Private Ministry: I Am the True Vine (15:1-17)

Introduction:

The last time we were together, we saw in John 14:15-31, that as a part of the continuing private ministry of Jesus to his disciples, he gives them the ultimate encouragement for this greater work that they will do when he leaves them, with his promise to send another helper, and that this helper is none other then the Holy Spirit the third person of the trinity.

This morning, with the promise of the Holy Spirit as their helper, we shall delve deeper into this greater reality of what it truly means to be in Christ. We shall do so through Jesus use of another great metaphor, which he introduces by beginning with his final “I Am” statement; I Am the True Vine from from John 15:1-17.

Text: John 15:1-17

John 15:1–17 ESV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Main Idea: Because Jesus is the True Vine, only when we abide in Him do we have the ability to fulfill God’s purpose for us.

Background:

We have been preparing for this passage for a few chapters now, where we have heard of the mutual indwelling (perichoreses) of the persons of the Trinity and how it is paralleled by the mutual indwelling of Christ and the believer. We now finally have the privilege of deep diving into the how and why of what it truly means to be in Christ, in the Father, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Our lives, as a result, are not to be some passive existence where we enjoy the reality of eternality and wait statically for its arrival, but instead, we are called to a life of movement and fruit bearing. This is not just a “good-to-know” reality, but it defines and distinguishes the difference between true believers and those who only profess to be believers.

It is important to note as we begin this morning’s sermon, that the metaphor of a vine is not new in the life of Israel. For Israel is called God’s choice vine and many references to this are given throughout the Old Testament. We begin with a Psalm of Asaph, one of David’s worship leaders:

Psalm 80:8–10 ESV

8 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.

Jeremiah 2:21 ESV

21 Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?

In the New Testament, we hear Jesus giving a parable in Mark 12:1-9, where he compares the evil caretakers of the masters vineyard, with the religious leaders who were instructed to care for his vineyard, Israel. At any rate, Israel, in each case had failed to bear fruit and thus God would send one who would and that God’s true covenant people would be those who would be associated and in connection with this one.

This is why we begin with a most necessary reality, and that reality is that a true Christ follower is defined by his…

I. Connection to the True Vine (1-4)

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

I am the true vine. As elsewhere in this gospel, “true” means “genuine.” Jesus is the final, real “vine,” as compared to Israel, which was a type foreshadowing the reality. Israel is called God’s “vine” or “vineyard” in the OT (Ps. 80:8–16; Jer. 2:21).

Israel is judged for not bearing fruit, while Jesus is and does what the type signified. In His parable of the tenants (Mark 12:1–9), Jesus invokes this OT image to indict Israel’s leaders, who should have rendered to the Lord the fruit of His vineyard (Is. 5:1–7; 3:14).

Note: This is the last of the “I am” sayings in the gospel.

The vinedresser refers back to Isaiah’s most prominent vineyard song, where God is depicted as tending his vineyard, only to be rewarded with wild grapes (Isa. 5:1–7). We will see that the fruitfulness of those in Christ contrasts with the fruitlessness of Israel.

Isaiah 5:1–7 ESV

1 Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

Therefore, only Jesus Christ is the final true Israel, the final true vine!

2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit. seems to indicate that the person symbolized by such a branch is not a true believer (see John 15:6, 8). In that case, in me is just a loose connection needed to make the metaphor of a vine work, reflecting a claim to be Christ’s that is not genuine and not implying actual regeneration or true belief.

No branch that is genuinely united to Christ, drawing nourishment from Him, can be wholly fruitless. Branches that belong to Christ and bear fruit must undergo the pruning necessary to increase.

The lack of fruit described in Ps. 80; Is. 5:1; and Jer. 2:21 is failure to be obedient to God. These OT discussions of the vine and its fruit, combined with Christ’s command to love in this chapter, indicate that “fruit” refers to the true growth of a Christlike life produced by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23), rather than to the number of people converted under a believer’s ministry.

he takes away,…he prunes - The he in this verse is the divine vinedresser (Father, v. 1) does two things to ensure maximum fruit production:

(1) he removes unfruitful branches (unbelievers), and

(2) he prunes all the others (believers) (cf. Heb. 6:7–8).

he takes away. Where does he take them? We shall see in a minute that he takes them to judgment. However, the remaining ones, he prunes…

The word translated “prunes” (Gk. kathairō) often means “to clean,” and has the same root as the adjective katharos, translated “clean” in 15:3. This gives a picture of painful but necessary removal of some interests and activities in order that the remaining branches may bear even more fruit.

Pruning is the process of removing parts of a plant, which serves several key purposes: maintaining health, controlling growth, shaping plants, promoting flowering and fruit production, and rejuvenating old or overgrown plants. It also plays a crucial role in safety and aesthetics by removing dead, diseased, or damaged branches thus improving the overall structure of the plant.

Jesus is speaking these things to his devoted followers since he addresses them as those who…

3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Refers back to John 13:10-11

John 13:10–11 ESV

10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

Abide in me. Jesus emphasizes permanence and steadfastness in His relationship with the disciples. “Abide” is repeated ten times in vv. 4–10. The metaphor of the vine illustrates the point; it is only when nutrients flow freely to the branches that fruit can be borne.

This means to continue in a daily, personal relationship with Jesus, characterized by trust, prayer, obedience (see v. 10), and joy.

and I in you is the most necessary part of this relationship as we shall see…it stems from our being born from above (John 3), and is show cased by our activities as seen in,1 John 2:6:

1 John 2:6 ESV

6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The “in” terminology in the present passage refers back to OT covenant theology, including prophetic texts regarding a future new covenant (see Ezek. 37:27–28). The repeated references to fruit bearing underscore that this is God’s primary purpose in creation (Gen. 1:11–12, 22, 28) and in redemption. The OT prophets envisioned a time when God’s people would “blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit” (Isa. 27:6).

Isaiah 27:6 ESV

6 In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.

So not only are true believers those who are in Connection to the True Vine, but they also are those who are…

II. Cultivating Fruitfulness (5-8)

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

I am the vine; you are the branches - Again Jesus states declares the relationship we have with him which makes clear that…

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit - note that there is a mutual abiding here, in that the one who abides will bear fruit, but that he does not do this on his own since…

apart from me you can do nothing. The total inability of the unregenerate sinner makes saving grace absolutely necessary from the beginning, along with the progress in sanctification, moving toward our completion of salvation, thus, you can do nothing means “nothing of eternal value,” or an inability to produce spiritual fruit.

Jesus now introduces a couple of conditional statements that shows when a certain condition exists, the following action will take place…

6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

If anyone does not abide in me. Those that do not remain show that they never had a saving relationship with Christ, although they may have been members of the visible church for a time.

he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned - Their destiny is described with the language of damnation (cf. Matt. 3:12; 25:41; Heb. 6:4–8; Jude 7; Rev. 20:14). The reference to branches of a vine that are burned with fire probably is to be understood against the background of Ezek. 15:1–8, where Israel is represented as a vine with wood branches that will be burnt up because of their unfaithfulness.

In other words, those who claim to be related to Christ the “true vine,” the true Israel, but do not have true faith in Him will bear no true fruit, and so will be judged.

Fire is a common Jewish and biblical symbol for divine judgment and here, it is used for the eternal judgment of unbelievers, as branches being entirely burned up by a fire.

In contrast…the next conditional clause…

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Two conditions are given for answered prayer:

abide in me - abiding in Jesus, and

my words abide in you - his words abiding in believers (thus transforming their thinking).

ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you - Ongoing dependence on Jesus and adherence to His words transforms His disciples’ desires, so that when they “ask whatever [they] wish” in prayer, their requests conform to God’s revealed will. This clarifies what it means to pray in Jesus’ name (14:13, 14).

8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

God is glorified not by praise and worship alone but by his followers also bearing much fruit for the advancement of his kingdom on earth. Here again, fruit bearing is evidence of being true believers, or being Jesus’ disciples.

so prove (ginomai [aor, mid, sub] - the probability of entering a new state of being) to be my disciples.

The much fruit (works) spoken of are not the grounds of acceptance with God, but the result of a saving union with Christ received through grace, not merit.

So we’ve seen so far that true believers are in Connection to the True Vine, and that they are actively Cultivating Fruitfulness, but we see next that true believers are given a…

III. Command to Love Deeply (9-13)

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

Abide in my love. Mutual love between believers and Christ is another element of this “abiding” relationship (see note on v. 4).

10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. - Jesus in using another conditional statement, which defines for us what it means to abide, and how we emulate him in relation to his Father…

If you keep my commandments. Abiding in Jesus’ love is not merely a subjective enjoyment of His love for us, but also an ongoing expression in observable behavior of our love for Him, responding to and enabled by His love.

you will abide in my love- the outcome of this abiding through keeping his commandments.

just as - in the same manner as, or to be modeled after…

I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love - the model to follow.

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

that my joy may be in you. Many imagine that obedience to Christ is burdensome because it requires the pruning of the Father, along with sacrificial self-surrender and service. But Jesus teaches the opposite, associating obedience with joy.

The OT prophets envisioned a period of great end-time rejoicing (e.g., Isa. 25:9; 35:10; 51:3; 61:10; 66:10; Zeph. 3:14–17; Zech. 9:9).

On the other hand, God threatened judgment if his people would not serve him “with joyfulness and gladness of heart” (Deut. 28:47–48).

Deuteronomy 28:47–48 ESV

47 Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.

But how can this be since pruning is painful…Jesus shows us of this great joy in obeying his Father even in the midst of opposition, so Christians will have joy in obedience.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

that your joy may be full - the result of being in Jesus and looking at life with that same perspective that he did as he faced the cross.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

This is my commandment - since keeping Jesus commandments is what brings us this fullness of joy, Jesus states again his commandment to…

love one another as I have loved you. Initially given by Jesus as a new commandment in John 13:34, with the qualifier of his love for us being the standard, and he now further describes the extent of that love…

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

lay down his life. Rom. 5:7, 8 describes Christ’s amazing self-sacrifice not for the righteous but for sinners, who are at enmity with God.

for his friends implies a stunning level of comfortable personal interaction with one who is also the eternal, omnipotent Creator of the universe (see 1:1–3, 10). In the OT, only Abraham (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8) and by implication Moses (Ex. 33:11) are called “friends of God.” Here Jesus extends this privilege to all obedient believers.

So we’ve seen thus far, how a true follower of Christ is in Connection to the True Vine, and that as a result, the work of the Father and the submission of the true follower of Christ, is actively Cultivating Fruitfulness, and this fruitfulness enables us to receive and respond to a Command to Love Deeply. Now finally, we see in the grand scheme of God’s eternal plan, that we were…

IV. Chosen for Fruitfulness (14-17)

14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

You are my friends. The test of friendship with Christ is obedience. The Gk. term translated “friends” could be rendered “beloved ones,” since it is related to a Gk. verb meaning “love” (11:3, 36; 16:27; 20:2).

if you do what I command you - again, that test for friendship is those who keep his commands.

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

No longer do I call you servants. Jesus earlier used the analogy of a master’s relationship to servants to characterize His relationship to His disciples (John 12:26). “Friend” suggests a close relation, and the language of brotherhood is closer still (Heb. 2:10, 11).

all ... I have made known. Christ does not have a higher revelation reserved for a certain inner group; He has revealed Himself to the disciples and his true followers clearly and unreservedly.

And how is it that they are followers Christ?

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

You did not choose me, but I chose you. Jesus does not mean that His disciples have exercised no will of their own; they have chosen to follow Him. Rather, He is indicating that the first initiative, the original and saving choice, is His (Mark 1:17; 2:14). Had He not chosen them, they would not have chosen Him. Jesus’ call to service as apostles included even the traitor Judas (6:70), but here the choice of which He speaks is election to salvation (13:18; Eph. 1:4, 11), since its outcome is the bearing of fruit that abides.

appointed you. This likewise emphasizes the sovereign activity of God exercised without violation of the human act of decision. This activity results in a commission…

you should go. This verb marks the direction of Christian service, as in Matt. 28:19 and Acts 1:8.

bear fruit. The figure refers to individual sanctification (Gal. 5:22, 23) and to effectiveness in evangelism (Matt. 13:3–8; Rom. 1:13).

fruit should abide. A distinguishing characteristic of Christian service is that the results have eternal significance, and are marked by perseverance in the here and now.

so that (hina [conjunction]) - as a result

whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. Effective prayer is accompanied by obedience and identification with the will of God, Jesus thus reiterates what he stated in verse 7.

17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

love one another. Repeated for the third time in the Upper Room Discourse (v. 12; 13:34).

So What?

Do we understand that to be a true believer you must be connected to Jesus Christ and him alone?

Do we understand that as a true believer, God the Father will prune us to rid us of all that prevents us from bearing fruit?

Do we realize that the evidence of the Father’s work of pruning is our deep devotion to love one another as Christ loves us?

Do we further understand that we are who we are only because God in his sovereignty has chosen us and is working in us to bring him glory?