John — Chapter 15

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1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2Every 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.

3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4Abide 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.

5I 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.

6If 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.

7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15Henceforth 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.

16Ye 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.

17These things I command you, that ye love one another.

18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19If 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.

20Remember 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.

21But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

24If 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.

25But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

26But 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:

27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit.

3Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you.

4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me.

5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.

6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and [so] shall ye be my disciples.

9Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide ye in my love.

10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father`s commandments, and abide in his love.

11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and [that] your joy may be made full.

12This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.

13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you.

15No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known unto you.

16Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

17These things I command you, that ye may love one another.

18If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before [it hated] you.

19If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.

21But all these things will they do unto you for my name`s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin.

23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

24If I had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

25But [this cometh to pass], that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

26But 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 bear witness of me:

27and ye also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

1“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.

2He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.

3You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you.

4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

5“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.

6If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and are burned up.

7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you.

8My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.

9“Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love.

10If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

11I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.

12My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you.

13No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends.

14You are my friends if you do what I command you.

15I no longer call you slaves because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father.

16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.

17This I command you—to love one another.

18“If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first.

19If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.

20Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too.

21But they will do all these things to you on account of my name because they do not know the one who sent me.

22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But they no longer have any excuse for their sin.

23The one who hates me hates my Father too.

24If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both me and my Father.

25Now this happened to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’

26When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me,

27and you also will testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.

2Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.

5I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

6If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.

8“In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.

9Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.

10If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.

11I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.

12“This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.

13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

14You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.

15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.

16You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

17“I command these things to you, that you may love one another.

18If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.

19If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

20Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

21But all these things will they do to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.

22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

23He who hates me, hates my Father also.

24If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father.

25But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26“When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.

27You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Jesus teaches the allegory of the Vine and Branches — "Abide in me and I in you" — commands His disciples to love one another as He loved them, and warns of the world's hatred because "they hated me before they hated you."

Authorship & Background

Author: The Apostle John (see Chapter 1 notes for full authorship details).
Historical Context: Chapter 15 continues the Upper Room Discourse. Jesus uses the image of the vine and branches — deeply familiar to His Jewish audience. Israel was frequently depicted as God's vine in the Old Testament (Psalm 80:8-16, Isaiah 5:1-7, Ezekiel 15, Hosea 10:1). Israel had failed as God's vine. Jesus declares Himself the "true vine" — the fulfillment of what Israel was meant to be.
The Vine and Branches: This is the seventh and final "I AM" statement in John's Gospel. The image is agricultural — a grapevine produces fruit only through branches that remain connected to the vine. Disconnected branches wither and are burned. The key word of the chapter is "abide" (Greek: meno) — used 11 times.
World Hatred (vv.18-27): Jesus transitions from the intimacy of abiding to the reality of persecution. The world's hatred of believers is not incidental — it flows from the world's hatred of Christ. Disciples should expect opposition, not be surprised by it.

Map & Geography

  • The Upper Room / en route to Gethsemane: This teaching may have been given in the Upper Room or as they walked from the Upper Room toward the Mount of Olives (cf. 14:31, "Arise, let us go hence").
  • The vine imagery reflects the vineyards that covered the Judean hillsides — and possibly the golden vine that adorned the Temple entrance.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines the meaning of "abide," the pruning process (v.2), the nature of fruitlessness and its consequences, and the transition from servants to friends (v.15).
  • Charles Spurgeon: Sermon: "Abiding in Christ" on v.4 (MTP Vol. 22, No. 1288) "Abide in Me. Not visit Me occasionally. Not come to Me in emergencies. Abide — make your home in Me. The branch does not visit the vine; it lives in the vine. That is the relationship Christ calls us to — not occasional contact but constant connection." Sermon: "Greater Love" on v.13 (MTP Vol. 26, No. 1546) "Greater love hath no man than this. And yet Christ had greater love than this — for He laid down His life not for friends but for enemies. He loved us when we were unlovable, when we were hostile, when we were dead in sin. That is the love that surpasses all understanding."

Videos

David Guzik — Enduring Word Video Series (John)

YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_QIfO0mxbX4zgQH4vuK6q1q7gu8Ok6tz John 15:1-11 - Prepared to Abide: John 15:12-16:4 - Prepared for Persecution:

Reflection

  • 1. "Without me ye can do nothing" (v.5). Not "without me you can do less" — nothing. Every good thing in your life flows from connection to Christ. Where are you trying to produce fruit in your own strength — in your marriage, your parenting, your work, your ministry? What would it look like to abide rather than strive?
  • 2. The Father prunes fruitful branches to make them more fruitful (v.2). Pruning is painful — it looks like loss. Is there something in your life right now that feels like loss but might be the Father's pruning? What fruit might He be preparing you to bear?
  • 3. Jesus called His disciples "friends" (v.15) — not servants. A servant follows orders without understanding; a friend is brought into the confidence of the master. How does being called a friend of Jesus change how you relate to Him in prayer and in daily life?
  • 4. "The world hateth you" (v.19). If you are living like Christ, the world will not always applaud you. Are you experiencing any friction with the world because of your faith? Or has your Christianity become so comfortable that it produces no friction at all?
  • 5. Abiding in Christ is the condition for fruitfulness, answered prayer, and full joy (vv.4-11). What does abiding look like practically in your daily life? What habits or disciplines help you stay connected to the vine?
  • 6. The Father prunes even fruitful branches (v.2). This means the most productive seasons of your life may also be the most painful. How do you maintain trust in God's goodness during seasons of pruning?
  • 7. Jesus said "I have chosen you" (v.16) — not "you have chosen me." You are in Christ because He pursued you. How does the reality of being chosen by God affect your sense of identity, security, and purpose?
  • 8. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (v.13). Jesus defines love by sacrifice. In your closest relationships — marriage, fatherhood, friendship — where are you being called to lay something down for someone else? What is it costing you?
  • 9. The world hated Jesus because He testified that its works were evil (John 7:7). If the world doesn't hate you at all, is it possible you've stopped testifying? How do you balance being in the world without being of it?