Gospel of St. John
Vine – 15:01-06
Jesus is talking to the eleven apostles. Thus his parallels are more direct and his statements more definitive. They are expected to understand that He is the only source of divine strength they will get until the coming of the Holy Ghost. We must bear in mind that when Christ uses the word “true”, he does not mean in opposition to that which is false. He means the reality that is perfect, essential and enduring.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” The vine is not a weed growing in a road-side ditch. It is like the grape vine. The vine is the only connection between the branch and the source of nourishment. It is significant that the vine does not bear fruit directly. The branches bear the fruit. The Father exercises protective care over the branches. He waters, trains, and prunes as necessary.
Some believe that purging the branch that bears no fruit means that a true Christian can perish if they fail to give all to God. Some believe that this refers to those who only appear to be Christians but are not really in communion with Christ. The difficulty stems from a careless translation from the Greek. What was translated as “Taketh away” can also be translated “Lifteth up”, which indicates raising the branch off the ground. “Purgeth” is often related to affliction, chastisement, and painful discipline. A more careful translation would be “cleanseth.” It could well apply to washing off insects, moss and other parasites which infest the plant.
“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” The apostles have already been washed clean through the word Jesus spoke unto them. Remember the parallel with the washing of feet to remove dust gathered by simply living in this imperfect world. To abide in Christ is more than simply believing in him. It means to continue, dwell and remain in Christ. It means to have sustained, conscious communion with him. It signifies the constant occupation of the heart with Christ.
Christ abides in us through his grace which is perpetual. Abiding in Christ is our responsibility and may be interrupted. Sustained, conscious communion requires both sides. The only interruption to such fellowship is by our action. The branch cannot bear fruit without the nourishment of the vine. We cannot bear fruit of ourselves either. We require the spiritual nourishment of communion with Christ if we are to learn of God’s will and share it with others.
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” Now the conversation becomes very direct. God is the husbandman. Jesus is the vine. The Apostles are the branches. Through the nourishment of Jesus and the watchful care of God, the Apostles are to bear fruit and to bring more branches to the vine. Again we are told that without following Christ’s way, the Father will not find us worthy of his loving care. Nothing can be accomplished against God’s will and Christ shows us the way.
Gardeners know that branches cut from a vine will not take root on their own. They simply wither and if we were still permitted to do so, we would burn them to get rid of the refuse. A cut branch has only two good uses. Provide heat through a fire or disintegrate and let nature retrieve the essential nutrients and return them to the earth. Nothing is wasted. Those nutrients will be utilized by a plant that has the possibility of producing fruit. Failure to abide in Christ leaves mankind to his own devices and he is much like a cut branch. Remember God is the husbandman – the gardener – and all his gifts will eventually be used to fulfill his Will. His intent and our fate is clear if we fail to abide in his nourishment.
Vine Continued – 15:07-16
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Here is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” This phrase has been used to justify many unworthy prayers. It is not a blank check to guarantee any earthly desire. Some think it means that God cannot deny a properly phrased request for literally anything. More realistically, it means that God will not deny a request resulting from the words of Christ abiding in the one making the request. The one making the request must also abide in Christ. If we are in sustained, conscious communion with Christ, our request will be guided by the precepts and promises of his words.
Under those circumstances, what could we possibly ask? It would not be for earthly gains – fame, riches, envy of others or satisfaction of lusts. It could only be of a spiritual nature that disdains the attraction of this life for the eternal joy of the next life. Just as Christ followed God’s will and glorified him in the process; so will we glorify the Father if we bear much fruit and ask such things as did Jesus. We will be his disciples if we continue in his Word. In this life, spiritual fruit is love, joy and peace – the happy issue of brethren loving one another.
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” Christ loved the apostles as His Father loved him. It could be no other way. Only with true spiritual nourishment could Christ’s human nature follow God’s will. Only with the same true spiritual nourishment can the apostles follow God’s will. Our enjoyment of his love depends upon our continuance in it. We must abide in his words to enjoy his love. His love is perpetual. The decision to enjoy it is totally ours.
The necessary ingredient to abiding in Christ’s love is to keep his commandments. He abides in the Father’s love because he followed the Father’s commandments. Again he has provided the example. We must follow his commandments if we are to abide in his love.
“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” Jesus tells us clearly what he intended by the previous parallel. He intends us to realize and experience the full joy that he experiences by abiding in the Father. Then, we get the upgrade to the Old Testament admonishment to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are no longer being graded on the curve. It is not enough to love our neighbor more than the person down the street. Now we must love him as Jesus loved us. There is no equivocation. It is a clear, direct commandment.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Christ is emphasizing yet again that he laid down his life for his people. His life was not taken. He was not slaughtered by the Jewish leadership. It could have been avoided if Christ chose to ignore his Father’s will. He clearly stated the magnitude of his love for them.
“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” Here we see the intimacy Jesus shared with his apostles. They are not servants. They are friends. They are allowed to know all the things Jesus knew. They may not have understood them, but they were privy to the most complete information as a sign of his love for them. They are not friends because they chose to love him. He chose them to love. Furthermore, he ordained them to go and bring forth fruit and that their fruit would not disappear. And again, we are reminded that we will receive anything we ask of the Father in Jesus’ name. Not in his name only but in accordance with his love of the Father.
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
“Not as I will but as thou wilt”
Here we see Jesus kneeling barefoot on a hill in the garden, confronting a winged angel who bears a cross. Three of Jesus’ apostles slumber in the garden, including Peter. Peter holds a sword, is possibly wearing sandals (the others are all barefoot) and his head is being cradled by another apostle. Like most of the illustrations in this book, an attempt has been made to use Middle Eastern settings, but the people depicted all appear to be white and beardless, and not at all like Palestinian Jews.