1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 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. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Vs. 1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
In this passage the Lord Jesus Christ now uses some allegory to convey some great Spiritual truths. And so, in this Jesus begins by saying that He is the true vine, and His Father is the vinedresser. Thus, Jesus harkens back to the Biblical metaphors where Israel itself was described as a vine planted by God (Psalm 80:8). However, when Israel itself willingly moved away from God and into the idolatry and sins of the nations around them, it fell under the wrath and judgment of God (Isaiah 51:1-7; Ezekiel 15:1-8; 17-5-10; 19:10-14; Hosea 10:1-4 etc.). Therefore, in no way could Israel ever have been said to be God’s true vine, for though planted by God, it did not love and obey God, but rather they choose their own course and way, just as they continue to do even to this very day! Therefore, when Jesus says that He is the true vine He is in essence saying look to Him, not to Israel for salvation! Because at this time (as in ancient times) Israel is far away from Him! Now when Jesus calls His Father; God the Father; the vinedresser He is attributing to His Father the authority and power that is only held by Him. Thus, just as His Father in ancient times watched over Israel and did to it according to its works and ways, so now He also watches over His Sons ministry, seeking the fruits of His Son in all of us who believe in Him!
Vs. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
Here the Lord Jesus describes the pruning work of God His Father; for as every gardener knows pruning is necessary for the life of a plant; but here specifically for the fruit production of His vine. Therefore, Jesus says that “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” Now the mention of branches here is Jesus’ first mention of all of us who are His disciples, (which includes both professing and genuine Christians) thus here Jesus’ describes what happens to His disciples that do not bear fruit, and what also happens to those that do. Thus, those disciples who do not bear fruit, i.e. because they are not born again, and thus do not have the life of Christ, nor the love of God inside of them God Himself takes away. Now the reason He does this is why any good gardener takes away dead branches so that there can be new growth. That said, when and how God does this is completely up to Him, because it is decided by Him alone when and how to do this, for He alone knows the vine better than anyone else. So that is what happens to disciples who do not bear the fruits of Christ, God Himself takes away! That said Jesus goes on to say that, “…and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” Once again, the Father is at work but this time His pruning is not to completely remove those branches that are bearing fruit, but rather He prunes them so that they might bear more fruit! In this then we can see the chastening hand of God at work in our lives removing from us those ideas, attitudes and behaviors that inhibit us from being more fruitful and plentiful as Jesus Christ’s disciples. Thus, His pruning work here is His removing from us those things that would keep us or hinder us from reaching our full potential as disciples of Jesus Christ. And so, though process maybe at times painful, at the end of it the increased fruits and joy of greater and greater harvests makes it exceedingly worth it! For nothing gives believers more joy then to see God accomplish many mighty things through them!
Vs. 3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”
Here Jesus makes it clear that we who believe in Him are already clean because of His Word which He Himself has spoken to us and which we ourselves have received. Thus, what Jesus is describing here is the sanctification and justification of everyone who believes in Him.
Vs. 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
The Lord Jesus now gives the “secret” to bearing fruit and that is by our abiding in Him and His abiding is us. Thus, first and foremost, a relationship must first be established with Him, and this begins by repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, that begun, we are then to ongoingly abide in Him, because as Jesus makes the analogy here, just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own, neither can we bear fruit, good and Godly fruit, unless we are abiding in Him. For apart from the Lord Jesus Christ we have neither His enabling us by His Spirit, nor His guiding us by His Word to enable and guide us into bearing good fruit by our abiding in Him and He is us.
Vs. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
And so here Jesus makes it clear that He metaphorically being the vine is the source of our life, and thus all that we are and can do. Therefore, we metaphorically being the branches must abide in Him, the vine, in order to bear much fruit, for again we are fully and completely dependent on the vine as the source for all that are and can do. Therefore, Jesus promises, “…He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Christians then cannot bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and thus bring forth the Character and Person of the Lord Jesus Christ through their own persons and lives unless they are abiding in Christ! For that is where good and Godly fruit always begins from abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ! The works then that Christians do and achieve all stem then from their abiding in the Vine!
Vs. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Here the Lord Jesus warns us all of failing to abide in Him, that when we lose touch with Him, we metaphorically become dry and withered branches, and so no longer abiding in Him and bearing His fruits, people no longer respect our profession or even His Person, but rather they just cast us and our profession and person aside (into the fire) (gleaned from Believers Bible Commentary).
Vs. 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
Again, the importance of abiding in Christ, which is not just attending church on Sunday, rather it is daily abiding in Jesus Christ and having His Words abide in us. For we continually need His Word to keep us grounded, focused, and secured, otherwise one will only end up drifting around like a branch on the waters. Therefore, Jesus promises that when we abide in Him and His Words abide in us, we can be assured that when we ask for what we desire it will be done for us! For then both our focus and motives will be right, because we will have a Godly focus and Godly desires being close to His own heart, so that He Himself will grant us what we desire. Promises like this then should never be distorted into Jesus promising to fulfill ones own Godless greed or desires.
Vs. 8 “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
Therefore, God is glorified when His children bear much fruit, good and Godly fruit, as the Lord Jesus Christ’s disciples!
Vs. 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”
Here Jesus wants us all to believe and understand that His love for us is on par with God the Fathers love for Him! Now because love is so important to a disciple’s survival and wellbeing Jesus tells us all to abide in His love, that is recall it often, bring it to mind and praise Him for it, and let it be what motivates you to do good and serve others. For to know Christ’s love is to know God’s love, and His love will not only transform your person, but it will make you someone who can also truly reach and love others as well.
Vs. 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.”
Once again, Jesus makes it clear that by keeping His commandments, we abide in His love. For just as He kept His Father’s commandments, and thus abides in His love, so must we keep His to abide in His love. The Lord Jesus Christ then never moves away from that reality, so that we ourselves don’t drift away into making loving Him into something of our own making!
Vs. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Jesus now in summing all that He has just said, now says that He said these things to us so that His joy may remain in us and thus our own joy may be full! For no one has lasting joy apart from abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
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