Daily Scripture Reading John 14:25 - 15:17
Jesus used many analogies to describe Himself and the church. One of the analogies He used was a grave vine. His vine analogy includes a reference to branches being cut off and thrown away, leading some Christians to believe that is a reference to people losing their salvation. In today’s reading we will examine His statements about vines and learn the true identity of the branch that was thrown away.
Jesus was eating a meal with His disciples. After Judas left the gathering, Jesus told His disciples He would soon leave them, but that they could not go where He was going. Peter insisted He wanted to follow at that moment and would lay down his life for Jesus. Jesus predicted that Peter would deny knowing Jesus.
Jesus told His disciples again that He was going to leave them, but He promised to send an Advocate. Amongst these sayings, Jesus also taught His disciples to love one another and that the way to love God is to obey God.
John 14:25 ¶ “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.
The phase “abiding with you” refers to His time here on earth. The term “these things” refers to all the teachings Jesus had spoken while on earth.
John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
We saw in John 13:33 and 14:2 that Jesus warned His disciples He was leaving them. According to John 14:16, Jesus promised to send an Advocate. The Advocate is the Holy Spirit. Even though Jesus had been teaching the disciples for several years, they still had more to learn. Plus, the Holy Spirit would help them remember the things Jesus had taught them.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
Jesus was going to leave them, but He promised to leave peace with them. Peace is the absence of conflict. In the last sentence of this verse Jesus commanded His disciples not to fear. The peace He was going to leave with them was the ability to live without fear.
Stress and anxiety are prevalent in modern society. Unfortunately, even many Christians are full of worry. Jesus left His peace. As Christians, we should not be consumed with fear and anxiety.
John 14:28 You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
John 14:29 And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.
John 14:30 I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;
John 14:31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.
The ultimate expression of love for the Father demonstrated by Jesus was dying on the cross.
John 15:1 ¶ “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-grower.
A grapevine consists of roots underground, a trunk that comes out of the ground, multiple branches that branch out from the trunk, shoots that grow out from the branches, and grapes and leaves that grow on the shoots.
John 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He cleans it so that it may bear more fruit.
During the dormant season, the vine-grower removes most of the shoots that grew the previous season. That is what Jesus meant by cleaning the branch. The branches remain year after year. During the growing season, the grapevine grows new shoots, and then grapes and leaves grow on the shoots. Every once in a while a branch will die and fail to produce new shoots. When that happens the vine-grower removes the branch.
John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
When vine-growers clean the branches, they are preparing it to produce grapes. When Jesus taught the disciples, He was preparing them to do ministry.
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Jesus is the trunk. Jesus was speaking to the disciples, meaning the disciples are the branches. The disciples started the church and produced the New Testament. The fruit produced by the branches/disciples is all the Christians who have lived over the past 2,000 years.
Many people misinterpret this passage because they think all Christians are branches. However, you and I are not branches. The apostles are the branches. You and I are fruit.
John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
Many people read this verse and think Jesus was warning that people could lose their salvation. However, think about the context in which Jesus said this. Jesus was talking to His disciples. The disciples are the branches. Judas Iscariot is the one who did not abide in Jesus; thus, he is the branch that was cut off, just as a dead branch is cut off and thrown away.
John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Many Christians latch onto this verse and claim Christians will get whatever they ask for. However, Jesus was speaking to the disciples. This promise was given to them. Furthermore, the only way they would get what they asked for was if they abided in Jesus and the words of Jesus abided in them. Abide means remain. If the disciples were truly abiding in Jesus, then their wishes would be in tune with Jesus.
John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
John 15:9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
John 15:10 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.
In the 14th chapter we saw that obeying God is the indicator that we love God. Here we see that obeying God is the method for abiding in God’s love.
John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:12 ¶ “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
Modern society thinks love is a romantic emotion. Here we see that Biblical love is self-sacrifice. Biblical love is an action, not an emotion.
John 15:14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.
John 15:15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
John 15:16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would abide, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
John 15:17 This I command you, that you love one another.
When Jesus identified Himself as a vine and the disciples as branches, He warned that anyone who does not abide in Him is cut off. Some people think this means people can lose their salvation. However, Judas Iscariot is the branch who did not abide in Jesus. Thus, he was cut off.
When Jesus lived on earth, the disciples abided in Jesus by walking with Him and participating in His ministry. What does “abiding in Jesus” look like in the 21st century now that Jesus is no longer living on earth?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”