John Chapter 15
John 15:1 ¶ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman[farmer, according to Strong's Concordance & Webster's 1828 Dictionary].
- Who plants the grape vines? The farmer Father. So, who "planted" Jesus?
- John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son...
- John 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
- John 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
- Colossians 1:15 [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
- Note in vs 1 that the Father farmer is in charge of the "true vine". See also: 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that... the head of Christ is God. (written by Paul, who identifies his God in 1Cor 8:6 "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things...")
- Bible texts that identify the God of Jesus => http://sidnash.org/t/TheGodOfJesus.html
John 15:2-3 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he[Christ's Father] purgeth[prunes] it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
- John 6:63,68 It is the spirit that quickeneth[gives life]... the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life...(Jesus) 68 ... thou hast the words of eternal life.(Peter)
- We see here that we "are clean through the word" that Jesus has given us because He "hast the words of eternal life."
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
- How do we "abide in [Jesus]"? As we saw above, it is the words of Jesus that must abide in us that we may have eternal life. So, to abide in Jesus is to read His words and assimilate his words as nourishment for our mind and our life, like we assimilate our food as nourishment for our bodies.
- In verse 7 below, Jesus gives us the benefits when "my words abide in you".
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
- Likewise, Jesus said He can do nothing without His Father:
- John 5:19 ... The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
- John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing... I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
- John 8:28 ... I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
- However, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."(Philippians 4:13)
John 15:6-10 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
- Notice how our relationship with Jesus is to be much the same as Jesus' relationship to His Father.
John 15:11-14 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
- Notice the condition required for being a friend of Jesus:
- "do whatsoever I command you."
John 15:15-17 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
- Notice the conditions of receiving of Christ's Father whatever we ask:
- "go and bring forth fruit"
- Ask of His Father "in [Jesus'] name"
John 15:18-21 ¶ If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
- In Christ's prayer to His Father, in John 17:3,18,21,23,25; Jesus identified "him that sent me" => 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent... 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.... 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me... 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.... 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
- John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son...
John 15:22-24 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
- Psalm 69:4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head...
- Psalm 35:19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me... that hate me without a cause.
John 15:26 ¶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
- John 14:26 and the Comforter, the Holy Spirit...
- Notice that Jesus identifies "the Comforter" and "the Spirit of truth" as "the Holy Spirit", "which proceedeth from the Father".
- After Christ's return to Heaven, at the day of Pentecost when the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit, Peter "bear witness", as Jesus prophesized in verse 27:
- Acts 2:33 "[Jesus] at the right hand then of God having been exalted -- also the promise of the Holy Spirit having received from the Father -- [Jesus] was shedding forth this, which now ye see and hear;"
- Later, Paul also "bear witness":
- Galatians 4:6 "and because ye are sons, God did send forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, `Abba, Father!'"
More detail about the Comforter being sent => http://sidnash.org/docs/ComforterSent.html
Desiring to live by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah (Deut8:3; Matt4:4)
-Sid Nash: 09/23/2023. Latest version: http://sidnash.org/docs/John15.html