John 15 - King James Version Bible Commentary

Jn 15:1. The true vine. In the Old Testament, Israel is referred to as a vine. However, in this verse, we find the True or Real Vine is Christ Himself. The husbandman. The Father is the husbandman, or the One who owns the vineyard and who takes care of it.

Jn 15:2. He taketh away. Just as the husbandman disposes of branches that bear no fruit, so the Father judges those who bear no spiritual fruit. He purgeth it. The husbandman prunes (Gr kathaireo¯) the branches which bear fruit in order for them to bear more fruit. In like manner, God the Father cleanses Christians who are bearing fruit to bring them to bear more fruit. Fruit is the natural product of a living organism. Spiritual fruit is a spiritual product of a spiritual union (Gal 5:22-23).

Jn 15:3. Cleansing is produced through the Word of God.

Jn 15:4. Abide in me. In order to be a fruitful Christian, one must learn to depend on Christ and let the power and Spirit of Christ flow through him.

Jn 15:5. Christ now clearly states the implications of this story. He is the vine and we are the branches. Note the total dependence upon the Vine. Without that abiding relationship ye can do nothing. In verse Jn 15:2 it refers to more fruit, and in verses Jn 15:5 and Jn 15:8 it refers to much fruit.

Jn 15:6. This does not refer to everlasting punishment in hell. Note that there are results of not abiding in Christ as a branch. The man himself is not the branch; the branch represents the fruits of his relationship with Christ. When the Christian fails to abide in Christ, he withers, dries up, and his fruit or works will be judged by fire (I Cor 3:12-15).

Jn 15:7-8. Those who abide in Christ, and who permit His words to abide in them, have a blessed promise that Christ will perform whatever they ask. This is a blessed promise of the Father.

Jn 15:9-10. In the center of this unique abiding relationship is the love of God. Christ exhorts His disciples to continue in my love. It is interesting to note that this is the first fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22. Christ remained in the Father’s love because He obeyed Him. We remain in Christ’s love because we obey His commandments (Jn 14:21, 23-24).

Jn 15:11. The second fruit of the Spirit is joy. The abiding relationship also gives us Christ’s joy. Christ promises them fruit, answered prayer, love, and joy as the result of abiding in Him.

Jn 15:12. This is the second commandment found in chapter Jn 15. The first is abide in me (vs. Jn 15:7), and now Christ commands them to love one another. He defines the extent of that love in the phrase, as I have loved you.

Jn 15:13-14. Love is giving sacrificially for others. Love is not an emotional feeling, but it is the act of giving (Jn 3:16). To be a friend of Christ means to obey Him.

Jn 15:15. Because of their obedience, Christ could now call them friends. As His friends, they were told all the things that Christ had heard from the Father.

Jn 15:16. Although they were Christ’s friends, this was by His choice, not their choice. Ordained you (Gr tithe¯mi, appointed you). Bring forth fruit. It is evident that the fruit refers to love and its results (Jn 15:8-14). Note the progression. To abide means to bear fruit; to bear fruit means to experience answered prayer (he may give it you).

Jn 15:17. Again Christ returns to the theme of love. Loving one another is a command, not an option.

Jn 15:18. Christ turns from the subject of love to the subject of hate. Hate (Gr miseo¯) occurs eight times in the rest of the discourse. World (Gr kosmos). This includes all who are not friends of Christ.

Jn 15:19. The world can love only those who are of the world. Since the friends of Christ have been chosen out of the world the world, logically, hates them.

Jn 15:20-21. The disciples could expect the same treatment as their Lord received. Some would persecute them, while others would keep their message. The root of the world’s rejection of the disciples was their rejection of the Father who had sent the Son.

Jn 15:22-23. If Christ had not come, the people would not have been guilty of rejecting Him. But He did come, and now they had no excuse for their sin. The Jews claimed to obey the Father, and yet they hated the Son. In reality, they hated both the Father and the Son.

Jn 15:24-25. Even though Christ had performed works that should have caused them to believe, they still rejected and hated Him. Yet even in their rebellion and hatred, the Jews were fulfilling God’s plan (Ps 69:4).

Jn 15:26-27. Christ now concludes His discourse on hatred by reminding the disciples that they will not be alone. The Spirit of truth will testify (bear witness) of me. The witness of God’s Spirit will cooperate with that of the disciples to give powerful testimony to the mission and purpose of Christ.