Pruned to Produce – John 15:1-17

Sunday, December 6, 2020

John 15:1-17

“Pruned to Produce”

Service Orientation: Jesus’ people are called to bear fruit. And bearing fruit requires connection, abiding, and even pruning.  In Christ, all three serve to help advance Jesus’ mission in bringing light to a darkened world.

Memory Verse for the Week:   Ephesians 2:19-20

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Background Information:

• The persons addressed in John 15 were the eleven apostles. It was not to unsaved people, not to a mixed audience that Christ was speaking; but to believers only. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 673)
• In chapters 13 and 14 we are taught what Christ is doing for us while He is away—maintaining us in communion with Himself, preparing a place for us, manifesting Himself to us, supplying our every need through the Holy Spirit. In John 15, it is the other side of the truth which is before us. Here we learn what we are to be and do for Him during the interval of His absence. In 13 and 14 it is the freeness and fullness of Divine grace; in 15 it is our responsibility to bear fruit. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 673)
• The grapevine was a symbol of national life. That emblem appeared on coins minted during the Maccabean period, their regard for it resembling our regard for stars and stripes. So precious was the symbol to the Jews that a huge, gold grapevine decorated the gates of the temple. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 320)
• The word for “true” here is aléthinos, which means genuine. A thing can be true as over against error and falsehood, or a thing can be true over against that which is a counterfeit. The latter is the way it is used here. We have had this word used in the same way previously in the Gospel of John. John the Baptist was a reflecting light, but Jesus Christ is the true Light. Moses gave bread in the wilderness, but Jesus Christ is the true Bread. So here Jesus is saying, “I am the true vine, the genuine vine.”(J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary Series, John, 256)
• Jesus is the “true vine” (v. 1). In the Old Testament writings, Israel had frequently been spoken of as the vine which Yahweh loved and tended. But over and over again, waywardness and corruption had made God’s people barren (Isa. 5:1—7). Now it is Jesus who is the real vine, the Chosen One from God. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 235)
• Pruning is necessary for any vine… The vine-grower is concerned that the vine be healthy and productive. The caring process is a picture of the divine dealing with human life. God removes the dead wood from his church and disciplines the life of the believer so it is directed into fruitful activity. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 151)

 

The question to be answered is . . .

What is Jesus trying to instill in his disciples in this text?

 

Answer…

That he expects fruit from true disciples. And in order to bear fruit, they must remain connected, obey his teaching, love one another, and even expect pruning in order to be even more fruitful. The result… complete joy.

 

The word of the day is… fruit

 

What can we draw from this text about fruit-bearing?

1. Fruit-bearing requires pruning. (v.2)

(Ps. 1; Is. 37:31; Mat. 3:8; 7:15-20; 12:33; John 15:1-17; Rom. 6:22; Eph. 5:8-11; Col. 1:10)

Your heavenly Father is never nearer to you than when He is pruning you. Sometimes He cuts away the dead wood that might cause trouble, but often He cuts off the living tissue that is robbing you of spiritual vigor. Pruning does not simply mean spiritual surgery that removes what is bad. It can also mean cutting away the good and the better so that we might enjoy the best. Yes, pruning hurts, but it also helps. We may not enjoy it, but we need it. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 285)

 

2. Fruit-bearing requires remaining. (v.4)

(Mat. 7:19; John 15:4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10; Rom. 6:23; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:5-8; 1 John 1:9; 3:15)

Fruitbearing is not only possible but certain if the branch remains in union with the vine. Uniformity of quantity and quality are not promised. But if the life of Christ permeates a disciple, fruit will be inevitable. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 151)

 

3. Fruit-bearing requires dependency. (v.5)

(Ez. 18:4; John 1:1-3; 3:16; 5:24-26; 6:57; 14:6; Phil. 2:!3; Col. 2:10; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 2:24)

To abide in Christ is to maintain a spirit and an attitude of entire dependency on Him. It is the consciousness of my helplessness; it is the realization that “severed from him, I can do nothing.” (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 689)

 

4. Fruit-bearing requires love. (v.10)

(Mark 12:29-31; John 13:34-35; 15:13; 1 Cor. 13; 16:4; Col. 3:14; 1 Pet. 4:8; 1 John 4:8, 19)

The man who makes conscience of diligently observing Christ’s precepts, is the man who shall continually enjoy a sense of Christ’s love in his soul. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 156)

Christ’s love to us is unaffected by our changeableness, but our enjoyment of His love depends upon our continuance in it. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 694)

 

Conclusion… How can we remain or abide in Jesus in order to bear fruit for him? 

A. Remain in him through his word.

(Ps. 119:105, 111; Is. 55:11; John 1:1; 17:17; 1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12)

Jesus’ words abide in us when we know what he said and did, and when we allow those words and actions to affect the way we live. By reading and memorizing, we take in God’s Word; by obeying, we indicate that the words abide in us. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 308)

He that believes God’s Word overcomes all, and remains secure everlastingly, against all misfortunes; for this shield fears nothing, neither hell nor the devil. (Martin Luther, Table Talk, c.1546)

 

B. Remain in him through prayer.

(Jer. 33:3; Mat. 6:9-13; John 15:7; Rom. 8:26; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; 1 Thes. 5:17; Ja. 5:16)

To remain in Christ and to allow his words to remain in oneself means a conscious acceptance of the authority of his word and a constant contact with him by prayer. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 152)

When we look at the people God used in the scriptures as well as those He used throughout Christian history, we see their lives marked by a deep awareness and practice of prayer with their heavenly Father. (Henry Blackaby, Experiencing Prayer with Jesus, 10)

 

C. Remain in him through obedience.

(Is. 1:19; Luke 6:46; 11:28; John 8:51; 14:15; Acts 5:29; 1 Pet. 1:14; 1 John 3:24; 5:3)

 What is the goal of the Christian life? It is godliness born of obedience to Christ. Obedience unlocks the riches of the Christian experience. Prayer prompts and nurtures obedience, putting the heart into the proper “frame of mind” to desire obedience. (R.C. Sproul, Does Prayer Change Things?,1)

There will be no peace in any soul until it is willing to obey the voice of God. (D.L. Moody, Short Talks, 36)

 

D. Remain in him through loving each other.

(Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 14:16; Eph. 4:32; Col. 1:24; 3:13, 16; Heb. 10:24-25; Ja. 5:16)

Christian love is not basically a “feeling”; it is an act of the will. The proof of our love is not in our feelings but in our actions, even to the extent of laying down our lives for Christ and for one another (1 John 3:16). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 286)

The basic human need to be accepted and affirmed has not changed. Jesus offers to satisfy this longing. He is looking to extend the gracious offer through followers who practice the happy art of sharing in an unusual and enriching love for one another regardless. (Joseph M. Stowell, The Trouble with Jesus, 134)

There is no substitute for knowing and being known by another human being. (Howard Hendricks, As Iron Sharpens Iron, 24)

 

Worship Point…

As the identifying mark of a true believer, fruit-bearing is itself an act of worship, and the result of this kind of worship? Complete joy.

(Ps. 16:11; Prov. 10:28; John 15:11; 16:24; Rom. 14:17; 15:13; Gal. 5:22; Phil. 4:4)

The true Christian is one who knows God’s power working in himself, and finds it his true joy to have the very life of God flow into him, and through him, and out from him to those around. (Andrew Murray, Working for God, 30)

God created us to enjoy Him because joy is the clearest witness to the worth of what we enjoy. It’s the deepest reverberation in the heart of man of the value of God’s glory. (John Piper, The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, 78)

 

Gospel Point…

Jesus loved you so much that he laid down his life for you, so that in him you could now be his friend. There is no greater love than this.

Above all else, He loves you and chose to measure that love out not in words, but in blood. He loves you enough to give you the greatest gift conceivable. Would such a love allow you to suffer without purpose? (David Jeremiah, A Bend in the Road, 245)

To know Christ, serve Christ, follow Christ, obey Christ, work in Christ’s vineyard, fight Christ’s battles, all this is no small matter. But for sinful men and women like ourselves to be called “friends of Christ,” is something that our weak minds can hardly grasp and take in. The King of kings and Lord of lords not only pities and saves all those who believe in Him, but actually calls them His “friends.” We need not wonder, in the face of such language as this, that Paul should say, the “love of Christ passes knowledge.” (Ep. 3:19.) (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 157)

 

Spiritual Challenge Questions…

Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.

• What kind of relationship do you have with Jesus? Do you picture yourself as a reluctant servant or an intimate friend? What marks the difference in your life?
• Has there ever been a time in your life when you experienced God’s pruning process? What was it like? What was the result?
• Do you find it difficult to love other believers? How is your love for Christ’s body, the church? How are you laying down your life for others?
• How are you abiding or remaining in Jesus’ words? What commands of Jesus do you find most difficult to follow?
• What fruit is your life producing? What can you do to cultivate good fruit?

 

Quotes to note…

When we are calling to God to turn the eye of His favor towards us He is calling to us to turn the eye of our obedience towards Him. (Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1706)

Love to God is obedience, love to God is holiness. To love God and to love man is to be conformed to the image of Christ; and this is salvation. (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, All of Grace (c. 1880)

Never to attempt to search after God anywhere but in His sacred word, and never to speak or think of Him farther than we have it for our guide. (John Calvin, Institutes)

There is no substitute for knowing and being known by another human being. (Howard Hendricks, As Iron Sharpens Iron, 24)

No fruit can be better than the vine that produces it. Jesus said, “I am the true vine.” Unless the believer is vitally connected with him, the quality of his fruitfulness will be unacceptable. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 151)

Just as necessary and imperative as Christ’s command “Come unto me” is to the sinner, so absolutely essential is His “Abide in me” to the saint. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 689)

These two pictures of the believer—branches and friends—reveal both our privileges and our responsibilities. As branches, we have 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. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 284)

Repentance toward God, faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, holiness of life and conduct, these are what the New Testament calls “fruit.” These are the distinguishing marks of the man who is a living branch of the true Vine. Where these things are lacking, it is vain to talk of possessing dormant grace and spiritual life. Where there is no fruit there is no life. He that lacks these things is “dead while he lives.” (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 154)

Not only is fruit bearing the main emphasis, but our Lord makes it the identifying mark of a true believer. “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away” (v. 2). Some claim to be in the vine, but the absence of fruit disqualifies them. If there is no fruit in our life, we had better reconsider the authenticity of our Christianity. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 321)

Sometimes the pain of pruning comes because of our sins. Other times it is simply because we are bearing abundant fruit and God wants us to bear more. Whatever the reason for pruning, our natural selves always want to escape it. No one naturally wants the knife. Nevertheless, the results of God’s pruning will be beneficial for us and for him. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 323)

No amount of ingenious planning or restless activities or sponsoring of “spiritual” events on our own can produce this fruit. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 237)

 

 

Further quotes and research…

Success in raising any crop depends largely on the skill of the farmer or gardener. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 151)

 

Judas was an example of a branch that was cut off. The means by which pruning or cleaning is done is the Word of God. It condemns sin; it inspires holiness; it promotes growth. As Jesus applied the words God gave him to the lives of the disciples, they underwent a pruning process that removed evil from them and conditioned them for further service. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 151 )

 

An absolutely fruitless life is prima facie evidence that one is not a believer. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 152)

 

He was not promising to gratify every chance whim. But so long as the believer was seeking the Lord’s will in his life, Jesus would grant every request that would help accomplish this end. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 152)

 

8 The proof of discipleship is fruit-bearing. This statement coincides with Jesus’ teaching in the synoptic Gospels: “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt 7:20; cf. Luke 6:43-44). Just as Jesus glorified God by his life, so the disciples would glorify God by theirs. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 152)

 

Love is the relationship that unites the disciples to Christ as branches are united to a vine. Two results stem from this relationship: obedience and joy. Obedience marks the cause of their fruitfulness; joy is its result. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9,152)

 

Obedience in carrying out his purpose would be a guarantee of success, for Jesus never planned failure for his disciples. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 152)

 

12-13 Jesus repeated his command to “love each other” (cf. 13:34) because he knew that the future of the work among men depended on the disciples’ attitude toward one another. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 153)

 

Unity instead of rivalry, trust instead of suspicion, obedience instead of self-assertion must rule the disciples’ common labors. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 153)

 

A slave is never given a reason for the work assigned to him; he must perform it because he has no other choice. The friend is a confidant who shares the knowledge of his superior’s purpose and voluntarily adopts it as his own. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 153)

 

The outward bond which had united them was to be severed; the Shepherd was to be smitten, and the sheep scattered (Zech. 13:7). But there was a deeper, a more intimate bond, between them and Him, and between themselves, a spiritual bond, and while this remained, increasing fruitfulness would be the result. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John,  675)

 

The fact is, that we are so accustomed to concentrate everything on our own salvation and so little accustomed to dwell upon God’s glory in the saved, that there is a lamentable tendency in all of us to apply many of the most pointed rebukes and warnings found in the Scriptures (which are declared to be “profitable for reproof and correction,” as well as “for instruction in righteousness”) to those who are not saved, thus losing their salutary effects on ourselves. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 678)

 

“Abide in me,” “To be” in Christ and “to abide” in Him are two different things which must not be confounded. One must first be “in him” before he can “abide in him.” (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 682)

 

“Abide in me, and I in you” (John 15:4). The two things are quite distinct, though closely connected. Just as it is one thing to be “in Christ,” and another to “abide in him,” so there is a real difference between His being in us, and His abiding in us. The one is a matter of His grace; the other of our responsibility. The one is perpetual, the other may be interrupted. By our abiding in Him is meant the happy conscious fellowship of our union with Him, in the discernment of what He is for us; so by His abiding in us is meant the happy conscious recognition of His presence, the assurance of His goodness, grace and power— Himself the recourse of our soul in everything. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 683)

 

Here then is a most solemn warning and heart-searching prospect for every Christian. Either your life and my life is, as the result of continuous fellowship with Christ, bringing forth fruit to the glory of the Father, fruit which will remain; or, because of neglect of communion with Him, we are in immense danger of being set aside as His witnesses on earth, to bring forth only that which the fire will consume in a coming Day. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 687)

 

Just as necessary and imperative as Christ’s command “Come unto me” is to the sinner, so absolutely essential is His “Abide in me” to the saint. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 689)

 

First, to abide in Christ is to continue in the joyful recognition of the value of His perfect sacrifice and the efficacy of His precious blood. There can be no fellowship with the Lord Jesus, in the full sense of the word, while we harbor doubts of our personal salvation and acceptance with God. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 689)

 

Third, to abide in Christ is to draw from His fullness. It is not enough that I turn from myself in disgust, I must turn to Christ with delight. I must seek His presence; I must be occupied with His excellency; I must commune with Him. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 690)

 

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” What erroneous conclusions have been drawn from these words! How often they have been appealed to in order to justify the most unworthy views of prayer! The popular interpretation of them is that if the Christian will only work himself up to an importunate pleading of this promise before the throne of grace, he may then ask God for what he pleases, and the Almighty will not—some go so far as to say He cannot—deny him. We are told that Christ has here given us a blank check, signed it, and left us to fill it in for what we will. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 690)

 

Two conditions here qualify the promise: “If ye abide in me.” Abiding in Christ signifies the maintaining of heart communion with Christ. “And my words abide in you”: not only must the heart be occupied with Christ, but the life must be regulated by the Scriptures. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 691)

 

Life in Christ is salvation. Life with Christ is fellowship. Life by Christ is fruit-bearing. Life for Christ is service. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 693)

 

Christ’s love to us is unaffected by our changeableness, but our enjoyment of His love depends upon our continuance in it. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 694)

 

Dwelling upon our poor, fluctuating love for Him, will make us miserable; but having the heart fixed upon His wondrous love, that love which “passeth knowledge,” will fill us with praise and thanksgiving. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 694)

 

There can be no fruit for the Father, no abiding in Christ’s love, unless there be real subjection of will. It is only in the path of obedience that He will have fellowship with us. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 695)

 

The cultivation of vineyards was important to the life and economy of Israel. A golden vine adorned Herod’s temple. When our Lord used this image, He was not introducing something new; it was familiar to every Jew. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 284)

 

Of itself, a branch is weak and useless. It is good for either bearing or burning, but not for building (read Ezek. 15). The branch cannot produce its own life; it must draw that life from the vine. It is our communion with Christ through the Spirit that makes possible the bearing of the fruit. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 284)

 

Many of the images of Christ and the believer given in Scripture emphasize this important concept of union and communion: the body and its members (1 Cor. 12), the bride and the Bridegroom (Eph. 5:25–33), the sheep and the Shepherd (John 10). A member of the body cut off from the body would die. The marriage creates the union, but it takes daily love and devotion to maintain the communion. The shepherd brings the sheep into the flock, but the sheep must follow the shepherd in order to have protection and provision. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 284)

 

What does it mean to “abide”? It means to keep in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit. This certainly involves the Word of God and the confession of sin so that nothing hinders our communion with Him (John 15:3). It also involves obeying Him because we love Him (John 15:9–10). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 284)

 

We are meant to learn first, from these verses, that the union between Christ and believers is very close.

He is “the Vine,” and they are “the branches.” 153

We are meant to learn, secondly, from these verses, that there are false Christians as well as true ones. 153

We are meant to learn, thirdly, from these verses, that the fruits of the Spirit are the only satisfactory

evidence of a man being a true Christian. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 154)

 

Repentance toward God, faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, holiness of life and conduct, these are what the New Testament calls “fruit.” These are the distinguishing marks of the man who is a living branch of the true Vine. Where these things are lacking, it is vain to talk of possessing dormant grace and spiritual life. Where there is no fruit there is no life. He that lacks these things is “dead while he lives.” (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 154)

 

True grace, we must not forget, is never idle. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 154)

 

Where there is no fruit of the Spirit to be seen, there is no vital religion in the heart. The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus will always make Himself known in the daily conduct of those in whom He dwells. The Master Himself declares, “Every tree is known by his own fruit.” (Luke 6:44.) (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 154)

 

Just as the gardener prunes and cuts back the branches of a fruitful vine, in order to make them more fruitful, so does God purify and sanctify believers by the circumstances of life in which He places them. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 154)

 

Trial, to speak plainly, is the instrument by which our Father in heaven makes Christians more holy. By trial He calls out their passive graces, and proves whether they can suffer His will as well as do it. By trial He weans them from the world, draws them to Christ, drives them to the Bible and prayer, shows them their own hearts, and makes them humble. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 154)

 

Fruitfulness in Christian practice will not only bring glory to God, but will supply the best evidence to our own hearts that we are real disciples of Christ. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 156)

 

In John 15:1 Christ gives his seventh and final great “I am” statement: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” All the conversation stopped at this powerful pronouncement. The force of his words were, “You all know how Israel is pictured as a vine that is meant to produce refreshing fruit. Well, I am the fulfillment of all that symbol suggests.” (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 321)

 

In John 15 the fruit Jesus speaks of is not primarily evangelism but simply the reproduction of the life of the vine in the branch. Jesus is looking for the fruit of his  life in us. If the inward graces of the Holy Spirit are not present in our lives (“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,” Galatians 5:22, 23), if these qualities are not present (not perfected but present) in our lives, we must face the fact that we may not be true believers. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 322)

 

What is involved in pruning? Pain. Pruning always hurts! David said in Psalm 119:67, “Before I was afflicted I went astray.” Psalm 119:71 says, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” Sometimes the pain of pruning comes because of our sins. Other times it is simply because we are bearing abundant fruit and God wants us to bear more. Whatever the reason for pruning, our natural selves always want to escape it. No one naturally wants the knife. Nevertheless, the results of God’s pruning will be beneficial for us and for him. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 323)

 

Malcolm Muggeridge in his book Jesus Rediscovered says: Suppose you eliminated suffering, what a dreadful place the world would be. I would almost rather eliminate happiness. The world would be the most ghastly place because everything that corrects the tendency of this unspeakable little creature, man, to feel over-important and over-pleased with himself would disappear. He’s bad enough now, but he would be absolutely intolerable if he never suffered. 323 (Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus Rediscovered (Glasgow: Collins, 1969), pp. 158, (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 159)

 

A character in C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series is named Eustace Scrub, a selfish, immature boy who thinks only of himself. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he not only finds himself in a dragon’s cave but discovers he has turned into a dragon! He attempts to remove the scales but cannot do so by himself. Finally the Lion, the Christ-figure, comes. Eustace describes whathappens next: This is what the Lion said, but I don’t know if he spoke. “You will have to let me undress you.” I was afraid of his claws I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate, so I just lay flat on my back and let him do it. The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right to my heart and when he began pulling the skin off it hurt worse than anything I had ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 324 (C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (London: Collins, 1974), p. 102)

 

3. Ye are clean – All of you, to whom I now speak, are purged from the guilt and power of sin; by the word – Which, applied by the Spirit, is the grand instrument of purifying the soul. (John Wesley, Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, 258)

 

First, let him remember the rule which ought to be observed in all parables; that we ought not to examine minutely every property of the vine, but only to take a general view of the object to which Christ applies that comparison. (John Calvin, Commentary on John Vol. 2, 94)

 

The fruitfulness of the true vine would be guaranteed by the faithful attention of the Father as gardener: He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:2). While fruitfulness is His goal throughout, the Father’s pruning has a contrasting effect. On one hand, fruitless branches are severed from the vine. No explanation is given as to how such branches, which have been “in” the vine, fail. But their failure is not one of degree. They are severed not because they bear little or sickly fruit, but because they bear no fruit at all. Such a condition reflects, then, not a weak or faltering connection between branch and vine, but a complete disconnection between the two. The Father’s pruning knife, then, severs not the weak or faltering believer from his Lord, but that branch which has already inwardly entirely severed itself from the life-giving (and fruit-producing) flow of the vine. (Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 182)

 

But “remaining” must never be reduced into merely such principles as persistence and endurance, for attention must focus on the person of Jesus—Remain in me (my emphasis). And because genuine personal relationship involves mutual self-giving, every branch remaining in the vine will also enjoy the life-giving presence of the vine: I will remain in you. Apart from this mutual indwelling, barrenness rules. In the following verses, at least five additional truths about fruit bearing appear. (Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 183)

 

Is [fruit] the development of Christian character, as in “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23)? Is it the conversion of sinners through evangelism? (Note the use of harvest imagery in connection with the turning of many Samaritans to Jesus; see John 4:34-38.) The answer to both questions is, “Yes, and more,” for the nature of fruit borne through the vine is as broad as the scope of prayer itself: Ask whatever you wish (John 15:7). Since the answer to prayer is something given to the disciple, we see again that fruit is not the work of the branches, but the effect of the vine and gardener working through the branches. (Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 184)

 

Fifth, Jesus taught that abundant fruit bearing would establish the identity of the branches as disciples of Jesus. It is important to note that fruit bearing would not make them disciples of Jesus, but would reveal their link to Him. But the link between Jesus and His disciples is probably not forged through similarity at the point of fruit bearing. After all, the vine and branches do not separately bear fruit which can then be compared. Rather, the point of similarity between Jesus and His disciples is their common zeal for the glory of the Father. Through their effective prayer and much fruit to the Father’s glory (15:8), the branches are seen to be “about the same business” as Jesus, and therefore are seen to be Jesus’ disciples. (Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 184)

 

First, we see that the fundamental fault of these branches is not their failure to bear fruit, but their failure to “remain in the vine.” Barrenness (Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 185)

 

First, we see that the fundamental fault of these branches is not their failure to bear fruit, but their failure to “remain in the vine.” Barrenness indeed provokes the gardener to cut off the branch (15:2), but barrenness only reveals a branch’s inner (prior) detachment from the vine and its life-giving flow (15:6). The gardener’s demand that the branches bear fruit, then, dramatically points to His deeper demand that they “remain in the vine,” that they foster close personal dependence upon Jesus. (Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 185)

 

As the passage comes to a close, we yet again find prayer and fruitfulness intertwined (see comments on 15:7-8). The New International Version unfortunately suggests a sequence between fruit bearing and prayer: … bear fruit… that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name (15:16, my emphasis). While such a translation is grammatically possible, it raises a couple of difficulties. First, it implies the rather awkward notion that the Father will answer prayer only after the disciple has produced lasting fruit. Second, it implies still further that a disciple bears lasting fruit prior to (and therefore without the benefit of) effective prayer. (Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 187)

 

It is a mystery and challenge to our earthbound way of thinking that the nearer Jesus came to the cross the more joy became a part of His vocabulary. How strange this sounds to affluent, comfort-seeking Americans who confuse joy and happiness. Joy is an unexpected gift growing out of our intimate relationship with this One we love and serve. While happiness, even though it is frantically sought as some kind of product that can be possessed, turns out to be a disappointing illusion. Happiness is like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow that does not exist. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 238-239)

 

Jesus Declares He Is the True Vine and His Disciples Are the Branches (15:1-6) Jesus begins with the Gospel’s final “I am” saying. The earlier sayings had focused on Jesus as the life-giver and had included an invitation to come to him and to believe in him (6:35; 8:12; 10:9; 11:25-26; 14:6). Now, however, Jesus is speaking to those who have already come to him, and so his charge is that they remain in him. The earlier theme of life is now developed in terms of intimate union with Jesus, a sharing in his own life. Thus, this is a fitting conclusion to the “I am” sayings. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 371)

 

Therefore, when Jesus refers to himself as the true vine (v. 1) he is once again taking an image for Israel and applying it to himself. Jesus himself is true Israel (cf. Hoskyns 1940b:560; Pryor 1992:124-31). This claim corresponds to his break with the temple at the end of chapter 8 and his forming a renewed people that began in chapter 9 and came clearly to the fore in chapter 10. Israel’s place as the people of God is now taken by Jesus and his disciples, the vine and its branches. This is not a rejection of Judaism as such, but its fulfillment in its Messiah. The identification of the people of God with a particular nation is now replaced with a particular man who incorporates in himself the new people of God composed of Jews and non-Jews. Israel as the vine of God planted in the Promised Land is now replaced by Jesus, the true vine, and thus the people of God are no longer associated with a territory (Burge 1994). Jesus’ corporate significance has been included throughout the Gospel in his use of the term Son of Man, so it is perhaps significant that the image of the vine and that of the Son of Man are identified together in Psalm 80:14b-16: “Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself.” (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 372)

 

The new community has been established and now must bear fruit for God, in contrast to Israel and its fruitlessness. As among the people of Israel, so among Jesus’ disciples, there are those who bear fruit and those who do not (v. 2). What is this fruit? Some scholars suggest Jesus is referring to the fruit that comes from bearing witness to Jesus, that is, converts, the fruit of evangelism. At least twice in John the image of bearing fruit is used with something like this meaning (4:35-38; 12:24). Other scholars interpret this fruit as being the ethical virtues characteristic of the Christian life (for example, Morris 1971:670). But something more basic, something that underlies both missionary work and ethical virtues, seems to be intended. The development of the image in the next section (vv. 7-17) suggests that bearing fruit refers to the possession of the divine life itself and especially the chief characteristics of that life, knowledge of God (cf. 15:15) and love (15:9-14). Jesus says when they bear much fruit they demonstrate that they are his disciples (15:8), and elsewhere he states love the evidence that one is a disciple (13:35; 14:21, 23) and is in union with God and with one another (17:21-23). Thus, the image of fruit symbolizes that which is at the heart of both Christian witness and ethics—union with God. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 373)

 

The believer’s assurance is not in the decision to follow Jesus, but in the graciousness and faithfulness of the Father and the Son (see comment on 6:37). Though God allows us to reject him, his own disposition toward us is love, a love that continues to pursue even those who reject him (see comment on 13:26). Those who are worried about the assurance of their salvation should find comfort in the character and actions of God. Our fretting over ourselves is itself a preoccupation with self that must be pruned away, for it inhibits our relation with God, our bearing of the fruit of eternal life. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 374)

 

The first section (vv. 7-10) draws out once again the relation between love and obedience (cf. 14:21, 23-24) and views this relation in light of the theme of mutual indwelling. Jesus’ dwelling in the believer is now referred to as his words remaining in them (v. 7). If they remain in him and his words in them, Jesus promises their prayers will be answered (v. 7; cf. 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24, 26). To have his words remaining in them means to share his mind and his will. They are to be caught up into his own focus on the doing of God’s will. Accordingly, they will pray for his purposes rather than for their own selfish desires. Jesus’ purposes have been to reveal God and share his life and love so people will be brought into union with him in his new community. Such will be the concerns also of the disciples who have Jesus’ words in them, and God will answer their prayers as they live according to their life in Christ and his life in them. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 377)

 

The urgent question, then, is this. How do we ‘remain’ in him? What does it look like in practice? Both of the meanings above come into play. We must remain in the community that knows and loves him and celebrates him as its Lord. There is no such thing as a solitary Christian. We can’t ‘go it alone’. But we must also remain as people of prayer and worship in our own intimate, private lives. We must make sure to be in touch, in tune, with Jesus, knowing him and being known by him. Once again, the most extraordinary promises about prayer (verse 7) accompany the sharpest warnings (verse 6). (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone: Part 2, 71)

 

This fifteenth chapter is a part of the Upper Room discourse, although our Lord probably did not speak it in the Upper Room. At least the assumption is that He did not, because the last statement in chapter 14 is, “Arise, let us go hence.” Somewhere between the Upper Room and the Garden of Gethsemane our Lord spoke chapters 15 and 16, then prayed the prayer, recorded in chapter 17, as He entered the garden. (J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary Series, John, 255)

 

In our hymn books are songs like “Jesus is a Friend of Mine” and “Oh, What a Friend is the Lowly Jesus.” Friends, let me say this kindly. There is no lowly Jesus today but a glorified Christ at God’s right hand. Calling Jesus a friend of mine is sentimental and really wrong. If I would say that the President of the United States is my friend, I bring him down to my level. If he says that I am his friend, that is wonderful. Listen to what Jesus says. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” We don’t need all this sentimental trash today. We need some honest heart-searching. Are we doing what Jesus has commanded us to do? Obedience is essential to abiding.(J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary Series, John, 262)

 

ABIDE IN ME Abiding in Christ means: • believing that he is God’s Son (1 John 4:15) receiving him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12) • doing what God says (1 John 3:24) continuing to believe the gospel (1 John 2:24) relating in love to the community of believers, Christ’s body (John 15:12) Each of these activities begins at some point, but the long- term (branch-to-vine) practice is “abiding.” (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 306)

 

Jesus does not call Christians to a dull existence of being hated by the world, obeying commands, and waiting to get to heaven. Instead, he offers us fullness of joy! Nothing else in all the world can bring the joy that we find in serving, abiding in, and obeying Christ. Jesus had promised, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (10: 10 NIV). (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 310)

 

Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people. Richard Foster