Bible Study series: John 15:1-10. This is an extended metaphor about staying connected to Christ. Our life source is in him.

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I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click here:

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For the Greek text, click here:

John 15

At that link, I provide a lot more commentary.

In this post, links are provided for further study.

Let’s begin.

Scripture: John 15:1-10

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me not producing fruit—he removes it. And every branch producing fruit—he prunes it so that it produces more fruit. ³ You are already clean by the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me and I in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so you do not unless you remain in me. ⁵ I am the vine, and you are the branches. The one remaining in me and I in him—he produces much fruit because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Unless someone remains in me, he is tossed out like a branch and withers, and they gather them together and toss it in the fire and they burn. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask what you will, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified: that you produce much fruit and become my disciples. ⁹ Just as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and I remain in his love.” (John 15:1-10)

Comments:

Right off the top, let me say that the verb “remain” can be translated as “live” or dwell” or “abide.” You can certainly use those words if you want.

1:

“The Gospel of John has already taken great care to describe how Jesus fulfills and replaces the old covenant persons and institutions of the temple (e.g. ch. 2), sacred places / mountains (e.g. ch. 4), Moses (ch. 5), and the Jewish feasts (e.g. ch. 6); as the true vine Jesus also supersedes Israel as the center and source of God’s people. The places (i.e. the land, Jerusalem, temple, altar) and the people (Israel, Jewish bloodlines, priestly heritage) have been fulfilled and replaced by one person: Jesus Christ” (Klink, comment on v. 1, emphasis original).

Here is the last “I Am” declaration. In Exod. 3:14, in the Septuagint (pronounced sep-too-ah-gent, a third to first century BC translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek), the Greek reads: “the LORD says, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’” (egō eimi, pronounced eh-goh-ay-mee) is used in the phrasing (along with ho ōn). This is high Christology.

JESUS’ SEVEN “I AM” SAYINGS IN JOHN
1	I Am the Bread of Life (6:35, 48) and Living Bread (6:51)
2	I Am the Light of the World (8:12)
3	I Am the Gate (10:7, 9)
4	I Am the Good Shepherd (10:11, 14)
5	I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25)
6	I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6)
7	I am the True Vine (15:1, 5)
BTSB, p. 2163, slightly edited

Or Jesus may refer to the “I am he” passages in Is. 40-55, as he did at John 8:24. Here is a list (all NIV and emphasis added):

Who has done this and carried it through,
calling forth the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord—with the first of them
and with the last—I am he.” (Is. 41:4)

¹⁰ “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
¹¹ I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
¹² I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
¹³     Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?” (Is. 43:10-13, see v. 25)

Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Is. 46:4)

“Listen to me, Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:
I am he;
I am the first and I am the last.
¹³ My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon them,
they all stand up together. (Is. 48:12-13)

¹² “I, even I, am he who comforts you.
Who are you that you fear mere mortals,
human beings who are but grass,
¹³ that you forget the Lord your Maker,
who stretches out the heavens
and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction? (Is. 51:12-13)

Whether Jesus is referring to these verses in the “I Am” statements or not, this is high Christology.

The vine connects to the soil and provides life-giving nutrients to the branches.

Speaking of “vineyard caretaker,” Novakovic translates “vine” as “vineyard.” So she goes all in, probably because of the OT allusions to the vineyard = Israel. But let’s narrow the OT references to Israel being a vine:

⁸ You transplanted a vine from Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
⁹ You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
¹⁰ The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
¹¹ Its branches reached as far as the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.

¹² Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
¹³ Boars from the forest ravage it,
and insects from the fields feed on it.
¹⁴ Return to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!
Watch over this vine,
¹⁵     the root your right hand has planted,
the son you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁶ Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;
at your rebuke your people perish.
¹⁷ Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
¹⁸ Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.

¹⁹ Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved. (Ps. 80:8-19, NIV)

In that long passage, Israel is a vine brought out of Egypt, yet enemies have stomped and ravaged it. The Psalmist prays for restoration. In v. 18 he prays that God would give Israel life. God provides life to the plant. But the vine, Israel, eventually becomes corrupt. In contrast, Jesus is the true vine, and he replaces Israel (Carson, comment on vv. 1-2). I don’t know about “replacement,” but Jesus is the central fulfillment of Israel.

So what else does the vinedresser do? Let’s look at vv. 2-3 to find out.

2-3:

At first Jesus does not tell who or what the branches are. He speaks of the necessity of the branches remaining on the vine, so they can receive sustenance. Branches have to remain or dwell or live in Christ, so they can receive life-giving sustenance. When they do, they produce or bear much fruit.

What does it mean to be cleansed by the word or message? In Greek there is a play on words with “prune” and “cleanse.” It is as if to prune off the dead, unproductive branches, the vinedresser “cleanses” the one section of the vineyard and certainly the branch.

To be cleansed by the word or message is to hear and obey it. It sanctifies the listener / disciple because it produces in him repentance—turning away from one’s old life and the changing of one’s mind—and the new life and strength to follow Jesus. The word or message cleanses and renews the mind. “Left to itself a vine will produce a good deal of unproductive growth. For maximum fruitfulness, extensive pruning is essential. This is a suggestive figure for the Christian life. The fruit of Christian service is never the result of allowing the natural energies and inclinations to run riot” (Morris, comment on v. 2).

I recall an illustration of a man from Oregon (a state in USA), where many fruit trees grow in large orchards. The orchardman cuts the smaller branches down to nothing, and this means the life-giving sap can flow in a directed and focused manner. In a few years the fruit are filled with nutrients and are rich, large and sweet.

John 13:10: “You also are clean, but not everyone.” That line from 13:10 refers to the foot-washing ceremony, and the one who was not clean was Judas, even though his feet had been washed.

Mounce: “God’s ‘pruning’ is his gracious way of directing the flow of spiritual energy in order that his plans for our lives will be realized. While pruning is painful, it serves the necessary purpose or removing those branches that would otherwise absorb our time and energy in unproductive pursuits” (comment on v. 2). He goes on to comment on v. 3: “For a branch to bear fruit, it must share the life of the vine. Likewise, for believers to bear fruit they must remain in Christ. All spiritual power for living out the Christian life comes from God. There is only one way for a believer to receive this power, namely, to remain in unbroken fellowship with the source of power.” Then he reminds us of Gal. 2:20, which says that Paul had been crucified with Christ; he no longer lives, but Christ lives in him. Perfectly said, Prof. Mounce.

4-6:

Every farmer (general term) or vinedresser (vineyard caretaker) understands this reality. When the branches are connected to the vine—or the branch of any tree is connected to the trunk—then the branches can produce good fruit. If they are not producing fruit, then they are pruned off or removed. They must not take up or draw away life-giving sustenance from the productive branches, the ones that produce much fruit.

Branches = disciples.

So what do the branches do? All they do is receive the life-giving nutrients from the vine. They do not have to struggle to produce fruit, but only if they stay connected. If they do not bear fruit because they have become detached from the branch, then they are taken off the vine, wither or dry up, bundled together, and tossed in the fire. John 14:20: “In that day, you will know that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” “In that day” refers in 14:20 to the crucifixion and resurrection. The point to my quoting this verse is to show the life connection between the Father, the Son, and the disciples.

John 1:1-10 damages the belief that no true Christian can fall away. It is clear that he can.

Remaining a Christian or Falling Away?

Possible Apostasy or Eternal Security?

Let’s discuss the imagery of fire, as if it means the ultimate punishment. Carson says the fire is the fire of judgment and may not refer to final judgment and punishment. Nonetheless, if it does refer to those events, let’s get into the theology of it all.

The kingdom subject–the disciple–has the chance to repent, so his being thrown into Gehenna is not a done deal. King Jesus is simply teaching his kingdom subjects that they better make things right, or else their punishment will be severe.

7:

This is a wonderful promise about prayer, but it has a condition attached: his words (the Greek noun is plural for rhēma) must live or abide or dwell or remain in the disciples (you and me). As I noted in the parallel verses in John 14:13-14: Does this request mean that disciples can ask for anything at all, to suit their greed / desires? No, of course not.

² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (Jas. 4:2-3, NIV)

The context of these seemingly carte blanche verses we surrender to him. We do not strut up to the Father’s throne by our own power and in our own name and ask anything that strikes our fancy. All our “anything” prayer requests have to bring glory to the Father, which means the miraculous works that we do together in unity. Our prayer request should help people in need, not help ourselves in greed. We are about to learn in v. 16 that we are to bear abiding fruit so that what we ask the Father in Jesus’s name, he will give it to us. Our prayer requests come from high-quality fruit or character (see 16:23).

8:

Our prayers come from an understanding of his words, which means we become disciples. Disciples learn from him and his words. Disciples bear fruit, and then the Father is glorified.

This verse reminds me of these in the Sermon on the Mount: “In this way, let your light shine before people, so that they see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Fruit must be seen in good works, and then the Father is glorified.

“disciples”: BDAG, a thick Greek lexicon, says of the noun (1) “one who engages in learning through instruction from another, pupil, apprentice”; (2) “one who is rather constantly associated with someone who has a pedagogical reputation or a particular set of views, disciple, adherent.”

Word Study on Disciple

Here in John, the fruit is produced by the sap of the vine, which is tended by the Father. In the Epistles, after Pentecost, producing fruit is the work of the Spirit. ²² “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23, NIV).

1 Fruit of the Spirit: Love (this link begins a nine-part series)

9:

This a remarkable, stunning promise for all disciples of all times. People must believe that Jesus loves them, just as the Father loves his Son. Love is transmissible. It flows from the Father to the Son and to us. We saw this word in John 14:15. Let’s again look more closely at this verb love.

It is the verb agapaō (pronounced ah-gah-pah-oh). BDAG says that the verb means, depending on the context: (1) “to have a warm regard for and interest in another, cherish, have affection for, love”; (2) “to have high esteem for or satisfaction with something, take pleasure in; (3) “to practice / express love, prove one’s love.” In most instances this kind love in Scripture is not gooey feelings, though it can be a heart-felt virtue and emotion, as we see in the first definition. Rather, mostly love is expressed by action. If you have no gooey feelings for your enemy, do something practical for him.

Both the noun agapē (pronounced ah-gah-pay) and the verb mean a total commitment. For example, God is totally committed to his church and to the salvation of humankind. Surprisingly, however, total commitment can be seen in an unusual verse. Men loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19), which just means they are totally committed to the dark path of life. Are we willing to be totally committed to God and to live in his light? Can we match an unbeliever’s commitment to bad things with our commitment to good things?

Agapē and agapaō are demonstrative. This love is not static or still. It moves and acts. We receive it, and then we show it with kind acts and good deeds. It is not an abstraction or a concept. It is real.

It is transferrable. God can pour and lavish it on us. And now we can transfer it to our fellow believers and people caught in the world.

Please see my word study on the different loves in the NT:

Word Study on ‘Loves’

10:

This verse does not exactly teach that God’s love is conditional, as if we can earn it. Instead, the verse teaches us that first we have God’s love, and then his love enables and empowers us to keep his commandments. Then, when we keep his commandments, we will remain or dwell or abide or live in his love. It’s a “precious circle” (not a vicious circle). The Son is our example for keeping the Father’s commandments. In this context, the main and highest commandment is to go to the cross. The Son kept the Father’s commandments throughout his life, so he remains or abides or lives or dwells in his love.

So once again, the believer or disciple has a role to play to maintain his abiding in the Son / Vine. Life in the Son is not entirely passive.

This verse reminds me of the ones here:

²⁴ Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and does them shall be like a prudent man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down and the flood came and the winds blew and beat upon that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone hearing these teachings of mine and does not do them shall be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain came down and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell. And great was its collapse! (Matt. 7:24-27)

Walking with Jesus and loving him demands obedience.

However, Klink reminds us that we cannot get the order wrong. Wrong: we keep his commands, and then he loves us (comment on v. 10).

That is, obedience springs from and is a response to love, not the reverse. This pericope has been intentional to make God the cause and the disciple the effect (cf. vv. 4, 6, 7); God is the source and the disciples are the passive recipients but also active respondents. Reversing the order makes the disciple the active agent, the one to whom God responds, but this is not so. For God demonstrated and initiated his love for us “while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:8). It is never that we obey in order to receive God’s love but rather that we obey because we have received God’s love. We obey because God is love, and our obedience returns to him what is rightfully his and shared with us through Christ, who exemplified love and obedience to the Father on our behalf (see 14:31).

Right order: God loves us. Then we keep his commands. Perfect.

GrowApp for John 15:1-10

1. How do you remain attached to the vine?

2. Do you believe that the Son loves you as the Father loves the Son? Why or why not do you believe this?

3. How do you become a disciple?

RELATED

14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels

12. Eyewitness Testimony in John’s Gospel

4. Church Fathers and John’s Gospel

3. Archaeology and John’s Gospel

SOURCES

For the bibliography, click on this link and scroll down to the very bottom:

John 15