“By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt 7:20; cf. Luke 6:43–44).

The Vine and the Branches. Jesus presents an extended metaphor (vv. 1–8) and explains it (vv. 9–17).

John 15 emphasizes that neither doctrine nor ethics can alone define Christian discipleship. It reminds us that remaining in Christ, having an interior experience of Jesus (as a branch is nourished and strengthened by a vine), is a nonnegotiable feature of following Jesus. Many words could be used to describe this: mysticism, interiority, spiritual encounter. But without some dimension of an interior experience of the reality of Jesus, without a transforming spirituality that creates a supernatural life, doctrine and ethics lose their value.

When Jesus employs the vineyard metaphor, he is touching one of the most-used images in Judaism to express God’s relationship with his people. We saw that instead of describing God’s people as planted vines rooted in the soil of Israel, Jesus describes them as branches attached to himself, the one true vine. Something important has happened here. God’s people are defined not as people now planted in the vineyard of Israel, but as people attached to Jesus.

What does this mean for Israel’s historic attachment to the land, the geography of the Middle East between Be’er Sheva and Dan? In his major speech in Acts 7, Stephen similarly challenges Israel’s self-definition anchored to a national political identity. He not only challenges the sanctity of the land (as the goal of religious life) but the temple (as the sole place of access to God). This costs him his life. Is Jesus making the same prophetic challenge in John 15? Now the vineyard consists of one vine, and the question for God’s people is no longer, “Do I live in the vineyard?” but instead, “Am I attached to Jesus, the vine?”

To be connected to the vine means that the life of Jesus is flowing through us, and this leads to fruitfulness. Fruitfulness will be the inevitable outcome of an interior spiritual life with Jesus (cf. Gal. 5:22–23).

Discipleship is not just a matter of acknowledging who Jesus is; it is having Jesus spiritually connected to our inner lives.

It is possible that if the text of this discourse was spoken as they walked from the upper room in Jerusalem down into the Kidron Valley and across to the Mount of Olives, they could have seen the great golden vine, the national emblem of Israel, on the front of the temple. This symbolism has its precedent in the OT.

The key word is abide; it is used eleven times in John 15:1–11 (“continue” in John 15:9 and “remain” in John 15:11). What does it mean to “abide”? It means to keep in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit. This certainly involves the Word of God and the confession of sin so that nothing hinders our communion with Him (John 15:3). It also involves obeying Him because we love Him (John 15:9–10).

How can we tell when we are “abiding in Christ”? Is there a special feeling? No, but there are special evidences that appear and they are unmistakably clear. For one thing, when you are abiding in Christ, you produce fruit (John 15:2). What that “fruit” is, we will discuss later. Also, you experience the Father’s “pruning” so that you will bear more fruit (John 15:2). The believer who is abiding in Christ has his prayers answered (John 15:7) and experiences a deepening love for Christ and for other believers (John 15:9, 12–13). He also experiences joy (John 15:11).

bear fruit. One purpose of God’s sovereign election is that the disciples who have been blessed with such revelation and understanding should produce spiritual fruit. The NT describes fruit as godly attitudes (Gal. 5:22, 23), righteous behavior (Phil. 1:11), praise (Heb. 13:15), and especially leading others to faith in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God (Rom. 1:13–16).

These statements may refer to someone who was never a genuine believer in the first place (e.g., Judas and the Jews who withdrew after Jesus’ difficult teaching in 6:66), in which case 15:6 refers to eternal judgment. In either instance it is clear that 15:6 refers to the fires of judgment (cf. OT imagery in Ps 80:16 and Ezek 15:1–8)

It seems most likely, therefore, that the branches who do not bear fruit and are taken away and burned are false believers, those who profess to belong to Jesus but who in reality do not belong to him. In the Gospel of John, the primary example of this category is Judas. In 1 John 2:18–19 the “antichrists” fall into the same category; they too may be thought of as branches that did not bear fruit. They departed from the ranks of the Christians because they never did really belong, and their departure shows that they did not belong.

The productive vine is pruned for greater production, while the nonproductive vine is cut off for destruction. The key to producing fruit is one’s relationship to the vine, to “remain in the vine” (15:4–5, 7). Apart from Christ nothing can be accomplished (15:5). The verse “Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you,” as with 14:13, needs to be seen in the context of one who is firmly part of the vine (15:16).

Fruitless branches represent professing believers who demonstate that their connection to Jesus is superficial (see v. 6; e.g., Judas in 13:1–2, 10–11, 26–30; cf. 1 John 2:19; see notes on 2:23; 4:45; 5:35; 6:2, 60; 7:5; 8:30), and fruitful branches represent genuine believers (see note on 8:31). The vinedresser ensures increased fruitfulness by removing dead branches (“cuts off”) and removing undesired parts from fruitful ones (“prunes”).

He prunes. God removes all things in the believer’s life that would hinder fruit-bearing, i.e., he chastises to cut away sin and hindrances that would drain spiritual life just as the farmer removes anything on the branches that keep them from bearing maximum fruit (Heb. 12:3–11).

24 sn Once again Jesus promises the disciples ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. This recalls 14:13–14, where the disciples were promised that if they asked anything in Jesus’ name it would be done for them. The two thoughts are really quite similar, since here it is conditioned on the disciples’ remaining in Jesus and his words remaining in them. The first phrase relates to the genuineness of their relationship with Jesus. The second phrase relates to their obedience. When both of these qualifications are met, the disciples would in fact be asking in Jesus’ name and therefore according to his will.

15:4. Fruitfulness is the result of the Son’s life being reproduced in a disciple. The disciple’s part is to remain. The word remain, a key word in John’s theology, is menō which occurs 11 times in this chapter, 40 times in the entire Gospel, and 27 times in John’s epistles. What does it mean to remain? It can mean, first, to accept Jesus as Savior (cf. 6:54, 56). Second, it can mean to continue or persevere in believing (8:31 [“hold” is remain]; 1 John 2:19, 24). Third, it can also mean believing, loving obedience (John 15:9–10). Without faith, no life of God will come to anyone. Without the life of God, no real fruit can be produced: Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.

The connection is maintained by obedience and prayer. To remain in Christ and to allow his words to remain in oneself means a conscious acceptance of the authority of his word and a constant contact with him by prayer.

15:2. He (i.e., the Gardener, the Father) desires fruit, which is mentioned eight times in this chapter (vv. 2 [thrice], 4 [twice], 5, 8, 16). A progression is seen: fruit (v. 2), more fruitful (v. 2), and “much fruit” (vv. 5, 8). The fruit which God desired from Israel was loving obedience, righteousness, and justice (Isa. 5:1–7).

Several different kinds of spiritual fruit are named in the Bible. We bear fruit when we win others to Christ (Rom. 1:13). We are a part of the harvest (John 4:35–38). As we grow in holiness and obedience, we are bearing fruit (Rom. 6:22). Paul considered Christian giving to be fruit from a dedicated life (Rom. 15:28). “The fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22–23) is the kind of Christian character that glorifies God and makes Christ real to others. Even our good works, our service, grow out of our abiding life (Col. 1:10). The praise that comes from our hearts and lips is actually fruit to the glory of God (Heb. 13:15).

1. Against the OT background of Israel as the vine that failed to produce good fruit Jesus said, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. This is the last of the seven different ‘I am’ sayings with predicates in the Fourth Gospel (6:35, 48, 51; 8:12; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5). Jesus used the word ‘true’ (alēthinos) several times to denote what is true or genuine (4:23: ‘true worshippers’, 6:32: ‘true bread’, 15:1: ‘true vine’, 17:3: ‘the true God’). He used it on this occasion to indicate that, as the true vine, he produced what the nation Israel failed to produce: fruit for which the gardener (the Father) was looking.

First, what does it mean for disciples to ‘remain’ in Jesus? Because of the vine/branches metaphor this has often been interpreted as an organic union between Jesus and his disciples. It is unlikely that the disciples who listened to Jesus that night thought of their connection with him in that way. They probably thought of it in terms of loyalty and fellowship that would continue as they obeyed his word. There are two other places in the Fourth Gospel where Jesus speaks of his disciples ‘remaining’ in him or in his love, and each case involves keeping his word (7, 10). If ‘remaining’ in Jesus were a matter of organic union (whatever that means), it would be a given, not something dependent upon obedience. However, if ‘remaining’ in Jesus is a metaphor for continuing in fellowship with and loyalty to him, then obedience to his commands is clearly important.

Third, what is the nature of the fruit produced when the disciples ‘remain’ in Jesus? There are two common interpretations: (1) righteous living (as required of Israel in Isa. 5:1–8), or (2) the results of preaching the gospel, i.e. new converts. However, to choose one, or even both of these, is to narrow the meaning too much. The context, which stresses that ‘fruit’ is produced as the disciples maintain their fellowship with Jesus by keeping his word and when Jesus continues to fellowship with them by the Spirit, suggests that ‘fruit’ refers to the entire life and ministry of those who follow Jesus’ teaching and experience his presence in their lives through the Spirit.

How does the Father prune us? Sometimes He simply uses the Word to convict and cleanse us. (The word translated “purge” in John 15:2 is the same as “clean” in John 13:10. See Eph. 5:26–27.) Sometimes He must chasten us (Heb. 12:1–11). At the time, it hurts when He removes something precious from us; but as the “spiritual crop” is produced, we see that the Father knew what He was doing.

The more we abide in Christ, the more fruit we bear; and the more fruit we bear, the more the Father has to prune us so that the quality keeps up with the quantity. Left to itself, the branch might produce many clusters, but they will be inferior in quality. God is glorified by a bigger crop that is also a better crop.

3 “Clean” recalls Jesus’ statement to the disciples at the footwashing: “And you are clean, though not every one of you” (John 13:10). There he singled out Judas, who was consciously and deliberately planning to betray him. Jesus did not equate “clean” with “perfect” but rather with sincere devotion that unites others to him as branches are united to the vine. Judas was an example of a branch that was cut off.

The means by which pruning or cleaning is done is the Word of God. It condemns sin; it inspires holiness; it promotes growth. As Jesus applied the words God gave him to the lives of the disciples, they underwent a pruning process that removed evil from them and conditioned them for further service.

The confident prayer described in 15:17 is a byproduct of the intimacy with Jesus offered in 15:15–16. To be a branch, to be a disciple, does not mean that we can make some claim on the vine and demand it to produce what we wish. Prayer “in my name” is not a formula that guarantees we will get what we want. Centuries of Christian experience bear this out. But prayer that is itself inspired by the spiritual presence of Jesus, that is in harmony with his will, that is in accord with what he is doing in nurturing the vineyard—this prayer will succeed.

See note on 13:34. Love for God is tied to and verified by love for other believers (1 John 4:11–21).

Keeping the commandments (here epitomized as love) was supposed to bring joy (Ps 19:8 and often in later Jewish teachings).

Jesus defines the life of abiding as a life of love. Just as the Father loves Jesus, so Jesus loves us. Jesus loves us just as much as the Father loves him. We cannot earn Jesus’ love. Our obedience to Jesus merits nothing, but it profits greatly. Jesus’ commands are not burdensome, for they are for our best, and he has fulfilled the demands and the judgment of God’s law that could condemn us (Rom. 10:4; 2 Cor. 5:21).

The radical grace of the gospel transforms servanthood into friendship. Only grace can free us to obey Jesus out of friendship and worship, and no longer out of fear or self-interest.

35 sn Now the reference to the commandments (plural) in 15:10 have been reduced to a singular commandment: The disciples are to love one another, just as Jesus has loved them. This is the ‘new commandment’ of John 13:34, and it is repeated in 15:17. The disciples’ love for one another is compared to Jesus’ love for them. How has Jesus shown his love for the disciples? This was illustrated in 13:1–20 in the washing of the disciples’ feet, introduced by the statement in 13:1 that Jesus loved them “to the end.”

9–10. It looks, at first, as though 15:9 begins a new section (9–17) dealing primarily with Jesus’ love for his disciples and his command that they love one another. However, in 15:16 the notion of fruit-bearing reappears, suggesting that this subsection dealing with love is also related to fruit-bearing. It begins with the amazing statement As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Just as Jesus is the recipient of the Father’s love, so the disciples are the recipients of his love. Jesus’ statement that he ‘loved’ his disciples employs the aorist tense, depicting his love as a complete action, denoting perhaps the entire demonstration of Jesus’ love for his disciples throughout his time with them and culminating in his death for them.

so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Earlier Jesus told his puzzled disciples, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about … My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work’ (4:32–34). Jesus’ joy came from doing the Father’s will, and the joy of disciples will come from doing what Jesus commands them; and he said, My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. The model for the disciples’ love for one another is Jesus’ love for them; and speaking of his love for them, he said, Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

The footwashing symbolized Jesus’ laying down his life on the cross for his disciples. It is noteworthy that earlier in the Gospel laying down his life was described as part of Jesus’ obedience to his Father (10:18), while here it is described as an expression of his love for his disciples. Jesus expected his disciples to express the same sort of self-sacrificing love for one another.