Luke 6: John 15:1-5 1 Galatians 5: COMMENTARY Luke 6:43-44

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1 November 11, 2018 Luke 6: No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. John 15:1-5 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 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. 5 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. Galatians 5: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. COMMENTARY Luke 6: Jesus does not explain what he means by a good tree or a bad tree, but the following statement shows that the type of fruit the tree produces is in mind. Figs and grapes are set over against thorns and the bramble brush. Where we are dealing with plant life it is clear that each tree has its characteristic fruit. One cannot pick a certain type of fruit from any tree but its own. All other trees yield different fruit.

2 6:45. Good people, like good trees, produce good fruit. The good man produces hid fruit out of the good treasure of his heart. It is what he has in his inner nature that determines what fruit his life will yield. So also with the evil man. His inner evil can produce only evil. The principle is stated at the end: out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. There is always a reason for the things we say. Our words reveal what is in our heart. John 15:1. I am the true vine is the last of Jesus seven I am sayings in John s Gospel. True contrasts Jesus with OT Israel. Joseph was called a fruitful vine in Gen 49:22. The reference to the Father as the vineyard keeper harks back to Isaiah s first vineyard song, where God is depicted as tending His vineyard, only to be rewarded with sour grapes (Isa 5:1-7; cp. Ps 80:8-9). 15:2. Three types of believers are named or inferred in this first part of the chapter: those who bear no fruit, those who bear some fruit and, later in verse 5, those who bear much fruit. The fruit-bearing branches, it would appear from the text of this verse, represent true believers. But to whom does the text refer when it says, he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit? This passage is capable of dangerous interpretation, especially when the idea of fruitbearing centers in evangelism. Some people teach that those who do not win others to Christ will themselves be snatched out of the vine. Such an idea is alien to the teaching of the New Testament. Perhaps Galatians 5:22-23 helps us here: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 15:3. The disciples, however, needed neither cutting off nor trimming clean because they had already been cleansed by the Lord s word. One thing is clear at the outset of the chapter: this is not a passage on salvation, a topic John covered in earlier chapters. Here he dealt with requirements for a fruitful life on the part of believers. 15:4-5. Another key here is the word remain (abide) which appears no fewer than eleven times in the passage. It seems to suggest an effortless resting in the Lord, confident in the promised union between the vine and the true branches. Furthermore, John used the word remain forty times in his Gospel and twenty-seven more times in his epistles. In the context of this passage, it seems to emphasize an ongoing faith and loving obedience to the Father and the Son that results in fruit. The fruit in this passage seems to focus on spirit-generated behavior of Christians. Galatians 5: The fruit illustration calls to mind the vine and the branches which produce fruit (Jn 15:1-5). The mention of love first in the list looks back to Gal 5:6, Such loving behavior comes through the power of the Holy Spirit by faith. Self-control (Gk egkrateia; holding in passions and appetites ) is placed last in the list for emphasis, because all the works of the flesh reflect lack of self-control. There is no need for prohibitive law when people s lives exhibit love and self-control.

3 MAIN POINT A relationship with Jesus changes us from the inside out. As we grow in Christlikeness, we reflect His character. INTRODUCTION As your group time begins, use this section to introduce the topic of discussion. What is a positive personality trait people usually notice about you? What is another part you are working on to change or improve? In what ways has knowing Christ changed your personality? We all have personality traits we like about ourselves. Generally speaking, we like the things other people appreciate about us. When we walk with Jesus, we begin to take on His character and traits. We are known by Him and His work in our lives. Our journey with Jesus should shape our lives and cause others to see that we know and have been changed by the gospel. UNDERSTANDING Unpack the biblical text to discover what the Scripture says or means about a particular topic. Ask a volunteer to read Luke 6: According to verses 43-44, what is impossible? How does this principle relate to life in Christ? Based on the rest of Jesus teachings and earthly ministry, what did He mean by the phrases, the good person and the evil person? Did He mean that you re a good person if you do good things and an evil person if you do bad things? Did He mean that a Christian will never sin again? Explain. In verse 45, Jesus mentioned the heart. What does the heart have to do with it? Jesus said we will be known by our fruit. Does that statement encourage you, worry you, or elicit some other feeling? Explain. In Luke 6, Jesus delved into our inner character. We re all sinners who deserve God s judgment but are offered His grace (Romans 3:19-24). God holds all of us to the same standard, and we all fall short of it. Still, His presence in the lives of those who walk with Him miraculously overcomes the sinful nature.

4 To explain, Jesus compared people to fruit-bearing trees. The type of fruit a person s life produces is determined by the type of tree, or person, he or she is. In this context, good fruit can be understood as a life consistent with the righteous standards Jesus taught, with life in Him. It is through our actions and our character the fruit we produce that other people see Jesus in us. Ask a volunteer to read John 15:1-5. How does this passage help you better understand Jesus words in Luke 6:43-45? According to this passage, what is our role as disciples? What is Jesus role? What does it mean to remain in Jesus? Why can we be fruitful only as we remain in Christ? Bearing spiritual fruit isn t something any of us accomplish through our own good efforts. Staying connected to the Vine (living in obedience to Jesus and allowing Him to work through you) is both vital and necessary. The Greek word translated remain means, to abide or to dwell. We have spiritual life through living in Christ, and we produce spiritual fruit by abiding in Him. We can do nothing without Christ. Only with Him living and working in us can we spiritually grow to produce fruit and make a difference in the world. Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 5: How does this passage help you better understand Jesus words in Luke 6:43-45? Based on the traits listed here, where do you see the growing impact of remaining in Christ in your life? Where do you desire to see the Spirit at work more greatly in your life? The verses prior to these list traits of a life devoted to sin and apart from the power of God. The fruit of the Spirit displays the opposite traits of the person who relies on the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is not only displayed toward God, but also toward other people. It s worth noting that Paul used fruit and not fruits. This likely signifies the importance of each of these working in unison with one another to point to a life of godliness. As we abide in the Spirit, we will see the development of each. While it is worthwhile for us to explore the meaning of each trait, it s of great importance that we see that this fruit is not developed in our own strength. These are not the Fruit of Your Efforts, but an outcome of the Spirit s work in your life. This is not to say that we are to sit around and wait for something to develop. We must strive, to the best of our ability, to maintain faithful obedience. Through our willingness and the working of the Spirit, these traits will begin to prevail in our lives.

5 APPLICATION Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives. What quality of fruit would your acquaintances say you are producing? Why? What needs to happen in your relationship with Christ to make it better? Based on the quality of fruit you equated to your life, is Jesus the good treasure of [your] heart (Luke 6:45), or is something else? How can this group pray for you about that? PRAYER Thank God for Jesus and His continued patient work in your life to produce His character and fruit. Ask Him to help you learn to treasure Him more and more in your heart, abide in Him, and bear fruit that reflects His glory to the world around you.