John 15King James Version
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Abide in me, and I in you. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. I have called you friends. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Jesus uses a vine and branches metaphor: the Father prunes for greater fruit, those connected to him bear naturally, those disconnected wither. He calls the disciples friends rather than servants because he has shared everything with them. He commands mutual love and warns that the world will hate them as it hated him.
Staying connected to Jesus is not about striving but abiding, and the fruit that comes from that connection is love that looks exactly like his, costly and without condition.
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." The productivity promised is entirely conditional on the connection, not on effort.
Grapevines were everywhere in first-century Palestine. The Temple itself had a massive golden vine carved over its entrance, each cluster said to be as tall as a man. If Jesus and the disciples walked past this on their way to Gethsemane after the supper, the image was not academic. He was pointing to something familiar and claiming to be its fulfillment.
Jesus, the vine and friend; the Father, the vinedresser who prunes; the disciples, branches who are called friends; the world, which hated Jesus and will hate them; the Holy Spirit, promised again as the one who will testify.
The vine is a deeply loaded image in Jewish scripture. In the Hebrew prophets, Israel is repeatedly described as God's vineyard, often as a disappointing one. Jesus claiming to be the true vine is a replacement claim: he is what Israel was meant to be. The shift from servants to friends in this chapter is radical; a friend is someone who knows the master's plans.
For when you feel like your productivity or worth depends on constant effort and you are getting tired. The branch does not manufacture fruit through willpower. It stays attached. The vine does the work.
1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4Abide 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.
5I 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.
6If 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.
7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15Henceforth 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.
16Ye 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.
17These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19If 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.
20Remember 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.
21But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24If 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.
25But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26But 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:
27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.