John 15 (Holy Week)

April 12, 2022

Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.

Reading along with us in John for Holy Week? Here’s today’s reading:

John 15 (NIV)

The Vine and the Branches
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me..............Continue Reading

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This Post Has 12 Comments

  1. The picture of the vine and branches is such a powerful one because it is our reminder that we can do nothing when we remove ourselves from God. He is the power that flows through us. The pruning is essential to the growth not only do you cut away the bad but also trim healthy parts to allow for further growth. He is constantly powering us working in us and growing us!
    The picture of love in this chapter is also one that I appreciate as a parent because it is the reason we obey. Not out of obligation but out of reverence, respect, and appreciation for all He has done. He chose us and we are to look different as a result of His love and His pruning!

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  3. I like the part where it says, “obey my commands and you will remain in my love..” Obedience connects me to his love. It doesn’t mean he loves me less if I disobey. But disobedience and sin have a power in themselves to separate me from his love – which means that I’d feel unloved by God and I will not have the will or power to love Him back if I choose a sinful life.

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  5. I’m in John 14 today.
    I’m curious about the statement Jesus made about the Father being greater than he. The trinity has a heirachy!
    Different rolls but not equal??
    Jesus is in the father and the father is in him.
    Secondly , that Love is equated with obedience…..John 14: 21 , but it’s Faith before works and salvation by Grace.
    Thinking ….
    I read from the amplified
    His Peace,
    Matie

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    1. Hey Matie, Glad to see you following along with us here. Whenever Jesus says the Father is greater, He could be saying two things. He is speaking from His humanity which naturally would mean the Father is greater than Him or He is speaking of the supremacy of the Father in position, but not in essence. I believer here, Jesus is referring to the second condition. So yes, the trinity does have a hierarchy, but it is one of role/position/authority, but not of essence or being. In fact, that is what Jesus has been reenforcing throughout the rest of the chapter…that He and the Father are one. So having established the equality of essence, Jesus provides the balance of the supremacy of God in position, particularly in the greater value in Jesus being with Him as opposed to Jesus being with the disciples or even, dare I say, the disciples being with Jesus.

      And there is also a distinction in Scripture between the agape, unconditional love of God, and the personal, conditional love of God. It is this personal love that Jesus is referring to in this passage. This is especially true when the expression of His love will be that He will reveal more of Himself to those who are obedient. God loves us as sinners, but our sin also separates us from harmony with Him, being used by Him, or having Him reveal more of Himself to us. Make sense?

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  6. What a great analogy of our relationship with God and Jesus. Jesus is the vine that we must stay connected to. And our father does the pruning. Don’t care for that part. But it is beneficial. Who wouldn’t want to stay connected to Jesus through this life? CAN’T imagine life without being connected. That your joy may be complete No matter what our circumstances are, joy should be ours. The enemy is constantly trying to steal that joy. How awesome that Jesus is not only our lord and savior, but he calls us his friend. Doesn’t get much more comforting than that. I have relatives that don’t want to have a relationship with me. Because I am a church going Christian. This part of scripture explains it perfectly. The advocate and the spirit of truth, Helper. Encourage. Strengthen us. Jesus is spending all this time comforting his friends. Instead of what he is going to go through the next day. What a great indicator of who God is!!

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  8. John 15 I love the picture this gives, we are the branches and when we are in Christ sharing him with others and reading his word we are fruitful, but when we step away that fruit starts to dry up and die off, we can’t do anything without Christ! We are not part of this world, and we may be persecuted for loving Jesus but our reward is greater.

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  9. In this chapter Jesus explains the depth of a relationship with him. A superficial assent to belief in Jesus is not true faith.

    Believing in Jesus is so much more than that.

    Abiding in Jesus means that you stay connected to the Vine. You are subject to the Vinedressers pruning, but it also means that you are productive, fruitful. The Father is glorified and you have direct access to Jesus, to ask Him whatever you desire.

    Abiding in Jesus means abiding in His love. This means obeying His commandments and loving others. The result of this type of abiding is joy. Jesus calls us friends. We are working partners with Jesus.

    Abiding in Jesus means hatred and persecution from the world. Jesus’ actions on earth and their unbelief makes them culpable for their sin. Our relationship is with Jesus. They don’t know Him.

    After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He sent us the Holy Spirit….a literal abiding in us.

    “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

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  10. What a privilege is ours that we can join God in His work on this earth. We can be fruit bearers for His kingdom! But here Jesus makes clear that God does not expect us to do anything on our own, but also makes clear that we must remain connected to Him. What a powerful picture vines and branches are. Even in a non-agricultural economy we can understand how the life giving elements that flow through a trunk or a vine can only be delivered to a branch if the branch is and remains connected. So that is our only responsibility and every thing else is provided by God. And how wonderful to know that we are clean from the start, but God doesn’t expect us to be perfect and is willing to prune us as He sees fit….a role that we can trust the gardener with. And as Amy points out above, look at all the things that flow from that. With a vital, connected fellowship with God (Your kingdom come, Your will be done), we can ask for anything and God will give it. We also will bear much fruit (in our character as well as our influence on others) and in that we will show and have assurance that we are His disciples. It should be an unsettling Christian experience if we don’t bear fruit…….selah….

    But the implications of our connectedness keep coming…we will have the assurance and confidence of His love for us. He will not only provide for us but all that He does will based on His heart of love towards us. We should naturally obey Him because His commands are an expression of His love..and it’s also our way to show that we love and trust Him. And if that is not enough, all of this will lead to God’s joy in our lives as well as the capacity to love others like Jesus loves. But there is a downside to all this, as we are vitally connected to God/Jesus, the world that hates Him will also hate us. Man’s rejection of Him really has no reason except the rebellious nature of the human heart…

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  11. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15:4)

    This brings to mind Paul in Galatians:

    Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (Gal 3:3)

    We must put our minds not only on what we are doing but why and for whom. Now that we have been gifted with the Holy Spirit, do we pray for His conviction and follow where He leads, or do we spend our time “doing good deeds because that’s what we are supposed to be doing?”

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