardener, working in His vineyard—an image already well-established in the Old Testament.
“I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. {2} He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. {3} “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. {4} What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?”
Jesus probably had this passage in mind when He talked of his Father being the vinedresser. In verse 2, He reveals two actions of the vinedresser:
– He does something with the branch that isn’t bearing any fruit at all: He “takes away”
– He does something with the branch that isn’t bearing enough fuit: “He prunes”
Vines occasionally yield an unproductive, fruitless branch. When that happens, the gardener immediately goes to work, as suggested in one paragraph: “Viticulture…consists mainly of pruning. In pruning a vine, two principles are generally observed: first, all dead wood must be ruthlessly removed; and second, the live wood must be cut back drastically. Dead wood harbors insects and disease and may cause the vine to rot, to say nothing of being unproductive and unsightly.
“Live wood must be trimmed back in order to prevent such heavy growth that the life of the vine goes into the wood rather than into the fruit. The vineyards in the early spring took like a collection of barren, bleeding stumps; but in the fall they are filled with luxuriant purple grapes.
“As the farmer wields the pruning knife on his vines, so God cuts dead wood out from among His saints, and often cuts back the living wood so far that His method seems cruel. Nevertheless, from those who have suffered the most there often comes the greatest fruitfulness.” (Merrill C. Tenney’s John: The Gospel of Belief”)
The greatest judgment God could bring to a Christian would be to let Him alone, let him have his own way. Because God loves us, He prunes us and encourages us to bear more fruit for His glory.
Most of our lives are mixtures of wood, hay, and straw, along with old, silver, and precious stones. God blesses those who abide in Him:
– The first blessing is that prayer is answered.
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” (vs. 7)
– The second is that God is glorified
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (vs. 8)
“– The third is that our life will be motivated by love.
“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.” (vs. 9-10)
– The fourth is that joy will be ours in abundance.
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (vs. 11).
In the Old Testament, the “vine” is a well-known symbol for the nation Israel.[5]
1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:
My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. 3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. 4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? 5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it.” 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help (Isaiah 5:1-7, NKJV, emphasis mine).
The text in Isaiah speaks of the failure of Israel to produce “fruit” as God’s vine. Psalm 80 speaks of this “vine” as well, but then changes the focus to “the branch,” who appears to be none other than our Lord:
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. 9 You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs. 11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River. 12 Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? 13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it. 14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine 15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name (Psalm 80:8-18, NKJV, emphasis mine).
In our text, Jesus employs the imagery of a vine to describe the new relationship which His disciples are about to enjoy with Him and with the Father. Our Lord is the “vine”; unbelievers are the fruitless branches,[6] while believers are the fruit-bearing branches. The grapes are the “fruit” which God produces in and through the saints as they draw their life and strength from the “vine,” the Lord Jesus Christ. And God the Father is the gardener, who tends the vine, removing dead branches and purifying the living branches.
Jesus speaks of Himself not merely as a vine, or even as the vine, but as the true[7] vine. He who created the light (and everything else), is called the true “light” in John 1:9. The “bread” God gave Israel in the wilderness sustained the lives of the Israelites for a time, but Jesus identifies Himself as the true “bread” that comes down from heaven, because He gives eternal life to all those who partake of Him by faith (John 6:30-35). In our text, Jesus identifies Himself as the true “vine,” the full and final revelation of all that the “vine” anticipated and foreshadowed in the Old Testament. Believers in Jesus (specifically, the disciples) are branches, who are a part of the vine, and yet who need somehow to “abide” or “remain” in the vine.
The Father is the “vinedresser” (NKJV) or “gardener” (NET Bible), the One who tends the vine. Every branch which does not produce fruit in the Vine is removed by the Father. As we would expect, this verse is understood differently by students of the Bible. There are two key expressions in verse 2, the translation of which will determine (or justify) our understanding of what our Lord means in this verse. The terms are “in Me” and “takes away.” If the phrase “in Me” indicates that these branches are true believers, then we must either conclude (against a mountain of contrary evidence in John and the rest of the Scriptures) that Christians can lose their salvation, or we must show that “takes away” does not refer to eternal condemnation (hell). One solution is to translate the Greek word airw “lifts up,” with the sense of helping or assisting. Thus, unfruitful branches are given special care by the Father, with the view to helping them become fruitful. The majority of translations seem to render this verse in a way that indicates that the unfruitful branches are taken away in judgment. This view is consistent with verse 6, which is much more clear about the fate of unfruitful branches, branches which did not abide in the vine. There, unfruitful branches are cast into the fire.
I believe the weight of the evidence falls on the side of that interpretation which concludes that the unfruitful branches are removed from the vine and destroyed.[8] In much more blunt language, the unfruitful branches burn in the eternal fire of hell. If this is the case, then how do we explain the phrase “in Me” (verse 2)? Three passages in the Gospels and one in the Book of Romans help me to understand what Jesus is saying here in verse 2. The first is found in Matthew chapter 3:
7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 10 Even now the ax is ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:7-10).
In this text, many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to John for baptism. They certainly appeared to be identifying themselves with John and his message. John rebukes them because they assumed they were going to enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of God based upon their lineage. They trusted in the fact that they were descendants of Abraham. And yet John warned them of God’s coming wrath. Surely the fruitless “trees” here are dead trees—unbelievers—and the fire is that of eternal punishment. Those who believe they are truly saved, and may even appear to be to others, are not really saved, but are destined for the coming wrath of God on the unbelieving.
The second passage also comes from the Gospel of Matthew:
15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruit. People don’t gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. 21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, lawbreakers!’” (Matthew 7:15-23).
Here, we learn from the lips of our Lord that not everyone who claims to be a spokesman for God is a true prophet. True prophets and false prophets can be distinguished by their “fruits.” The people Jesus describes in verses 21 and 22 certainly thought they were true believers, and many others may have thought so too. But Jesus says that in spite of their profession, and in spite of their impressive deeds, He never knew them. It is by one’s fruit that his profession of faith is found to be either true or false. Though they may claim to be the people of God, those who profess faith without producing fruit are cast into the fire of God’s eternal judgment.
The third text is from the Gospel of Mark:
1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a great crowd gathered around him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the sea and all the crowd was on the land by the sea. 2 He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6 When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have a root, it withered. 7 Other seed fell into the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain. 8 But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing, some bore thirty times, some sixty and some a hundred times.” 9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, listen!” 10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 He said to them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables, 12 ‘so that when they look, they may look but not see, and when they hear, they may hear but not understand, so they may not repent and be forgiven.’”
13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on the rocky ground: whenever they hear the word, they receive it at once with joy. 17 But they have no root in themselves and are temporary. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they fall away immediately. 18 Others are the ones sown among the thorns: they hear the word, 19 but the cares of life, the deceit of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on good soil: they hear the word and receive it and are productive, one thirty times, one sixty, and one a hundred” (Mark 4:1-20).
It should be said at the outset that the relevance of this text to our text in John 15 is somewhat dependent upon the conclusion that the first three soils represent those who are not saved, and that only the fourth soil represents genuine believers. If this is the case, then the ultimate proof of one’s faith[9] appears to be the bearing of fruit. Believers do not all produce the same quantity of fruit, but they do all produce some fruit. Each of the other three soils fails to produce any fruit. Notice, too, that one might assume for a time that the seed sown in the second and third soils has produced true believers. The first soil rejects the gospel immediately, but the second and third soils appear to have life for a time. It is not until persecution and hard times come that they fall away. These seeds sprout, and they appear to be lively, but they ultimately fail to produce any fruit.
The fourth and most compelling text comes from the pen of the Apostle Paul:
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I could provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first portion of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy, and if the root is holy, so too are the branches. 17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root, 18 do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. 22 Notice, therefore, the kindness and harshness of God: harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And even they—if they do not continue in their unbelief—will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:13-24, emphasis mine).
Jewish branches were removed from the olive tree because of their unbelief, even as Gentile branches are grafted into the tree by faith. Surely Paul refers here to the very thing that our Lord is speaking about in John 15. Those Jewish branches which falsely assume they will inherit God’s blessings through Israel (“the olive tree” here, according to their way of thinking) will be severed from the “tree,” Jesus Christ, because they do not believe in Him, and thus they do not abide in Him or bear fruit through Him.[10]
I believe these New Testament texts give us a great deal of help in interpreting and applying our Lord’s words in John 15:2. The Jews of His day (not to mention our own) believe they are in “the vine.” They suppose that by being descendants of Abraham they have a relationship with God which will gain them an entrance to the Kingdom of God, and which assures them that they will not face eternal judgment. Paraphrased according to my understanding of verse 2, our Lord’s words would be something like this:
I know that many of the Jews think they already have a living relationship with “the vine.” That is to say they suppose that just because they are Jews physically they are in fellowship with God and therefore eternally secure. I must say that this is not the case. In truth, anyone who trusts in anything or anyone but Me—the way, the truth, and the life—is not saved at all. Those who are truly “in Me” are those who enjoy a union with Me by faith, and who thus bear fruit in Me. Those who do not bear fruit in Me will sooner or later be severed from any relation to Me, and will ultimately face the fire of God’s eternal wrath.
Having come to this conclusion, let me call your attention to several things I believe we are meant to learn from these first three verses of chapter 15.
First, notice that the purpose of the vine is to bear fruit. We know from the Synoptic Gospels that our Lord cursed the unfruitful fig tree (Matthew 21:18-19). Our purpose as Christians is to abide in Christ so that we might bear fruit. Just what is the “fruit” which is either absent or present? What is the difference between a “fruitful” branch and an “unfruitful” branch? Some think that the “fruit” our Lord refers to here is the “fruit of the Spirit” (see Galatians 5:22-23). Others think of the “fruit” as new converts—those who have been saved as a result of the witness of the branches. I understand the term fruit a bit more broadly. I believe that as we abide in Christ, He abides in us, and when He abides in us, Jesus Christ becomes evident in and through us. The “fruit” then, is being Christ-like. The church is the body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12). I believe we bear fruit as Christ is manifested in and through our lives. He is seen in us as we manifest His character (Galatians 5:22-23). He is evident in us as we carry on the work He began when He was on this earth (see Acts 3:6, 12-16; 4:13). Being fruitful, then, is manifesting Christ in our lives.
Second, the branches are the instrument through which fruit is produced. While our Lord produced much “fruit” when He was physically on the earth, He now produces “fruit” through those (branches) who believe in Him.
Third, these branches only bear fruit in union with the vine. The branches obtain life through the vine; they are sustained by the vine; they produce fruit through the vine. The only way to bear fruit is for the branches to abide in the vine.
Fourth, the Father is the gardener, who tends the vine. He removes the lifeless, fruitless branches—those branches which were never truly “in the vine,” but only supposed themselves to be. He “cleanses” (some versions render this “prunes”) the branches, so that they will bear even more fruit. We really need to pause here for a moment, to reflect on what these words of our Lord really mean. There is a way in which Christians can very quickly and easily turn things around, losing the emphasis and focus we should have. For example, we think of the Lord’s return, and rather than seeing this as the time when our Lord will prevail over His foes and receive the glory He deserves, we think of it mainly in terms of the cessation of our suffering and pain, and in terms of the benefits we will gain.
When our pleasure becomes paramount, rather than God’s glory, then we have fallen far short of what God’s Word teaches. Our purpose in life is not to “fill our cups” with all the pleasure we can experience; it is to abide in Christ so that we may bear fruit for Him. The process by which this fruit-bearing is promoted is often painful. Thus, the Father cleanses or prunes us, so that we will be more fruitful. And lest you think the Father is being arbitrary, do not forget that the “fruit” which our Lord produced by His life and sacrificial death at Calvary came at great cost to Him, and to the Father.
Fifth, the Word is the instrument which the Father employs to tend the vine. The Word is the instrument which God employs to cleanse the branches (15:3; cf. also 17:17). Put in different terms, the Word is the super-sharp cutting instrument by which God prunes us (see Hebrews 4:12). Further, it is also my opinion that the Word is often the “cutting instrument” which the Father employs to “remove” the unfruitful (and unbelieving) branches (15:2). As I read through the Book of Acts, I see the closing of a chapter for Israel and the Jews.[11] The gospel is proclaimed, and some Jews receive it. But many are those who reject the Word of God, bitterly opposing Paul and others who proclaim it. It is in response to the proclamation of the Word that some are “cleansed” and others are “clipped off.” The Word of God is at one and the same time the instrument which separates some from the vine, while drawing others all the more closely.
The teaching of our Lord concerning “abiding” in Him is based upon a fundamental premise, stated in verses 4 and 5: “Apart from Me, you can accomplish nothing.” This is a very basic biblical principle. Jesus means us to understand that the term “nothing” refers to spiritual fruit. There is a certain sense in which men can do nothing at all without Christ. They cannot live or breath or eat, apart from the provisions God has made:
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. 26 From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring’” (Acts 17:24-28, emphasis mine).
Here, our Lord is quite clearly saying that we cannot bear spiritual fruit apart from abiding in Him.
In and of ourselves, we can do nothing to earn God’s favor or to merit His salvation. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We are all under divine condemnation, helpless and hopeless, apart from Christ (Ephesians 2:1-3). So, too, apart from abiding in Christ, Christians cannot do anything that will please Him. This is the point of Romans 7. Romans 6 teaches us the necessity of dying to sin and of living righteously, but Romans 7 informs us of the impossibility of doing so in the power of our flesh. And so Paul cries out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). It is only through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are enabled to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law (Romans 8:3-4).
In theory, Christians know the truth that our Lord is emphasizing here, but very often we simply don’t believe it in a practical way. We really don’t believe that apart from Him we can do nothing. The message that we constantly hear from the “human potential” advocates and motivational speakers is that “we have much more power within us than we know, and that by digging deep within ourselves and drawing upon our own hidden strengths, we can do great things.” This is not what our Lord teaches us concerning the bearing of spiritual fruit. He instructs us that we can do “nothing” apart from a vital union with Him, in which we constantly draw from His life, His strength, His truth. When we do “abide” in Christ, we bear much fruit (verses 5, 8), we bring glory to the Father (verse 8), and we prove ourselves to be disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ (verse 8).
Abiding in Christ is fundamental and essential. But just what does it mean to abide in Him? Our understanding of this great text depends upon our understanding of the word “abide” (KJV) or “remain.” The NET Bible has chosen to consistently render the Greek term (menw) “remain” in our passage.[12] The difficulty with the Greek term is that it conveys more than any one English word is able to capture. Let me illustrate this by pointing out the various ways this word is rendered by the translators of the King James Version. Out of 120 occurrences in the New Testament, menw is rendered “abide” 61 times, “remain” 16 times, “dwell” 15 times, “continue” 11 times, “tarry” 9 times, “endure” 3 times, and still in other ways 5 more times. In our text, the idea of “remaining” is clearly present, but the word “remain” somehow fails to convey the full force of our Lord’s words. A number of times in John’s Gospel, the term is used of “dwelling” in a certain place, of staying somewhere as one’s dwelling place:
38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 Jesus answered, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon (John 1:38-39, emphasis mine).
After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days (John 2:12).
So when the Samaritans came to him, they started asking him to stay with them. He stayed there two days (John 4:40, see also 8:35; 10:40; 11:6).
In addition to these instances, where menw speaks of one’s dwelling somewhere as a place of residence (even if only for a day or so), there are the two occurrences of the related term (monh) in John 14:1 and 23, which refer to the “rooms” (sometimes rendered “mansions”) or “dwelling places” that await us in heaven, in the Father’s house. Because of John’s use of these terms, I would suggest that we render the term menw “make one’s home” or “make one’s abode.” To “abide” in Christ as the True Vine is to “make our home” in Him, just as He also “makes His abode” in us. If we wish to stress the “remain” aspect of the term, we might translate menw “to make our permanent home.”
The idea of having God as our “dwelling place” is found as well in the Old Testament:
A Prayer of Moses the man of God. LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations (Psalm 90:1, NKJV, emphasis mine).
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. … 9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling (Psalm 91:1, 9-10, NKJV, emphasis mine).
For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy (Psalm 61:3, NKJV, emphasis mine).
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe (Proverbs 18:10, NKJV, emphasis mine).
Consequently, it would seem that “making your permanent dwelling place” is not far from the meaning of menw in our text. This helps us discern the message that our Lord is seeking to convey to His disciples, and ultimately to us. What, then, does it mean to “make the Lord Jesus our permanent dwelling place”? Let’s simplify this definition, and say that Jesus is instructing us to make Him our “home” as He makes His “home” in us. Think about what “home” means to us:
- Home is where your heart is; it is where you want to be (especially during holidays).
- Home is the place to which you return, the place to which you are eager to get back to (e.g., when you’ve been on vacation).
- Home is where you feel comfortable, and can really be yourself.
- Home is a place of safety and security.
- Home is where you bring your friends when you wish to have fellowship with them.
- Home is our base of operations; it is at the center of what we do.
- Home is where you find your strength for life; it is where you eat and sleep.
- Home is where the people and the things we love the most are found.
Isn’t this what Jesus Christ should be for the Christian? Shouldn’t He be our place of refuge and security? Should He not be the source of our life and strength? Shouldn’t He be the reason for our fellowship with others? Shouldn’t He be where our heart is?
To further explore this matter of Jesus Christ as our “abiding place,” our “home,” let us consider the opposite of making Him our home. What is it that should not be our “home”? Answer: this world. The old song goes, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through …” Isn’t that really true? John warns us not to become too attached to the world, not to love it:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever (1 John 2:15-17).
Isaiah had it right, and so did “righteous Lot”:
So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5, NKJV).
7 … and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) (2 Peter 2:7-8, NKJV).
This is why Christians are not to be “at home” in this world, but to find their home in Christ:
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:11-12, NKJV).
4 For indeed we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. 6 Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we live by faith, not by sight. 8 Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him (2 Corinthians 5:4-9).
Allow me to attempt to sum up the meaning of the word “remain” in our text. Jesus Christ is the “abiding place” for the Christian. He is the One from whom we derive spiritual life and strength and the means to become Christ-like. It is only through Him that we can “bear fruit.” It is by “abiding” in Him that we also enter into the deepest union and fellowship. Thus, Jesus urges His disciples to “abide” in Him when He departs to be with the Father, assuring them that He will likewise “abide” in them.[13]
Further Instruction on Abiding (15:9-17)
A good teacher employs repetition to clarify and to emphasize his content. In verses 9-17, Jesus reiterates and further explains what He has just said concerning abiding in Him in verses 1-8. He now gives us some specifics as to how we are to abide in Him. He also spells out some of the benefits of abiding in Him. Let me summarize our Lord’s teaching by setting down several principles.
PRINCIPLE ONE: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE ABIDE IN HIS LOVE. You will remember that John introduces the Upper Room Discourse in chapter 13 with a reference to our Lord’s love for His disciples:
Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. He had loved his own who were in the world, and now he loved them to the very end (John 13:1).
Jesus now speaks of abiding in Him as abiding in His love. Our Lord’s love for His disciples is like the Father’s love for Him. As our Lord speaks, He is virtually standing in the shadow of the cross. How can He speak of the Father’s love for Him at a time like this? Usually, we tend to emphasize the Father’s love for us, and that this love prompted Him to send His Son to the cross (see Ephesians 2:4). I believe we must also recognize that the Father sent the Son to Calvary out of His love for the Son, as well as out of His love for lost sinners. How can this be? Dying on the cross of Calvary was indeed an act of humility on our Lord’s part (see Philippians 2:5-8), but it was also intended for His greater exaltation:
9 As a result [of His death on Calvary, as described in the previous verses] God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11).
18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead so that he himself may become first in all things. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him 20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—whether things on the earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:18-20; see also Ephesians 1:18-23).
It is my understanding and conviction that the Father purposed our Lord’s suffering for His own glory, as well as to bring glory to the Son. So, too, God purposes our suffering for His glory, but also for our good. And so it is that our Lord’s love for us includes our suffering (see John 15:18ff.), just as the Father’s love for the Son included His suffering. Abiding in Christ involves “cleansing” or pruning, which is painful for us at the time, but which causes us to cling to the vine, and thus to bear more fruit, and this increased fruit is for His glory, as well as our good.
One more thing should be said about abiding in His love. Abiding in His love is not automatic; it is something which we are commanded to do, and which takes effort and action on our part (albeit, inspired and empowered by God—see Philippians 2:12-13). Abiding in Christ requires the self-discipline that Paul talks about (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) and which the Holy Spirit produces (see 1 Timothy 1:7).
PRINCIPLE TWO: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. How, then, do we abide in His love? Jesus is very clear on this matter. We abide in His love when we keep His commandments. We are to keep His commandments just as He has kept His Father’s commandments, thus abiding in His love (verse 10). Just what commandments would these be that our Lord has kept? John certainly indicates what some of these are:
Then Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak just what the Father taught me” (John 8:28).
17 “This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is the commandment I received from my Father” (John 10:17-18).
49 “For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me” (John 12:49-50).
Jesus never acted independently of the Father, even when Satan sought to tempt our Lord to do so in His testing in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-12). He spoke only what the Father gave Him to speak. He even went to the cross of Calvary, in obedience to the commandment He received from the Father. Do you remember the expression, “Your wish is my command?” The Father’s wish (will) was our Lord’s command. That is the way one truly submits.
We often flatter ourselves here, telling ourselves that Jesus died on the cross of Calvary because He loved us so much. There is a certain amount of truth in this, but we often carry it too far. I often cringe when I happen to be listening to a Christian radio station, and I hear these words, “Could it be that He would really rather die than live without us?” Let’s not flatter ourselves. God’s love for the lost did prompt Him to send His precious and sinless Son to the cross of Calvary, but let us not lose sight of the fact that Jesus went to that cross in obedience to the command of the Father.
Our Lord does not say that we abide in His love “if we keep His commandment (singular),” but rather if we “keep His commandments” (plural). Here, Jesus does not say that we abide in His love when we “keep the law.” So long as the term “law” is properly defined, one might say this. Paul said that the “law” was holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12). He called the law “spiritual” (Romans 7:14). And in the next chapter of Romans, Paul said that those who walk in the Spirit will “fulfill the requirements of the law” (Romans 8:4). I believe that our Lord avoided the term “law” here and employed the word “commandments” because He did not want to give legalistic Judaisers an occasion to attempt to put the Gentiles under the Old Testament law.
The Judaisers separated the law from love,[14] though they should not have done so:
“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments”[15] (Deuteronomy 7:9, NKJV, emphasis mine).
Jesus inseparably joins love and commandment keeping. Jesus summed up the whole law by two commandments, both of which were commands to love:
34 Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. 35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:34-40).
The Judaisers seemed to be ignorant of the fact that the law was given out of love. God gave Israel the law because of His love for those He had chosen to be His people (Deuteronomy 7:7, 12-13; 10:14-16). He expected His people to obey His law out of their love for Him (Deuteronomy 7:9; 30:16). Whenever we separate God’s love from God’s law, we get ourselves into trouble.
God gave the law out of His great love for His people. What God prohibited, He prohibited for man’s own good. What He required, He required for man’s own good. The law is a manifestation of God’s love for His people.[16] No wonder the psalmists can say these things about God’s law:
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2, NKJV).
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8, NKJV).
I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8, NKJV).
Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law (Psalm 119:18, NKJV).
Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight (Psalm 119:77, NKJV).
Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97, NKJV).
98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts (Psalm 119:98-100, NKJV).
The law of God should be the delight of every saint because it is a manifestation of God’s love. God gave us His law to keep us from those things which would destroy us and to point us to the only One who can save us—Jesus Christ. Whenever we begin to look upon God’s commands as something other than an expression of God’s love, then we are headed for serious trouble.
For example, consider the account of the fall of man in Genesis 3. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, He gave them a good work to do, and also many good things to eat. The only thing He prohibited was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). Deceitfully, Satan questioned Eve in such a way as to cause her to question God’s love for her. The serpent convinced Eve that God had not prohibited eating from this tree out of love (which, indeed, He had), but out of some less-than-noble motivation. Satan convinced Eve that God was withholding something good, and that she would have to disobey God’s commandment in order to obtain what was “good” for her. Had she trusted in God and believed that He forbade the illicit fruit for her good, she would not have desired to eat of that fruit.
It is quite easy for us to see the truth as it applies to Adam and Eve, so long ago and so far away. But let us pause for just a moment to consider a present day example.
As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says. 35 If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. 36 Did the word of God begin with you, or did it come to you alone? 37 If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, he should acknowledge that what I write to you is the Lord’s command. 38 If someone does not recognize this, he is not recognized (1 Corinthians 14:33b-38).
Not just in this passage, but in other New Testament texts as well, Paul calls for men and women to function differently in the church, particularly in its gathering for teaching and worship. Paul instructs the women to be “silent in the churches.” He then indicates that this is part of the submission of women which the law requires. And then he goes so far as to insist that his instruction is the “command” of our Lord. Why is it that a distressingly large number of evangelical Christians cannot accept this prohibition in the same way that Adam and Eve should have accepted the prohibition of the forbidden fruit? Why is there the assumption that a loving God would not, and could not, restrict the public ministry of women? Why is it that students and scholars are rushing back to their texts, trying to find some loophole which will allow them to set this command of our Lord aside? This prohibition is one of our Lord’s commands, and we should look upon it as a manifestation of His love. And if we are to truly abide in His love, then we must keep this command, as well as all the other commandments of our Lord.
18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis mine).
PRINCIPLE THREE: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE LOVE THE BRETHREN. While the words of our Lord make it clear that we are to keep all of His commandments (verse 9), at this moment Jesus gives His disciples but one commandment: they must love one another, just as He has loved them (verse 12). In some ways, this one command encompasses all other commands in that if one acts in love toward others, he will keep the commandments. This command has already been given by our Lord:
34 “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
In chapter 13 and in our text in chapter 15, Jesus is commanding His disciples to love each other. The command does not appear to encompass the world at large, but their relationships with one another as His disciples. As the world witnesses this love, they will see that its origin is divine, and that these men really are the disciples of Jesus. Very shortly, Jesus is going to reveal to His disciples that the world will hate them because they love Him. No wonder it is vital for these men to love one another. It is apparent that these men have not always been of one mind. This very night these men were arguing with one another over which of them was considered the greatest (see Luke 22:24). In our Lord’s absence, the potential for division was increased. The Holy Spirit would give them a supernatural unity in Christ, but they must strive to maintain this unity by living in love.
PRINCIPLE FOUR: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE HAVE GREAT JOY (verse 11). Leon Morris calls our attention to the fact that the word “joy” occurs only once before the Upper Room Discourse, but it will now occur seven times.[17] Obviously, “joy” is a prominent theme in our text, at a time when we might not expect it. Hearts were heavy that evening, for Jesus had told them some very distressing things, which troubled them greatly (13:22; 14:1, 27; 16:6, 22). If His disciples would abide in Him, their sorrows would be dispelled, and they would be replaced by great joy. Not only would His joy be in them, but their joy would be full. Their hearts would overflow with joy. When we read through the Book of Acts, we find joyful believers, very often in the midst of adversity (see Acts 2:28; 8:5-8; 13:52; 15:3; 20:24).[18]
What is it that will give the disciples—and us—great joy? The first thing I would say is that the “joy” one experiences as an unbeliever is very different from the “joy” of the Christian. In fact, the “joy” we experience as Christians is almost the opposite of the joy we once experienced apart from Christ. Unfortunately, Jonah illustrates the wrong kind of joy. He could rejoice in his own personal comfort, thanks to the vine that afforded him some shade (4:6), but he was greatly distressed by the salvation of the people of Nineveh (Jonah 4:1-4).
Our joy is very different …
First and foremost, our joy is really His joy (John 15:11; 17:13). As we abide in Him and He in us, we experience great joy from those things that bring Him joy, as we would also be grieved by what grieves Him.[19]
Second, the disciples had a very special joy. As they were greatly grieved at the death of their Master, their joy at seeing Him alive, raised from the dead, can hardly be described (see John 16:22; 20:20; 21:7).
Third, joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:42; Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22; 1 Thessalonians 1:6).
Fourth, we have joy when we become born-again Christians by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 8:5-8; Romans 15:13).
Fifth, we rejoice when others come to faith in Christ, as well as when they grow in their faith (Acts 11:23; 15:13; 2 Corinthians 7:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20; 3:9; Philemon 1:7; Hebrews 13:17; 1 John 1:4).
Sixth, we have joy in taking part in the plans and purposes of a sovereign God, even when this brings about our own suffering (Acts 4:23-31).
Seventh, we find joy in doing that which brings the Father’s approval (Hebrews 12:2).
Eighth, we have joy in sacrificial service (2 Corinthians 8:2).
Ninth, we have joy in being with other saints and enjoying their fellowship (Philippians 1:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 2 Timothy 1:4; 2 John 1:12).
Tenth, we have joy when we ask God for what He desires and for what we need, and in seeing Him answer our prayers (John 16:24).
PRINCIPLE FIVE: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE ARE HIS FRIENDS. Jesus tells His disciples that He no longer calls them slaves, but rather friends. Nevertheless, in the Epistles, the apostles call themselves “slaves” of Christ (see Romans 1:1; 2 Corinthians 4:5; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 4:12; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1). They also urge others to think of themselves in this way (Ephesians 6:6; 1 Peter 2:16).
Nevertheless, Jesus speaks of a change which is about to take place in His relationship with His disciples. He will no longer deal with them as His slaves but rather as His intimate friends. A slave is expected to do what his master instructs him to do, whether or not he likes it, and whether or not he understands why he is commanded to do it. The best analogy today would be found in the armed forces. The change would be from the status of a “private” in the army to a “pal” of the sergeant. When new recruits are sent to boot camp, it is to train them to be “slaves.” That is, it is to train these men to obey orders, instantly, and without question. If the sergeant orders a private to dig a hole four feet square, the private is to do it. If the sergeant then orders the private to fill the hole back in again, he is to obey without hesitation. The “private” is virtually the “sergeant’s” slave (at least that’s how it used to be). The private would never think of expecting the sergeant to explain his reasons for giving any order.
Up till now, there was a sense in which the disciples were more like slaves than friends. It was not because Jesus was treating them unkindly, but because they were incapable of being anything else. A “friend” is one with whom you share your thinking, your goals, your motivations, your reasons for doing things. The disciples were simply not able to understand any of these things, even though our Lord communicated many of them to His disciples. But now, with the coming of the Holy Spirit and their abiding in Him, He could openly disclose His plans and purposes, so that they knew not only what He was seeking to do, but how and why He was doing it. No longer were His disciples to be “in the dark”; they were to be fully enlightened as to what He was doing. Abiding in Christ intimately connects us with Christ, so that we not only draw life and strength from Him, but we also come to know His heart and mind.
We see hints of this kind of friendship with God in the Old Testament.[20] God called Abraham “My friend” in Isaiah 41:8. When He was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He would not keep this from His “friend”:
17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” (Genesis 18:17-18, NKJV; see Isaiah 41:8.)
The same kind of intimacy can be seen with Moses:
9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. 10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. 11 So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle. 12 Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:9-14, NKJV, emphasis mine).
I would ask you to take note of the fact that both Abraham and Moses are called the friend of God. In both cases, God reveals things to His “friend” that He does not reveal to others. And in both cases, on the basis of what God did reveal to His “friend,” this “friend” petitioned God on behalf of others, and the petition was granted.
Throughout the Gospels, we are told that the disciples did not know or did not understand much of what Jesus was here to do. They misunderstood and misapplied much of what He did tell them. But after His death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, things became clear to the disciples. And since the apostles wrote the New Testament Gospels and Epistles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have passed on to us what they learned. And so from the time of Pentecost onward, any saint can be an informed “friend” of our Lord, knowing what He is doing, and why, through His Word.
Think of someone you know of who is powerful and influential, and who is sought after by many. Can you imagine what it would be like to know that person intimately, to spend time with this one, and to be able to speak freely about the most confidential matters? This is the relationship which our Lord not only makes possible for us, it is a relationship He urges us to enter into, and in which we are to abide.
Conclusion
One’s last words must be assumed to be significant. Prominent among our Lord’s last words to His disciples was the command to abide in Him. It is the key to fruitfulness, but it is much more than that. It is as essential to our spiritual lives as eating or breathing is to sustaining physical life. As I was reflecting on what it meant to abide in Christ, my attention turned to the words of our Lord in John 14:6, where He claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life.” No born-again Christian would think of denying the truth of these words, but some are inclined to restrict and limit them to the time when people come to faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and for the gift of eternal life. Jesus is “the way” to the Father, but we must continue in that way. Jesus is “the truth,” and we must believe in the truth of the gospel in order to be saved. But we must constantly be in “the truth” of God’s Word because the world and the devil are constantly dealing in deception and illusions (see Ephesians 4:17-25). Jesus is “the life,” and we must abide in Him, drawing life from Him daily, for these earthly bodies in which we live are, in Paul’s words, “bodies of death” (Romans 7:24). If there are many texts which instruct us regarding our initial entrance into the faith, there are also many texts like our text in John 15 which instruct us to continue to abide in Christ.
And so I would ask a very simple question of you, my friend, “Are you abiding in Christ?” Have you come to recognize your sin, your need for truth, for life, for a way to God the Father and to His heaven? Have you placed your trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life? In other words, are you a Christian? There are many who suppose themselves to be, based upon family background, church attendance, an occasional prayer offered God-ward. But are you abiding in Christ, looking only to Him for life, for strength, for fruit? Do you have a daily sense of your inadequacy in and of yourself? Do you find that it is only “in Christ” that you are assured of eternal life and of spiritual fruit? If you are not abiding, it may be appropriate to ask whether or not you are really “in the vine,” whether or not you are one of God’s chosen people.
If, indeed, you are a true child of God, then you should daily seek to abide in Christ. How is this done? How does one abide in Christ? Jesus has told us in this text. We abide in His love as we obey His commands. We abide in Christ as we draw near to Him and rely on Him to meet our every need, which we cannot meet ourselves.
As I conclude this lesson, let me highlight two things which I believe are very detrimental to our obedience to our Lord’s command to abide. The first is complacency—the false sense that we are self-sufficient, and thus do not need to draw our life and strength from our Lord. This was the case with those in Laodicea:
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth! 17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing,” but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see!” (Revelation 3:14-17)
If we feel self-sufficient, we are greatly deceived, and we need to reassess our total dependence on Christ for our life. When we see that “apart from Him” we “can do nothing,” then we will be prompted to actively abide in Him.
Second, we are greatly hindered by the hectic pace of our times. As I have sought to teach this text over the past two weeks, I have emphasized my own appraisal that Christians today are not abiding because they are working so hard to “achieve” for Christ, rather than to “abide” in Christ. We have become preoccupied with programs and activities. We are spending more and more time at church and “in ministry,” but less and less time “with our Lord.” We see Him as the “Giver,” but not the “Gift.” We are intent upon obtaining the “power” that He gives, but we are not as intent on knowing the “person” of God in Christ. Of all the time which you are spending “for Christ,” how much time is spent in the pursuit of Christ? I do not ask this as one who is successful in this area, but as one who sees how badly I have failed here. And my guess is that you are struggling in this same matter.
The words “effective” and “successful” are often found in print in a Christian bookstore. And so it is that we continue to read those books which tell us how to be an “effective” leader or husband or parent. We grab up any book that promises us a successful marriage. I do not think in this day and age (and in this culture) that we are doing a great deal of abiding, but only seeking to achieve. It is my opinion that Christians are doing more and more, but abiding less and less. Perhaps it is time for us to have fewer programs, fewer nights at the church, fewer meetings, with the expressed purpose of giving ourselves to abiding in Christ.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that we should completely do away with church functions and devote ourselves only to “individual” activities with the Lord. I do not think it is possible for a Christian to abide in Christ apart from commitment to and involvement in a local church body (see Hebrews 10:23-25). But we can be tempted to look to programs to give us what only Christ can give. Christians are so busy that they are running themselves ragged, and when they finally have a moment to sit down quietly with the Word of God, they fall asleep (I speak from experience here).
I have spoken about too much church activity, and I believe it to be true in many cases. But I must also say that many of the families I see that are stressed out and spiritually fatigued are not just consumed with church functions, but with family functions, especially those related to the children. We feel that we must have our kids in little league baseball, in soccer, in music lessons, and a myriad of other activities. Somehow, somewhere, we must stop and say that enough is enough. When was the last evening that you spent together quietly at home as a family? When was the last time you invited your unsaved neighbors over for coffee?
One of my fellow-elders remarked that he agreed with much of what I had said about abiding and over-activity. He also pointed out that busyness is not, in and of itself, an anathema to abiding. He is right, of course. No one was busier than our Lord, and yet He never failed to “abide” in His Father’s love. But even here, Jesus was able to abide because He purposefully removed Himself temporarily from these busy activities to spend time alone with His Father. We need to do likewise.
It occurred to me that many of those whom I would call “abiders” in the Gospels were women, not men. We see them described, not so much in terms of their great works for our Lord, but rather in terms of simply being with Him (see Luke 8:1-3). I was thinking about Mary and Martha, as described in Luke chapter 10:
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? So then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42).
What was “the best part” that Mary chose and that Martha neglected? Was it not simply “abiding” in Christ, sitting at His feet, enjoying Him? Are we not so much more like Martha than Mary? I would simply ask you to take the time to sit down and assess the quality of your abiding, and if your abiding is lacking, to purpose before God to do something about it. We are not commanded to produce fruit, for this is what our Lord does in and through us. We are commanded to “abide in Christ,” and thus it would behoove us to have a plan and a process by which we seek to obey His command to abide in Him. After all, isn’t this what we should really want to do anyway? Should we not desire to delight in Him, even as He has chosen to delight in us? May God use this text to stimulate us to actively seek to enhance the quality of our abiding in Him, to His glory, and for our eternal good.
* THE RELATION OF CHRISTIANS TO EACH OTHER (15:12-17)
Having explained the essential relationship of Christians to Himself, Jesus proceeded to show His disciples what their relationship to each other should be.
When death nears, it is remarkable how important the shade of our sheltering friends becomes. Not even the Son of God wanted to be alone when the shadow of the cross darkened His last days.
The differences of temperament among them and the jealousies that had arisen over the positions which they expected to holdin the coming kingdom made their group unstable.
Jesus knew that if they were to maintain an adequate testimony for Him they could do so only as a unit. Disunity would mar their work, if indeed it did not vitate that work altogether. For this reason He gave them the 11th commandment: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
The comparative clause in verse 12 gave the standard by which all real love can be measured and understood. Christ did not ask from His disciples more than He himself gave, and He set the norm by His own life.
The first element of this lofty love was sacrifice: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” This marked the highest achievement of human love.
Divine love went beyond this, for Jesus laid down His life for His enemies. By emphasizing the word man, the full meaning of the text may be brought into plain view. Men give their lives for their friends; Jesus gave His life for His enemies.
A second aspect of love was intimacy, illustrated by Jesus’ contrast of the words “friends” and “slaves.” The bondservant might be loved by the master,, and might be treated kindly; but he never would be regarded as an equal nor given an insight into his master’s mind.
“You are my friends if you do what I command. {15} 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.”
The third qauality of divine love was initiative. Jesus had not waited for men to appreciate Him and to invite Him into their lives, but He had first chosen them.
“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. {17} This is my command: Love each other.”
The fourth aspect of love was productiveness. Jesus’ love for the disciples was to be the secret of their effectiveness. Out of the timid band who fled from His enemies in the garden and who cowered in the upper room after the resurrection, Jesus made convincing witnesses.
When I come to our text, I must confess that the subject of persecution is something else I know almost nothing about. I am told there are more martyrs for the Christian faith today than ever before. And for all those who are killed, there are many others who are allowed to live, so that their persecution can be prolonged. From what I have read, I know that at this very hour, Christians in Egypt are facing intense persecution. This is often the case in those countries where Muslim fundamentalists are in power. In India, many Christians are experiencing persecution at the hands of zealous Hindus, something that was virtually unknown just a few years ago. I must confess that the worst persecution I have faced personally is a little scoffing (when I taught school in a medium security prison), or an uplifted eyebrow. As I approach this passage, aware of the suffering of many of my fellow-believers in distant places, I must readily admit that Christians in America are the exception to the rule, knowing very little of suffering solely for being a Christian. Though the words of our Lord may sound distant and foreign to us, one never knows how soon the day will come when believers here may experience the very things of which our Lord speaks in our text. We should listen well, not only to sympathize with our fellow-saints, but to prepare ourselves for the days to come.
Jesus and His disciples have just observed the Passover. Judas has already gone out, setting in motion his final acts of the betrayal of Jesus. Jesus has shocked His disciples by telling them that He is leaving them behind, and that they will not be able to follow Him immediately. The disciples have been shaken by our Lord’s words that one of them is about to betray Him, and that Peter is going to deny Him, repeatedly. They have asked a number of questions, but it is very clear that they have no grasp of what is about to happen to Jesus, or to them.
In the first half of chapter 15, Jesus has instructed His disciples to “abide in Him.” In our text, He does not turn to a different subject, but rather to a different aspect of abiding. Abiding in Christ is the source of our life, our fruit-bearing, and of our fellowship, both with God and with our fellow Christians. Abiding in Him is also the reason the world will hate us. The same hatred for Jesus which prompts unbelievers to call for His crucifixion will soon be vented upon those who have identified with Jesus, and through whom our Lord will continue to work in this world. And so Jesus turns to the subject of persecution, and the ministry of His Spirit, who will not only give His disciples joy in the midst of their afflictions, but who will enable them to witness and to reap a harvest of souls from among those who hate both Jesus and those who abide in Him.
Let us listen well to these last words of our Lord, to find comfort and courage in the face of rejection and persecution from an unbelieving world.
I remember a song that was popular when I was growing up. The words of the song went something like this:
Everybody loves a lover I’m a lover Everybody loves me[21]
This is not a song that would have been sung by the disciples after the crucifixion of our Lord. They were commanded to be lovers—that is, to love one another—but this did not mean that they would be loved by the world. Quite the opposite is indicated by our Lord.
In verse 17, Jesus once again commands His disciples to love one another (see also, John 13:34, 35; 15:12-13). If they truly are abiding in Christ, then they will keep His commandments, and the most emphatic commandment He has given them so far is that they love one another. There is a very good reason why this command is repeated in verse 17:
9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name. 10 Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive many; 12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:9-14).
Abiding in Christ has many benefits, but one of the painful side effects is that because the world hates our Lord, it will likewise hate us. Thus, the abiding in Christ which produces a love for the brethren also incites the hatred of unbelievers towards us. In the very near future, “the world”[22] will manifest its hatred toward our Lord’s disciples. For a short time, this animosity toward the disciples will be predominantly Jewish.[23] As the Jewish religious leaders rejected Jesus, they will likewise reject and oppose His followers. In verse 2 of chapter 16, Jesus tells His disciples that they will be put out of the synagogue. I take it that the temple is not mentioned here because our Lord knows full well that it will be destroyed in 70 A. D., which may have occurred before the Gospel of John was written (see Matthew 23:34-38; Mark 13:1-2). Considerable Jewish persecution of Christians is documented in the Book of Acts (see Acts 4:1ff.; 5:17ff.; 6:8ff.; 8:1; 13:45ff.; 14:2ff.; 14:19ff.). It wasn’t long before Gentiles likewise opposed the spread of the gospel (see Acts 16:19ff.; 19:23ff.). I believe that while the disciples had experienced some resistance and opposition previously (see John 5:16), the crucifixion of our Lord seems to unleash a storm of bitter opposition from the Jews, similar to what happened after the stoning of Stephen (see Acts 8:1). The “triumphal entry,” just a few days earlier, may have given the disciples a false sense of success and acceptance, but this popularity would prove to be very short-lived.
Our Lord’s words to His disciples not only indicate that they will experience great persecution from “the world,” they also explain just why this hostility will be unleashed on them. Abiding in Christ will result in the “fruit” of being Christ-like. Thus, when the world observes Jesus living in and through His disciples, unbelievers will respond to them just as they once responded to the Lord Jesus. When this happens, the disciples are to recall that the world hated their Master first. If those who followed Jesus were to abide in the world, rather than to abide in Christ, the world would embrace them as one of their own. But since Jesus has chosen to snatch them out of the world, the world will hate them, just as it hated Him.
Later on we can see that Peter grasped the meaning of our Lord’s words because he virtually repeats the essence of what our Lord says to His disciples in his first epistle:
3 For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians desire. You lived then in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, boozing, and wanton idolatries. 4 So they are astonished when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you (1 Peter 4:3-4).
Jesus wants His disciples to understand that others will respond to them in one of two ways. Those who reject the Lord Jesus will reject His disciples and persecute them. Those who accept Jesus as their Messiah will also accept them:
19 “I am telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I am he. 20 I tell you the solemn truth, whoever accepts the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me” (John 13:19-20).
* THE RELATION OF CHRISTIANS TO THE WORLD (15:18-27)
A German preacher named Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.”
As we turn the pages of the New Testament, the blood of martyrs stains our fingertips. Paul’s life is a good example. Acts 9:15-16 predicts the suffering he would endure for Christ, the fulfillment of which can be found in 1 Cor. 4:11-13 and 2 Cor. 4:8-9.
Jesus never intended that the Christian should live in pious isolation, but in active contact with the problems of men.
Nevertheless, He drew a sharp line between the Christian and the “world” which comprises the mass of men who live without God.
Jesus, in stating the attitude of the world, carefully forewarned the disciples of its hatred because He did not want them disillusionned when they met it. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”
The type of grammatical condition which John used implied the actuality of the hatred; it was not hypothetical.
Jesus recognized it as a chilling reality; but He comforted the disciples by reassuring them that He shared with them all the ostracism and contempt which the world could heap on them.
Throughout all nature, whether in the animal or human world, there is a tendency to dislike any individual that differs from the average type. Birds will drive from the flock one of their number that differs radically from them in plumage.
The very fact that He has chosen men out of the world places them in a different category from others. They have a new nature, a new aim in life, a new productiveness. The world does not understand their motives nor feel comfortable in their company.
Jesus gave three reasons why persecution will occur:
1. “Because you are not of the world
2. Because they do not know the One who sent Me
3. That the word may be fulfilled
“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. {20} Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master[1].’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. {21} They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.”
The chief reason, lastly, for the hatred of the world was Jesus’ exposure of its sin. Verses 22 and 24 describe the effect of Jesus on the world.
“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. {23} He who hates me hates my Father as well. {24} 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. {25} But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.'”
The words and deeds of Christ showed by contrast how evil men can become. Ignorance could no longer palliate their guilt.
Two antidotes to the attitude of the world are proposed in the concluding verses: the witness of the Spirit and the witness of Christians.
Our reaction to persecution should be one of acceptance, as stated in 1 Peter 4:12: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”
Jesus gives us four suggestions on how to react when the persecution starts to bewilder us:
1. We should rely on the Holy Spirit
2. We should stand firm and boldly testify our faith in Christ
3. We shouldn’t stumble
4. We shouldn’t forget we’d been forewarned
“”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. {27} And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
Jesus speaks about guilt for sin, a guilt for which there is no excuse. The “sinners” are simply referred to as “they” (verses 22, 24-25). John tells us of this sin of unbelief at the very beginning of his Gospel:
10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him (John 1:10-11).
Jesus’ words in verse 23 would be absolutely shocking and scandalous to the Jews: “The one who hates me hates my Father too.”
The Jews falsely assumed that they had a relationship with God, based upon: (1) their ancestry, namely the fact that Abraham was their forefather (see Matthew 3:9-10; John 8:33ff.); and (2) their keeping of the Law of Moses, at least by their definition of it (see Matthew 5:20; Romans 2:17–3:20). Ironically, they accused Jesus of being just the opposite: (1) that He was an illegitimate child (John 8:41), and (2) that He was a law-breaker and a sinner (John 5:18; 9:16, 24; 18:30-31). They claimed God as their father and were incensed when Jesus claimed God was His Father (John 5:17ff.; 8:31ff.). Jesus now indicates that if anyone hates Him, they also hate the Father. How incredible! The very ones who believe that they love God have demonstrated that they hate Him, and the proof of this is the fact that they hate Jesus.
How is it that apart from our Lord’s coming and speaking to them, they would not be guilty of sin? Does Paul not argue in Romans that all men are sinners, rightly condemned by God (Romans 3:9-23)? How, then, can Jesus say that apart from His coming and the words He has spoken, the Jews would have no sin? Let me suggest a solution. In every dispensation (regardless of what that number might be), God establishes a clear standard of righteousness, which all men fail, thus proving themselves to be sinners, condemned by God, and desperately in need of grace. The Law of Moses proved men to be sinners under the old covenant; Jesus’ coming and rejection by men would prove men to be sinners under the new covenant. Jesus is the ultimate, consummate, revelation of the righteousness of God. To reject Him is to reject God the Father. To reject Him is to demonstrate the immensity of one’s sin.
Put differently, all men since Adam and Eve were born sinners, and their lives have shown it. But, as Paul tells us, apart from the law, they could not be charged with sin. Sin is lawlessness, and thus there must be a law that is broken for one to be charged with sin:
12 So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed (Romans 5:12-14).
Jesus is the “Light of the world,” the ultimate revelation of God (John 1:4-5, 9; see also Hebrews 1:1-3). By His life and His words, Jesus revealed God to men. When men reject Jesus Christ, they reject the ultimate revelation of God. The rejection of Jesus as the Son of God (whom He claimed to be) is compelling evidence of one’s sin and guilt. In this “new covenant” age, men’s sin or righteousness is evidenced by their response to Jesus Christ. Confronted with Jesus, the people of Israel had to make a decision. The decision to reject Him—indeed, to crucify Him—was proof of how sinful they were. The same standard, of course, applies to the Gentiles.
Jesus is even more specific about the sin of the Jews. Jesus had not merely mingled with the Jews, He had performed countless miracles as they looked on: “Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. But these are recorded 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” (John 20:30-31).
In spite of these compelling proofs of His identity, they still rejected Him. In so doing, they hated both Jesus and the Father. It was our Lord’s words, as well as His works, which proved the truth of His claim to be Israel’s Messiah, God incarnate. The ultimate sin is not just to break the law, which partially reveals the righteousness of God. The ultimate sin is to reject Him who is the full revelation of God, Jesus Christ, and to crucify Him as a sinner, deserving the penalty of death.
Was this rejection of the Messiah something completely unexpected? Was God caught off guard by the unbelief of the Jews? Far from it! It was all a part of His plan (see Romans 9–11). Indeed, in rejecting Jesus without cause, the Jews were fulfilling prophecy, which foretold of His rejection without a cause:
Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause (Psalm 35:19, NKJV, emphasis mine).
Those who hate me without a cause Are more than the hairs of my head; They are mighty who would destroy me, Being my enemies wrongfully; Though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it (Psalm 69:4, NKJV, emphasis mine).
It was, in fact, God’s plan to employ Jewish unbelief as the occasion to bring the gospel to the Gentiles:
11 I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their transgression means riches for the world and their defeat means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring? … 28 In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you formerly were disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience so that he may show mercy to all (Romans 11:11-12, 28-32).
This opposition and persecution should not cause the disciples to withdraw or retreat. It will be their task not only to abide in Christ, but to proclaim Christ to the world that hates Him, and them. How can Jesus possibly expect His disciples to testify to the world with all this hostility and persecution? He gives them and us the answer. He will send His Holy Spirit, who will testify about Christ through them. The disciples have been with Jesus since the beginning of His ministry, and thus they have witnessed the hand of God on His life and ministry. As they testify about Him, the Holy Spirit will facilitate their witness:
26 When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me; 27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning (verses 26-27).
* SOME FINAL WORDS OF APPLICATION
Jesus warned His disciples that they were headed for difficult times. Jesus prepared them for this painful experience in a number of ways.
First, He told them that when the world hated them, they should remember that the world hated Him first (15:18). Because they were His disciples, they could expect the same treatment which He had received (15:20). If the world had listened to Him, then it would listen to them. However, since the world had generally persecuted Him, they could expect the world to do the same to them as well.
Persecution by the world, Jesus told them, would not be “personal,” but would come to them because they were His followers (15:21).
He wanted His disciples to know that those who hated Him and them also hated the Father (15:23).
Jesus knew that what would be most distressing about the approaching persecution was that it would make no sense! He foresaw that it would be “without a cause” (15:25).
He hoped that knowing this ahead of time would somehow make it more tolerable for the disciples.
The disciples could also expect to be thrown out of synagogues. (Being thrown out of a synagogue was more than a temporary eviction from a house of worship.
The synagogue was the social and religious center of a community. To be separated from one’s own family and people would be a painful price to pay for following Jesus.)
Of all that Jesus warned them about, the most painful may have been this statement: “An hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God” (16:2). Why did Jesus give them such distressing news on the eve of His crucifixion? His purpose was to prepare them so that they would not stumble when the hard times arrived (16:1). If they would remember that Jesus had warned them about such troubles, then they would not be disheartened (16:4).
With Jesus present to encourage and instruct them, they had needed no such warnings. As He prepared to leave them, these teachings were essential for their spiritual survival.
Although our situations as followers of Jesus are somewhat different today, we likewise need to hear His words about the trouble that we will face. In some places in the world today, the opposition which confronts Christians is severe. They are beaten and imprisoned. Their homes are burned, or their church meetings are forbidden.
These Christians can understand Jesus’ words in this passage. They know they should not be surprised by their suffering, because Jesus Himself suffered first!
Other Christians may not face physical persecution as much as they face social persecution. While not physically beaten, they may be ridiculed for their beliefs and laughed at for their convictions.
In 1992, movie critic Michael Medved published a book called Hollywood vs. America, in which he demonstrated how the movie-making industry takes every opportunity to belittle religion and religious values. Later he produced a video called Hollywood vs. Religion. In both the book and the video he stated that even though it often costs them great amounts of money in lost revenues, Hollywood movie-makers seem intent on attacking those who believe in God.
Persecution is sometimes most intense within a Christian’s own home. A husband or a wife may criticize and belittle the faith of a believing spouse. This form of persecution may be the most difficult to endure. This is surely the reason that although first-century Christians were instructed to remain with their non-Christian mates, the idea of a Christian’s marrying a nonChristian was unthinkable (1 Corinthians 7:1216, 39).
Paul–no stranger to persecution himself-wrote to the church in Rome, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18).
The first nine words of this verse indicate that it is not always within our power to live at peace. Sometimes our spiritual opponents will not let matters rest, and we will have to face persecution.
We should not be surprised at this, remembering Jesus’ suffering and His warning that we will also suffer for following Him. His words are our protection to keep us from stumbling!
– There is a great difference between picking a fight and enduring a persecution.
– There is a great difference between loving the world and living in the world.
– There is a great difference between running scared and running informed.
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Jesus has warned us that persecution is to be expected by those who dare to follow Him. In some way or another, all Christians face hardship because of our faith.
When that happens, what are we to do? The answers Jesus gives us are “Remain in the vine” and “Love each other.” The day after He gave these instructions, Jesus went to the cross as the greatest demonstration of love that the world has ever seen. However, He was not loved in return. Instead, He was cursed, spit upon, beaten, humiliated, and killed. It was a terrible scene of the most irrational hatred the world has ever witnessed.
Even in this madness, Jesus demonstrated faithfulness and love. He faced persecution and showed us the way to overcome it.
Where I live, we have an expression that we use when we have had an unusually bad day. We say, “My mother always said there would be days like this.” When we are called to pay a difficult price for the privilege of wearing the name of Christ, we can, in the same way, say, “My Lord said there would be days like this.” Not only did He say that suffering would come, but He also told us what to do when it does come: Cling to the vine, and love one another!
[1] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), pp. 90, 91.
[2] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible.
[3] It had never occurred to me before that the exhortation of our Lord in John 13-17 is similar to that found in the Book of Hebrews, where the Greek term menw (“abide”) is found six times. Just as the writer to the Hebrews seeks to keep them from stumbling when persecution intensifies against them, so our Lord speaks to His disciples in the Upper Room, to keep them from stumbling (16:1) and to encourage, instead, their abiding in Him.
[4] The Greek term menw occurs 120 times in the New Testament, nearly half of which (55) appear in one of John’s writings. The term occurs 34 times in the Gospel of John, 20 times in the Johannine epistles (18 times in 1 John, 2 times in 2 John), and 1 time in Revelation.
[5] In addition to the verses cited below, see Psalm 80:8, 14; Isaiah 27:2ff.; Jeremiah 2:21; 12:10-13; Ezekiel 15:1-8; 17:8; 19:10-14; Joel 2:22; Zechariah 8:12; Malachi 3:11. Rosscup adds, “… the vine had been an emblem of Israel on Maccabean coins as well as on the gate of Herod’s Temple.” James E. Rosscup, Abiding in Christ: Studies in John 15 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), p. 246.
[6] In the context, unbelieving Jews are in focus, but in its broader application “fruitless branches” would include all unbelievers, especially those who falsely suppose themselves to be true believers in God.
[7] This word is found 28 times in the New Testament. It is found only once in the Synoptic Gospels. It occurs once in 1 Thessalonians, three times in Hebrews, and the other 21 times it is found in one of John’s writings (John, 9 times; 1 John, 2 times; Revelation, 10 times). Carson writes, “The word for ‘true’ (alethinos), here and often in John, means ‘real’ or ‘genuine.’ … In some passages this notion of ‘true’ or ‘genuine’ shades off into ‘ultimate’, because the contrast is not simply with what is false but with what is earlier and provisional or anticipatory in the history of God’s gracious self-disclosure.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 122.
[8] The best defense of this interpretation I have seen is that of James E. Rosscup, Abiding in Christ: Studies in John 15 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), pp. 248-249.
[9] This is speaking from man’s point of view, as in Matthew 7:20. God knows men’s hearts; we don’t.
[10] Hendriksen writes, “In no sense whatever do such passages as 15:2 and 15:6 suggest that there is a falling away from grace, as if those who were once actually saved finally perish. This allegory plainly teaches that the branches which are taken away and burned represent people who never once bore fruit, not even when they were ‘in’ Christ. Hence, they never were true believers; and for them the in-the-vine relationship, though close, was merely outward. There is, accordingly, nothing here (in 15:1-11) that clashes in any way with 10:28. … The true believers of chapter 15 are represented by those branches which, abiding forever in the vine, bear fruit, more fruit, much fruit. These never perish!” William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 296.
[11] We know from Romans 11 that this “hardening of Israel” is not total, but partial; not permanent, but temporary.
[12] I much prefer the rendering “reside” which the NET Bible suggests in its footnotes.
[13] His “abiding” in us is not exactly the same as our “abiding” in Him. By abiding in Him, we draw life and strength, and thus we bear fruit. As He abides in us, He imparts His life, truth, and strength to us. Thus, Christ is manifested both to us and through us. He does not draw His strength from us, but imparts it to us. Our abiding is that of dependence; His abiding is the gracious manifestation of His presence and power in and through us.
[14] In Luke 13:10-17, we read of our Lord healing the woman who had been bent over double for 18 years. Because she was healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue official was indignant—the law had been broken (by his reckoning). Jesus rebuked the official for not caring about this woman’s affliction, and for not rejoicing in her healing. The official was only concerned about the law; Jesus acted in love, and in so doing, the law was not broken, but fulfilled (cf. Matthew 5:17).
[15] Notice that here, the keeping of the law was spoken of as keeping God’s “commandments,” virtually the same words we find on the lips of our Lord in John 15:10.
[16] This is a point at which some dispensationalists need to be very careful. In their efforts to contrast “law” and “grace” (the old covenant and the new), they tend to portray the law as being evil, and opposed to grace, when the law was given out of God’s love to point men to the grace they desperately need as sinners, condemned by the law, and which they can obtain only in Christ.
[17] “Up till this point the word joy has occurred in only one verse in this Gospel (3:29). But in the Upper Room it is used seven times.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 3, p. 521.
[18] See also James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:13.
[19] Compare Romans 12:15, which instructs us to enter into the joy of fellow-believers, and also into their sorrows.
[20] “We should remember that in the Old Testament we read that Abraham was the friend of God (Isa. 41:8) and that God did not hide from Abraham what he proposed to do (Gen. 18:17). Similarly, God spoke to Moses as to a friend (Exod. 33:11). The disciples had been admitted to a relationship like that. They were not slaves, but friends.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, vol. 3, p. 525.
[21] I wasn’t sure who the female artist was who sang this, though I’ve had several suggestions. That’s what comes with the passing of time.
[22] Morris writes, “The word kosmoV [world] has an especially Johannine ring about it in the New Testament. Altogether it occurs 185 times, of which 78 occurrences are in John, 24 in the Johannine Epistles, and 3 in Revelation. Its occurrence in the Synoptic Gospels is not frequent (Matthew 8 times, Mark and Luke 3 times each). It occurs in the Pauline Epistles a total of 47 times. It is thus a word of some importance for John and to a lesser extent for Paul, but it is not much used by other New Testament writers.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p.126.
Carson adds, “Although some have argued that for John the word kosmoV (‘world’) sometimes has positive overtones (‘God so loved the world,’ 3:16), sometimes neutral overtones (as here; cf. also 21:24-25, where the ‘world’ is simply a big place that can hold a lot of books), and frequently negative overtones (‘the world did not recognise him,’ 1:10), closer inspection shows that although a handful of passages preserve a neutral emphasis the vast majority are decidedly negative. There are no unambiguously positive occurrences. The ‘world,’ or frequently ‘this world’ (e.g. 8:23; 9:39; 11:9; 18:36), is not the universe, but the created order (especially of human beings and human affairs) in rebellion against its Maker (e.g. 1:10; 7:7; 14:17, 22, 27, 30; 15:18-19; 16:8, 20, 33; 17:6, 9, 14). Therefore when John tells us that God loves the world (3:16), far from being an endorsement of the world, it is a testimony to the character of God. God’s love is to be admired not because the world is so big but because the world is so bad. … In fact, the ‘world’ in John’s usage comprises no believers at all. Those who come to faith are no longer of this world; they have been chosen out of this world (15:19).” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), pp. 122-123.
[23] “There should be little doubt that the first virulent opposition Christians faced came from the Jews, precisely because the church sprang out of Judaism and all of its earliest members were Jews. It is not surprising that Paul five times received the thirty-nine lashes (2 Cor. 11:24)—a distinctive punishment meted out by synagogue authorities—or that Acts reports many forms of opposition stimulated by the opposition of Jewish authorities (e.g. ch. 7).” Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 531.
“There is certainly evidence that some rabbinic authorities held that slaying heretics could be an act of divine worship (e.g. Numbers Rabbah 21:3 (191a) [with reference to Nu. 25:13]; Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6).” Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 531.
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