Subject: John #16 Title: The Gospel of John, Chapter Fifteen Text: John 15:1-11. Outline

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1 Subject: John #16 Title: The Gospel of John, Chapter Fifteen Text: John 15:1-11 Outline I. The Relationship Between Christ and the Believer (1-11) II. The Relationship of Believers One to Another (12-17) III. The Relationship of Believers to the World (18-25) IV. The Promise of the Holy Spirit (26,27) Introduction Chapter 14 ends with the statement, arise, let us go hence (v.31). Jesus and the disciples leave the location of the Last Supper and are headed for the Garden ordeal. Key Words There are several key words and phrases that stand out, abide, fruit, love one another, the world (6x in vs. 18&19), hate. These words and phrases signal the thoughts and context of the whole chapter. The gist of the whole chapter could be contained in this statement: Abiding in Christ is the pathway to the fruitful, fulfilled and joyful Christian life. Along the way, Christians must understand that they have been chosen and commissioned to bring forth fruit. We can best accomplish this by showing genuine love one for another. Jesus said the unbeliever will hate and reject you just as I have been hated and rejected. The reason is simple, I have exposed humanity for who and what it really is, and there is no cloke for their sin. You remind them of Me! You will be persecuted as I have been, however, I am sending the Holy Spirit, and He will testify of me. Regardless of the attempts by mankind to rid the world of Me and Christianity, He will bear witness of me to your success. I. The Relationship Between Christ and the Believer (1-11) John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every 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. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide 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. 5 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. 6 If 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. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

2 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. v.1 - I am the true vine - This is one of Christ s I am statements: * light of the world * the way, the truth and the life * the good shepherd * the resurrection and the life * etc. Christ is the vine, we (believers) are the branches, and the Father is the farmer. He is interested in keeping healthy and productive branches. Israel has become a false vine. Isaiah 5:1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: 6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: 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 his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. v.2 - Branches are either purged or taken away - Every 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. 1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. Paul wanted to be productive to avoid being a castaway.

3 There is considerable controversy concerning this passage. Does it mean that a believer can lose his salvation and be cast into the fire and burned (v.6)? Luke 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Could 1 Corinthians 11:28-32 be a proper commentary on this passage? 1 Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Fruit comes in several different forms: * praise - Hebrews 13:15 * fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22-23 * conversions - Philippians 4:17 * good works - Matthew 7:16,20 * maturity - Colossians 1:6 v.3 - clean through the word Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, v.4 - abide - Definition, to stay in a given place, state, relation or expectancy; continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand v.5 - without me you can do nothing - Nothing of any lasting or eternal consequence is accomplished outside of Jesus Christ. v.6 - he is cast forth as a branch (castaway) - The natural result of a branch being severed from the tree, it withers, it is cut off from its life giving supply.

4 Men gather withered branches and cast them into the fire to be burned. Do men cast withered men into Hell to be burned? v.7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask...it shall be done unto you - Me (4) and my words (7) are synonymous. The use of the word continue in John 8:31 (If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed) is the same Greek verb as abide in John 15:4. Abiding is a key, among others, to answered prayer. Discipleship, fruitbearing and the glorification of the Father go hand in hand. v.9 - As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. - The Father loves me, I love you, love one another (John 13:34,35). As noted earlier, continue (9) is the same Greek verb as abide (4), as it also is in 2 Timothy 3: Timothy 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. v.10 - If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love - Christ says you show that you love me by abiding in my commandments as I have continued (kept) my Father s commandments. v.11 - that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full - Abiding, continuing, fruit-bearing produces great joy. II. The Relationship of Believers One to Another (12-17) 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 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. 16 Ye 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. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. v.12 - my commandment...love one another - Verses 12 and 17 serve as the bookends of this chapter division. Each verse states the theme, love one another. Verse 12 says, as I have loved you. 4

5 Jesus said in John 13:34, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. v.13 - Greater love...a man lay down his life for his friends - How much has Christ loved us? With the greatest of all loves, He laid down His life for us. v.14 - Ye are my friends, if ye do - Obedient believers are called friends. Their status has improved from servants to friends! v.15 - Henceforth I call you not servants - Servants are given orders without explanation. Friends are insiders. They are people who have the inside track. They have knowledge and understanding, for thy have had explanation. v.16 - I have chosen you...that ye should go and bring forth fruit - The verse states succinctly the purpose of the Christian life. We should love one another, for we have common roots, we are common friends, with a common purpose or mission in life, bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. Verses 7 and 16 are connected. These are conditions, among others, for answered prayer. Productive, fruit bearing Christians see answers to prayers. v.17 - Love one another - This is a command, not a Divine suggestion. III. The Relationship of Believers to the World (18-25) 18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If 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. 20 Remember 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. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If 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. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. v.18 - If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me - John 7:7 states why the world wants to rid itself of Jesus Christ, The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. * The world - Definition, the inhabitants of planet earth - KOSMOS 5

6 v.19 - ye are not of the world - Christians are not of this world. They have been chosen out. Christians are strangers and pilgrims, ambassadors from another land. This world is not our home. v.20 - Remember the word...they will also persecute you 2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. v.21 - they know not him that sent me - Christ identifies Himself with the Father, again. v.22 - they have no cloke for their sin - Once again the explanation for the hatred of Christ. Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; v.23 - He that hateth me hateth my Father - The Father and Son are One (John 10:30). v.24 - If I had not done...the works which none other man did, they had not had sin - Christ s miracles and ministry were absolute proof of whom He was. v.25 - But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled...they hated me without a cause - All of this was prophesied long before it would take place. Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 6

7 * Being hated without a cause was written in the book of Psalms a number of times: Psalms 35:19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. Psalms 69:4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. Psalms 109:3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. Psalms 119:161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word IV. The Promise of the Holy Spirit (26,27) 26 But 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: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. In spite of the world s hatred and rejection of Christ, the Holy Spirit of God would come to overcome the world. Unbelief will not prevail in the end. As depressing and as discouraging as it might get here in this life, we are assured of being on the winning side. We have read the end of the Book! v.26 - when the Comforter is come - The Holy Spirit was first introduced as Comforter in John 14:16, 26, and will be again in John 16:7. * whom I will send - Acts 1:8, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. * the Spirit of truth - John 14:6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. * he shall testify of me - The Spirit of God does not promote Himself, He promotes Jesus. v.27 - And ye also shall bear witness - Just as the Holy Spirit was to testify of Jesus, so, too, are we to be witnesses unto Him, as noted earlier in Acts 1:8. In Summation * Believers are to continue or to be cast away. 7

8 * Believers are to love one another, for we have been saved and called for His purposes, not our own. * Believers will not be accepted or applauded by those who take offense to the exposing of sin. They will be treated as Christ was. * Believers, take heart, you will not be overcome. The Spirit of God is alive and well, and He will empower His own unto ultimate victory! 8