John Ch.15
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry! (Isaiah 5:1-7)
14
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15 the stock that your right hand planted,
and for the son whom you made strong for yourself. (Psalm 80:7)
John 15
(On route to the Mount of Olives)
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
Throughout the Old Testament there are references to the nation of Israel as being the Lord’s vine - or vineyard (Isaiah 5 and Psalm 80 being examples); and throughout the Old Testament we read how Israel as a vine, failed to produce good fruit; and would therefore as a vineyard, be destroyed by the Lord;
But, not completely…
Because:
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, (the father of King David) and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.(Isaiah 11:1)
This shoot from the stump of Jesse - from the destroyed vineyard of Israel - is Jesus Christ: the true Vine of the Lord:
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
This is comparable to Jesus’s cursing of the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-19: symbolic of the religious system at this time: a people who were honoring God with their lips, but their hearts were far from him.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
Here is the explanation to Ch.13:10 (See also Ephesians 5:25-27)
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
Here is Israel’s true Shepherd; the True Vine, from which all Life will come…
An illustration more poignant than any before - because - as we shall shortly read - these branches are referring to us: the followers of Jesus:
A branch comes literally from the vine…grows out from the vine…is a part of the vine; and, in order to live, must stay entirely connected to the vine.
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
But we cannot produce this fruit…We cannot live…apart from Jesus Christ our true vine.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Here is the mystery of the vine: And, if branches could talk…
No branch would be able to tell you how or why it inexplicably and in season produces numerous clusters of low hanging fruit: the only answer it could give is: “because I am attached to the vine.” It is this way with us: How do we remain attached? By simply putting our trust in the finished work of the cross: A branch does not need to work to produce its fruit; in the same way, Jesus the Vine, has completed the work…no further work is required of us, the branches, except to believe this and receive it - a day by day by day relationship - of surrender and trust. This is how we will be able to survive…to stand…and to overcome in this world.
Paul understood this, when he said in Romans 7:18 “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
This is how he was used so mightily by the Lord.
He knew that appart from the Vine, he couldn’t do it! (See Galatians 6:14-15)
And as for pruning; the cutting off of dead or dying works - things outside of the Lord’s perfect will for us - is essential for the overall health and growth of the whole:
“No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11
1John4:13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. Immanuel (God with us)
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
Because, what Christ is about to do: offer his own perfect blood to cover our sins - will be the only covering for sin; and the only Way to be saved from its consequences; which are Death, Hell and the grave.
16
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
When we abide…remain…dwell - as branches in a vine, it stands to reason that we will grow into the image of that Vine: the Image of the Son - who is the image of our Father: And, whatever we wish…whatever we ask, will now flow directly out of this transformation. As dearly beloved children, we now know what is the will… and the desire of our Father in Heaven (see vs.15). This is how we make him known in this world…this is how we bring him glory.
From this new and true Vine, the new and true wine has come: Not from a temple made with human hands, but from the Holy Spirit dwelling in the hearts of people! (See Matthew 9:16-17) What a magnificent mystery!
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
To abide…to remain…to dwell…in the perfect love of the Father…expressed through the Son…administered by the Spirit, we ourselves will gradually begin to love as he does. {Here again, is the principle of the Vine: We don’t have to “do” anything: We simply have to “be”…to abide. See Ephesians 2:1-10 & Philippians 2:12-13. From out of this “being”, the “doing” will come.}
See also: http://servant777.blogspot.com/2018/03/o-to-know-me-child-all-of-me-me-in-my.html
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.(See vs.12)
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Jesus’s last will and testament, is overflowing with “tidings of comfort and joy”: Whatever happens from here onwards; remember the joy…the peace…of the One they will crucify: All is well!
And now we come to the end of the matter: the Foundation upon which the entire New Covenant will be built; and the total and complete fulfillment of the Old:
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
What the Lord is about to do - the summation of everything that has been prophesied about before…the fulfillment of every Law, every feast, every sacrifice, everything that the entire Old Testament has been pointing towards - will all be done because of this: God Loves Us!
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. (See Psalm 25:14)
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Think back to Ch.8:34-35 - The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.”
Back in that passage of scripture, Jesus was talking about our slavery to sin: He will now put an end to this slavery, through his death on the Cross - so, destroying its hold over our lives. So through the cross, we are no longer slaves: We are sons!
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Here is another mystery: the mystery of predestination: We by all accounts, chose to follow Jesus; and yet, scriptures such as this, Romans ch.9 and Ephesians ch.1, seem to strongly imply that we who are saved, were predestined before hand…that the choice, ultimately was the Lord’s.
The best explanation I have heard, from an un-named source, is this:
“The gates of salvation bear the inscription as you approach them, saying "Whosoever will may come."
But once you are on the inside looking back, you can see that, written above that portal is "Predestined before the foundation of the earth."”
All that really matters is that we are inside the gate!
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Because…
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” See Matthew 22:34-40
1John 3
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
The Hatred of the World
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Why does the world hate Jesus? Because - as will be stated by Jesus in the next chapter - Satan is the prince of this world. Knowing this, will enable us to understand these next few statements:
19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Jesus has chosen us out of the world (See 1John 5:19 & Revelation 18:4-5): This is a world under God’s judgment: If we are to be saved, we must be saved out of it. And when we tell others about this salvation, we are also, through the power of the Holy Spirit, calling them out from it: The things of this world should hold nothing over us.
Peter will reinforce this truth later on in Acts 2:40: And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
What will this look like? As always, the Scriptures will tell us:
“…and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” Acts 5:40-41 (also Romans 8:17-18)
21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
As John makes clear back in Ch.1:18 “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” There is no longer any excuse.
23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
(A total rejection of God)
24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
How could the Lord have possibly made himself any more visible than this: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (God with us). Isaiah 7:14/Matthew 1:23
Surely the Lord God was with them; and they did not recognize him…and those who did - many did not receive Him! This is the ultimate expression of man’s rebellion against the Almighty God! And a sobering wake up call - even to we who call ourselves his disciples. Jesus Christ is the full expression of God! There is no other! There is no other way to the Father (Ch.14:6) and no other name by which we may be saved! (Acts 4:12)
25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’(Psalm 35 & 69:4)
The world, under the dominion of Satan, will always hate Jesus - and consequently, his followers. But, as we have already read - and are about to read again - the Lord will not leave us to face it alone: For there is Another (Ch.14:16), who, just like Jesus, proceeds from the Father…
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
And John, along with the other Apostles, will most assuredly do this; giving the following powerful testimony:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you (meaning us, now) the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” Read 1John 1:1-4.
Child of God…Disciple of Christ; can you hear? By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John is talking…is testifying…to us!
This is why the written Word of God - the testimony of the Apostles and prophets - is so vital - and infallible: They who saw…who heard…who spoke with…who KNEW - Him. (Ephesians 2:20)
1John 3:
23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
See Colossians 1:4-5: It is through Faith in Christ and hope for our future in Heaven, that we are able to love one another according to the commandment of the Lord.
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