Enduring Word John 15 (2024)

FAQs

What is the main point of John chapter 15? ›

Introduction. On the final evening of His mortal ministry, after the Last Supper, the Savior taught His Apostles that He is the True Vine and that His disciples are the branches. He commanded His disciples to love one another and warned them of the persecution they would experience because of their association with Him ...

The only choice that leads to salvation is to follow Jesus and obey His commands. To abide in Jesus means that we are “all in” and committed to following Him no matter where the path leads us. No matter how difficult the road in front of us may be.

Context Summary

Once again, Jesus commands His followers to demonstrate love toward each other. This is phrased, in no uncertain terms, as an obligation given directly by Christ. Jesus once again ties willingness to obey to the legitimacy of one's love for Him.

Jesus wants us to know that we are branches who cannot stand alone. Jesus himself is our gardener who continuously nourishes our spirit. If we remain faithful to Him, our life will prosper and bear much fruit. If we remain loyal to our belief, the hard work we did will result into more than we ever expected.

Jesus' role as the vine is twice identified, in verse 1 as “the true vine” and in verse 5 as “the vine.” This is the life source of the branches. It is God who tends to the flourishing of the branches, and likewise will “remove[s] every branch” (John 15:2) that gives no yield.

So in the context of John 15, the fruit Jesus is referring to is the disciples being His witnesses and the making of new disciples. It is producing the "seed" of new believers which glorifies the Father: By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ( John 15:8)

He expects us to abide in Christ. Remember what Jesus said in John 15:4-5. He said, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

Whether you are a lifelong Christian or just beginning your faith journey, this passage is essential to understanding the significance of Christ in your life. The first part of John 15:4-5 reads, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you.” This passage refers to the constant union that believers should have with Christ.

Christ's statement in John 15:13 demonstrates His boundless love for us. Jesus literally laid down His own life for His friends, those who obey Him (verse 14). He exhibited the most remarkable display of love when He died for our sins, showing what true, selfless love looks like.

When Christian believers don't join in worldly sins, the world responds with hatred and mockery. Choosing to honor God shines an uncomfortable light on sin, and that "earns" the hatred of the world. Jesus' words here are meant to reassure Christians that persecution for faith is a sign that we're identified with Him.

What is the meaning of John 15 7? ›

John 15:7 Leads Us to Ask God to Teach Us

To memorize it, to study it, to digest it, so that it penetrates our hearts and our minds, so that it saturates our lives, and so that we pray according to it. God, we pray that you would teach us to pray according to your word. We know you promise to answer that prayer.

Bible Study Ideas and Commentary for John 15:1-17

In Jesus' final teaching to His disciples, He explains that our obedience to Him not only proves that we are His friend and disciple, but also that our obedience is how we experience the joy of our salvation. Through our obedience, we remain in Christ and glorify God.

Jesus is giving them hope, knowing they will turn away from him. Jesus is affirming his disciples. They have all sorts of room to grow. Given the tumultuous events they are about to experience, his arrest, beating and crucifixion, the disciples need to know that they are clean, pruned, ready to bear fruit.

Jesus is explicitly reassuring the disciples that they are not among the dead branches. As this analogy continues, we see further explanation that bearing spiritual fruit is evidence of a life-giving connection to Christ. It is not a prerequisite for being attached to the True Vine in the first place. Context Summary.

In one lesson, Jesus talked about how grapes grow and compared it to how we should grow. In the story, Jesus is like the vine that gives the branches food, water and everything it needs to grow fruit. We are like the branches that grow out of the vine. When we're connected to Jesus, we'll produce fruit, too.

John tells us in today's passage that his purpose in writing was so that we would “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” and that by believing we would have life in Him (John 20:30–31).