The Gospels · Chapter 15 of 21

John 15

Jesus calls Himself the true vine and His disciples the branches, urging them to abide in Him, for apart from Him they can do nothing. Fruitfulness flows from remaining in His love and keeping His command to love one another. He calls them friends, not servants, chosen and appointed to bear lasting fruit, and warns that the world that hated Him will hate them too.

What happens in John 15

Jesus declares that He is the true vine and His Father the vinedresser, who prunes fruitful branches and removes barren ones. He commands the disciples to abide in Him as branches in a vine, for apart from Him they can do nothing, while those who remain in Him bear much fruit. A branch that does not abide withers and is burned. Abiding brings answered prayer and glorifies the Father. He tells them to continue in His love, that their joy may be full.

His commandment is that they love one another as He has loved them, and He names the greatest love as laying down one's life for friends. He calls them friends, not servants, having made known all He heard from the Father, and reminds them He chose them to bear lasting fruit. He warns that the world will hate them as it hated Him, and promises the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who will testify of Him, as they also will bear witness.

John 15 in context

This chapter continues the upper room discourse, moving from comfort about His departure to the ongoing life of the disciples after He is gone. The image of the vine echoes Old Testament pictures of Israel as God's vine, now fulfilled in Jesus as the true vine.

Set on the eve of the cross, where He will indeed lay down His life for His friends, the chapter prepares the disciples for both intimate fellowship with Him and hostility from the world.

Main themes of John 15

John 15 (KJV)

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 cloak 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.

Verses to carry from John 15

“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.”John 15:5

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”John 15:13

“Henceforth 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.”John 15:15

Reflection

This chapter asks whether you are trying to bear fruit by your own effort or by abiding in Christ, since apart from Him you can do nothing. It calls you to remain in His love and to love others with His self giving love. And it steadies you for the world's hostility with the dignity of being His chosen friend.

A prayer from John 15