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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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GOSPEL OF JOHN Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert B. Upper Room Discourse 13:31–16:33 [20 - (Jn
15:1-27)] Cont. 1. Jesus is
the True Vine and His Disciples are the Branches (15:1‑8) a) At some
point, Jesus and His disciples left the Upper Room, which was located in the
southeastern section of Jerusalem. From there it was very likely that they
walked east to the Kidron Valley and then in a
northerly direction (similar to Nehemiah’s evening inspection route, cp. Ne
2:14‑15) toward the Mount of Olives, where the Garden of Gethsemane was
located. Along the way, they would have passed through numerous olive
orchards containing multitudes of olive vines and their branches. It is from
this imagery that Christ taught His famous “Vine and Branches” Discourse (Jn
15:1‑8). b) This is the last of Jesus’ great “I AM”
statements (“I Am the true Vine”) which point to His deity. Jesus taught that
He was the “true” (alęthinos ‑
genuine or real) vine as opposed to false vines (false messiahs or false
teaching). c) Branches that abide in Christ (true
believers) will produce either “fruit” (2a), “more fruit” (2b), or “much
fruit” (5). d) The word “abide” comes from the Greek word
ménō and means to remain,
stay, dwell, abide, continue, and endure. To abide in Christ therefore would
mean that a believer remains dependent upon Christ’s life living in and
through the believer. (1) Abiding
would begin with saving faith in the death and resurrection of the True Vine
(3). (2) Abiding would continue as the branch
depends upon its power and life from the Vine. In fact, it can do nothing
apart from the power of the Vine (4‑5). (3) Abiding would continue as the branch obeys
the Word of the Vine (10). (4) Abiding would involve the branches’ prayers
and answers from the Vine (7). (5) Abiding would remain in unbroken fellowship
as the branch confesses its sin and receives forgiveness. e) The
branch that does not abide in the Vine and is “thrown away” has three main
interpretations according the Bible Knowledge Commentary in loc. (1) These
words have been interpreted in at least three ways: (1) The “burned” branches
are Christians who have lost their salvation. (But this contradicts many
passages, e.g., 3:16, 36; 5:24; 10:28-29; Rom. 8:1.) (2) The “burned”
branches represent Christians who will lose rewards but not salvation at the
judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:15). (But Jesus spoke here of dead
branches; such a branch is thrown away and withers.) (3) The “burned” branches
refer to professing Christians who, like Judas, are not genuinely saved and
therefore are judged. Like a dead branch, a person without Christ is
spiritually dead and therefore will be punished in eternal fire (cf. Matt.
25:46). Judas was with Jesus; he seemed like a “branch.” But he did not have
God’s life in him; therefore he departed; his destiny was like that of a dead
branch. (2) View #3 is the preferable interpretation
especially in light of the context of Judas’ false profession. It would also
apply to the Jewish people who were nationally connected to God (“in Me”)but spiritually rejected Christ and salvation (cp. 2 and
6). 2. Jesus
Teaches His Disciples How to Abide in His love (15:9‑17) a) His
disciples were to abide in Jesus’ love. The love that Jesus has for His
disciples is equal to the Father’s love for Jesus (9). We love Christ and
abide in His love by keeping His commandments just like He kept the Father’s
commandments (10). As was mentioned, obedience is a key to abiding in
fellowship (love relationship) with the Son and Father. It is Jesus’ great
joy when His disciples abide in Him. In addition, His disciples are filled
with the fullness of joy when they abide in Jesus (11). b) The command of Christ was repeated exactly
as He stated it in Jn 13:34‑35, which was that His disciples love one
another as He loved them (12). c) How did Jesus love His disciples and to
what degree? He explained that the greatest degree of love was to lay down
one’s life for another (13). Jesus laid down His life for man and his sin.
This was the greatest act of love in the history of mankind. Jesus met man’s
deepest need of salvation by His own death on the cross. Therefore, those who
trust in Christ are categorized as His “friends.” They were no longer slaves
to sin, nor were they Jesus’ slaves (though the believer’s heart is one as a
bond‑servant, cp. Ro 1:1; 6:17‑18; 2Ti 2:24), but had a greater
relationship as friends (those to whom the Son has revealed His truth). d) Once again Jesus repeats His command that
His disciples love one another with agape (self‑sacrificial)
love (17). 3. Jesus
Prepares His Disciples for Persecution (15:18‑27) a) Jesus
repeatedly referred to the world as being at enmity with the Father and the
Son. World (kósmos) is not only the
terrestrial place of man’s habitation, but also an evil system driven by sin
(Jn 7:7; 16:8), flesh (Ep 6:12; 1Jn 2:16), and the Devil (Jn 12:31; Re 12:9).
The world also has a hatred for Christ (anti‑Christ disposition).
Because Jesus’ disciples are part of the True Vine, they will be hated on
account of their association with Christ. Jesus’ disciples were not of the
world in the sense that they have trusted Christ, not rejected Him like the
world; obeyed Him and not disobeyed. Therefore, the world will reject
believers because they are not like the world. Furthermore, Christ chose
believers out of the world of which they were formerly apart (Ep 2:1‑5). b) Jesus tells His disciples that they will
have to endure persecution because Jesus endured it for their sake. If Jesus
was not exempt from persecution neither were His servants (doúlos ‑ slave or bond‑servant).
On the other hand, believers will love other believers because they love
Christ. Believers will love and keep Christ’s words and those who speak
Christ’s words (20). c) The reason that the world will persecute
believers for the sake of Christ, is because the
world does not know Christ nor have they trusted in Him (21). d) In addition they will persecute Christ and
those associated with Him because Christ came and exposed their sin. Jesus
exposed their sin by preaching true righteousness to them as opposed to man‑made
traditions. Having heard Christ’s teaching, they have no excuse for their sin
(22). They also have no excuse in not knowing that He was the Christ because
He did the works of the Messiah in front of their eyes. Rather, the world
proved that it hated not only the Son, but the Father also whom they claimed
to have served (23‑24). God already prophesied that they would react in
such a way as to “hate [Christ] without cause” (Ps 69:4). e) Jesus reminds His disciples that He will
send the Holy Spirit to comfort them and lead them into all truth. This is a
reference to the Trinity because the Spirit proceeds from the Father and will
testify about Christ (26 cp. Lk 24:26‑27; 44‑48). f) Since the Holy Spirit will lead Jesus
disciples into the truth and remembrance of His teaching (Jn 14:26), they
will also testify about Christ (27). 4. Applications:
Results of abiding in Christ a) Christ
lives in and through the believer through the Holy Spirit. b) The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to
love with Christ‑like love. c) The Holy Spirit indwells the believer and
comforts in the midst of persecution. d) The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to
live in an anti‑Christian environment. |
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