A Fond Farewell, pt 2 - John 15

Last week, in part one, we saw three main ideas in Jesus’ fond farewell:

Jesus made a covenant of loyal communion with us.

Love for Jesus is the motivation for our loyalty to our union with Him.

Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit to ensure both those can happen.

— Essential —

Abide. Flourish. Prune. Repeat.

Abiding in jesus, produces a radiant faith.

Jesus is giving us a way of living that produces real joy. We just don’t take Him seriously…or we misunderstand Him.

we know he told us his burden was easy and light, yet we are still anxious and worried like no other.

He’s not giving us a recipe or formula…but rather two essential pictures point to real life.

John 15:1-8

The Ancient Vineyard

Imagine standing on a Judean hillside two thousand years ago.

The morning sun warms the stones, and rows of vines stretch across the terraces.

A farmer — the vinedresser — walks among them, pruning knife in hand, singing softly as he checks each branch.

When Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser,” everyone listening understood that picture immediately.

They’d seen it a hundred times.

But Jesus wasn’t talking about grapes. He was talking about you and me — and what it means to live a fruitful life that pleases God.

1. Vineyards Took Years to Mature — and Required Patience

In the ancient world, planting a vineyard was an act of faith. Why?

A newly planted vineyard did not produce usable fruit for the first 3–5 years.

According to Leviticus 19:23–25, the fruit was forbidden (unclean) during the first three years. In the fourth year, it was holy — offered to God — and only in the fifth year could the owner eat it.

This reflected both agricultural reality and spiritual principle: maturity takes time, pruning, and faith.

A vineyard was a long-term investment — often planted for future generations.

2. Vineyard Care Was Intense, intentional and Year-Round

Ancient vineyards were manually cultivated — no plows or irrigation systems like modern ones.

Tending included:

the farmer cleared stones, built walls, and waited.

Building a watchtower or hedge for protection against thieves and animals.

Pruning every year. In the vineyard, pruning wasn’t punishment; it was care.

Weeding and hoeing to prevent drought stress.

Trenching and irrigation in some areas using diverted rainwater.

Vineyards were a picture of constant care — which is why Scripture often uses them to symbolize God’s careful tending of His people

Psalm 80:8–16 “8 You dug up a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared a place for it; it took root and filled the land…12 Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its fruit? 13 Boars from the forest tear at it and creatures of the field feed on it. 14 Return, God of Armies. Look down from heaven and see; take care of this vine… 16 It was cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.”

don’t waste your fruit…don’t short-circuit the maturity God started…don’t waste what God has been doing in you…if you eat the grape, you cant use it to make wine.

freedom isn’t always fruitful; sometimes it’s distracting and sometimes it’s destructive

Scripture talks about not removing the ancient boundary markers

a vine needs a trellis. Grapevines were usually planted from cuttings, and farmers trained them along low stone terraces or wooden poles to protect them from wind and animals.

our life needs intentional boundaries or practices.

A branch cannot survive without the vine.

how long are you willing to stay planted?

If you stay, you’ll get pruned and grow. if you leave, you won’t

If it’s detached — even for a short time — it withers in the Middle Eastern heat.

Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you… apart from Me you can do nothing.”

The secret to fruitfulness is not effort — it’s continued connection.

They’re not self-produced — they’re vine-produced.

From this text, does it sound like Jesus expects us to mature?

you are not growing in terms of improving; it’s about maturity and strength.

completely fruitless branch is not worthy of its place in the vine and has to be removed, whereas weak branches can be strengthened by being pruned. Among the disciples Judas was removed while the others had to undergo ‘pruning’ experiences before producing fruit after Pentecost. In Verse 3 Jesus spoke of his word as the means of pruning, and the process was clearly far from complete in the disciples

If you stay connected to Jesus, His life flows through you.

And you’ll find yourself becoming more like Him — not by striving, but by abiding.

Abiding is living aligned with His love, His commands and His Kingdom.

aligned = submitted

Remain=Keep=Obey

1 John 2:3–6 (CSB) 3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

know him is to keep his commands.

keeping his commands is keeping His word.

walking as He did, is keeping His command.

James says: God’s word is a mirror for our soul.

Hebrews says: it’s a sword that cuts away fleshly living

every time i come to the Word, and it cuts me, i move closer to Jesus (the vine).

God’s word is not here to affirm your lifestyle; it’s here to conform your life into Christ’s

John 15:9-17

Friend -[φίλος / philos] A person with whom one has a close bond or friendship or to whom one is under a basic obligation.

…not like a homeboy you’re eating wings and watching the game with.

…this is way more than affinity or familiarity with someone.

An Ancient Friendship

The change of relationship from servants to friends is significant. The difference does not lie in a change of attitude—both are expected to obey (14)—but in communication and close connection. Whereas servants blindly obey, friends are taken into confidence. The disciples, being freedmen, have a reciprocal relationship with Jesus characterized by loyalty and the carrying out of commands.

Client/Patron obligation or pack.

The client-patron relationship in ancient Greece and Rome was a complex social mechanism characterized by reciprocal exchanges between individuals of unequal social status. Patronage was fundamentally a voluntary exchange relationship between people of unequal power, where the patron provided protection, economic and political benefits, and the client was obliged to return favors through loyalty, votes, services, and public displays of support (if you deny me, i’ll deny you). This relationship was based on reciprocity, with those of lower status petitioning higher-status individuals for goods, advancement, and influence. If the petition was granted, the client would reciprocate by promoting the patron’s reputation and promising future loyalty.

In Roman culture, A wealthy Roman citizen might provide legal help and protection to lower-class clients, who in turn would support the patron’s political campaigns. The more clients a patron had, the more important they were considered.

The content of the farewell discourse In John, points to Jesus commissioning his disciples to act in his place during his absence. Jesus speaks of his departure, gives the new command to love one another (13:31–14:17), and promises to broker the benefits from the Father. He then appoints them to bear fruit as they abide in him (15:1–11, 16). The notion of a friend as an honorific title bestowed by the king to his client governors fits with Jesus’s commissioning of his disciples. They are no longer slaves, but friends. The disciples are expected to respond by fulfilling their commission to love one another and bear fruit. Their loyalty is to Jesus in his absence, in the same way that Pilate’s loyalty is expected by Caesar in his absence. In John 15, Jesus declares the disciples to act as his loyal emissaries. His prediction of his departure and commissioning of his disciples to obedience point to the same type of relationship that Pilate has with Caesar. They are to act in place of Jesus, not as slaves, but as honored friends.

Ancient Friendship was about devotion, not casual familiarity.

Friendship was about connected-knowing, not disconnected doing.

Friendship was about loyalty, not one-way benefits.

This relationship isn’t “free”, but it is freely given or freely rejected.

What’s the implication of Jesus being the Patron and us being the friend/client?

1) He is our authority, protection, and provision so we submit to Him.

2) He entrusts us to be His agent and reps in His absence.

3) His love toward us demands reciprocity of our loving loyalty toward Him.

The Kingdom has virtues, values, and priorities.

love God with all your heart, soul, mind, & strength

Love one another...

love has a list…ten commandments.

How do i know if God’s face is not toward me?

Are you keeping His commands?

sounds like legalism…but it’s only legalism if we have no love for Him.

Love is the motivator in our loyalty.

James 4:4–5(CSB) 4 You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely?

The world has virtues, values, and priorities.

1 John 2 - love of the world is lust of flesh, lust of eyes, & pride of life.

Galatians 5:19–21 “19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Ephesians 4:29–5:7 “29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. 1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners.”

Complete Joy is found in our abundant life rooted and submitted to Jesus.

Joy is seen in someone’s face. Friends can look at each other, face to face without shame.

Exodus 33:11 (CSB)

11 The Lord would speak with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend, then Moses would return to the camp. His assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent.

face to face brings God’s joyous countenance in our direction. our obedience brings God joy.

Numbers 6:24–26 “24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’”

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Talk it Over (being honest & open with friends, a spouse, or your Group)

The message was about the Jesus’ fond farewell to His apprentices. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?

Read John 15 as a group. What is the Holy Spirit saying through these verses?

What does Jesus mean when He refers to Himself as the 'true vine' in John 15?

How does the process of pruning relate to the idea of spiritual growth in our lives?

What role does the Holy Spirit play in our relationship with Jesus and in our spiritual growth?

Read Ephesians 4:29-5:7. What do you observe about these verses?