The Way of the Vine

Abide in Christ

John 15:1–17 NIV

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

John: An Introduction and Commentary i. The True Vine and Its Branches (15:1–17)

The OT depiction of Israel as a vine (Ps. 80:8–19; Isa. 5:1–8; Jer. 2:21; 6:8–9; Ezek. 17:6–8; 19:10–14; Hos. 10:1–2) provides important background information for understanding Jesus’ teaching about the true vine. Most significant of the OT passages is Isaiah 5:1–8. Israel is represented as a vineyard planted by the Lord, from which he expected good grapes, but which produced only bad grapes and therefore had to be destroyed. The key verse is Isaiah 5:7:

The vineyard of the LORD Almighty

is the house of Israel,

and the men of Judah

are the garden of his delight.

And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;

for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

A Biblical Theology of the New Testament Believing and Abiding

On another level John used the verb menō to describe the mutual indwelling of the Father, the Son, and the believer.