Relationships

The Vine and the Branches (John 15:1-11)

Jesus uses a familiar setting to illustrate the disciples’ relationship to their God. Jesus is the one true vine. The vine illustration had been used to represent Israel (Psalms 80:8-16; Jeremiah 2:21), but that vine did not remain true to its nature. Jesus alludes to those illustrations but calls himself the one true vine.

Those in denominations like to claim that each denomination is a branch of the true vine, but it is evident that Jesus is talking about individual disciples as being the branches. Sometimes we get so caught up in identifying who the branches are that we forget about the actual point of the illustration.

The Father is likened to a vinedresser, a person whose duty is to tend to the vines so they will produce the best results. Grapevines can grow independently, but they don’t do as well as when maintained. A grapevine allowed to grow wild will produce fruit, but it is a poorer quality than one that is regularly pruned. Grapes grow on one-year-old branches. Older branches will produce more shoots for grape-producing branches. The problem is if the vine isn’t pruned, it will cycle through a year of mostly leaves followed by a year of grapes, but those grapes will be poor because there are too many. Pruning keeps the balance between grapes being produced and branches for next year’s crop without either becoming too heavy. Simply put, grapes do best when they are severely pruned every year.

A branch that doesn’t bear fruit isn’t worth keeping, so it is removed. Christians must be removed when they stray too far from the truth in order to teach them to stay within the truth (I Timothy 1:18- 20; I Corinthians 5:4- 5).

A branch that is bearing fruit needs to be cut back to cause it to bear more fruit (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5). Hard times and difficulties are necessary for the health and productivity of Christians. I’ve repeatedly seen mediocre Christians suddenly blossom into productivity when faced with difficulties. When everything appeared to be going smoothly, they sat back, content to let others handle things. But when a hardship came, they suddenly realized there was no one else to do the work, and they stepped up to shoulder the burden.

Already, the process of improvement was occurring in their lives. Jesus’s teaching has been at work within them (John 17:17; Ephesians 5:26; James 1:18; I Peter 1:22). What is required is that the disciples remain in Jesus, and that means that his word remains within their hearts (John 14:23; 15:7; Colossians 1:21-23; I John 2:6). Only then can the disciple be fruitful (Philippians 4:13).

What kind of fruit are we talking about? Certainly, Jesus is not referring to sitting in pews each Sunday.

• Fruits of righteousness (Philippians 1:10-11; Hebrews 12:11)
• Fruits of changed behavior (Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9; II Peter 1:2-8)
• Fruits of helping the disadvantaged (Romans 15:26-28; II Corinthians 9:9-10; Philippians 4:16-18)
• Fruits of continual good works (Titus 3:14; Matthew 5:16; Colossians 1:5-6, 9-12)
• Fruits of praising God (Hebrews 13:15)
• Fruits of winning souls to Christ (John 4:35-36; Proverbs 11:30; Romans 1:13)

Those who do not stay in Christ and his word will be removed. Those who remain can ask of Jesus and receive what they need. As we noted earlier (John 14:13), it is not free for all because those whose prayers are answered stay within the bounds of Christ and his teachings (Psalm 66:18).

When Christians follow God's teachings, this results in good works, which brings praise to the One who commanded such works (Matthew 5:16; 9:8; Luke 17:15; Philippians 4:17).

A chain of love is displayed. The Father loves the Son and the Son loves the disciple who abides in him. Thus, we must keep Christ’s commandments to stay in his love, just as Christ illustrated it for us by following the Father’s commandments and staying in the Father’s love.

Jesus has told his disciples all of this so that his joy could stay with the disciples and that they might experience full joy in their lives (Psalm 45:7). Jesus wants his disciples to experience the happiness that he has. The apostles' writings pass this on to us (I John 1:4; II John 12). Such joy is a mark of Christians (Romans 14:17; II Corinthians 2:3; I Thessalonians 3:9; I Peter 1:8).

Love One Another (John 15:12-17)

Repeating his earlier command, Jesus tells his disciples that they must love each other just as Jesus has loved them (John 13:34). Jesus is about to demonstrate the ultimate example of love by giving his life for those who are his friends (Romans 5:6-8; I John 3:16). They, in turn, can demonstrate their friendship with Jesus through their obedience to his commands, which would include the command to love each other.

Though Jesus’ disciples serve him, Jesus does not see them or treat them as servants but as friends. Their service is not one of forced servitude but service from a desire to be friends. As his friends, he has told the disciples all he has been given from the Father. A servant might be kept in the dark about why his master is doing certain things, but a friend shares intimate facts with his friends. Jesus has told them he was leaving, why, and his concern for them. This is proof of his friendship with them.

Jesus made the choice in picking these disciples. He chose them for a particular duty, to bear lasting fruit (Hebrews 12:28), which they would receive help in doing if they but ask. The relationship is stable because it was the Son of God who picked and not they him. It was a fair selection because they were chosen when they had not yet known Jesus well.

Jesus repeats for a third time that the disciples were commanded to love each other. This is no light command to be possibly overlooked. Jesus considers it critical to the task he has set before them.

The World Will Hate You (John 15:18-16:4)

In contrast with their love for each other, Jesus warns his disciples that the world will hate them. This should not take them by surprise because the world hated Jesus first (I John 3:17). The cause of this hatred is that they would not be a part of the world, and people don’t like people who are different. The disciples are different from the rest of the world because Jesus chose them to leave the world.

This separation from the world must take place. Those who follow will not be treated differently from the one they are following. The world persecuted and soon will kill Jesus. The disciples can expect no less. If some accepted Jesus, they can expect those same people to accept them as well. All of this will come upon them because of Jesus’ authority (Acts 5:28, 41; I Peter 4:14; Revelation 3:8) and because they cannot understand God.

They have no excuse for their rejection of Jesus. If they had never known Jesus existed, they could not have rejected him. But because Jesus had come and taught them, and they had rejected that knowledge, their sin will be held against them. This is not to say they had no other sins for which they were also responsible.

By rejecting Jesus, they also reject the Father since Jesus represents the Father to the world. They might have had an excuse if they had not seen the miracles Jesus had done, but because they had witnessed them, they have no excuse for their hatred of Jesus and the Father. Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled (Psalm 35:19; 69:4).

Still, though all this would happen against the disciples, Jesus had a great task for them. When Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to them, the Spirit will give evidence of Jesus. This testimony, combined with their own personal witness, would instruct the world. For this reason they were chosen because they have been with Jesus since the beginning of his ministry (Acts 1:21-22).

Jesus has warned them about the hostilities against them in advance, not to scare them away, but so that it would not take them by surprise and cause them to stumble. The persecution would be so severe that they would be thrown out of the synagogues, and people would think that they were serving God by killing them (Galatians 1:13-14). It will happen to the disciples because the world doesn’t know God or Jesus (I Corinthians 2:8; I Timothy 1:13).

The disciples may not fully appreciate what Jesus is warning them now, but Jesus told them in advance so that they can remember that they were forewarned when it did happen. He didn’t tell them earlier because he was with them to shield them. He himself bore the brunt of the persecution. Now that he is leaving, they need to know these things. He had discussed the topic of their being persecuted many times (Matthew 5:10-12; Luke 6:22), but not to this degree. They had to be told as they were ready to accept it.