Abide and bear fruit - Pt. II

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 it so that it may bear more fruit.

John 15:3–4 NASB95

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, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

John 15:5 NASB95

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.

Vinedresser: Father (v.1)

True Vine: Jesus (v.1)

Branch: apostles (v.2)

Types of vine: Past, Future and present

Purpose of branch: Bear fruit, much fruit (vv.2, 4-5)

The branch need the vine to sustain life and to fulfill it’s purpose. The branch by itself is useless and weak. The branch is good for bearing or burning.

The branch needs to stay connected, and the connection is mutual (v.4-5)

The picture Christ is painting in a relational one. The union between the vine and the branch. Just as the Father and the Son, The bride and the bridegroom (Eph5:25ff); the Sheep and the Shepherd (Jn10).

Guzik says this: A member of the body cut off from the body would die. The marriage creates the union, but it takes daily love and devotion to maintain the communion. The shepherd brings the sheep into the flock, but the sheep must follow the shepherd in order to have protection and provision.”

For clarification purposes, what does the word “abide” mean?

Oxford: “accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation)

Abide is used 11 times in the first 11-verses of chapter 15. using also the word continue, and remain. So this is very important.

Abide means to stay in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work in us and through us. When it does it will produce fruit.

Abiding involves the word (15:3); they, the apostles were cleansed by the word, and they needed to continue to abide in the word.

Abiding involved obeying out of love (15:9-10)

Tenney: “The connection maintained by obedience and prayer. To remain in Christ and to allow his words to remain in oneself means a conscious acceptance of the authority of his word and a constant contact with him by prayer.”

The abiding disciple can safely expect prayers to be heard and answered (v.7).

Remember he told them He would still be with them. He needed them to believe in Him like they did the Father.

Ask like Jesus did, in accordance to the Fathers will. for them to ask in His name for he and the Father are in each other and they are in them. So, pray and it will be done, for your wish is for His will to be done.

jn15:8

John 15:8 NASB95

8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

In looking at (v.8) who is glorified by much fruit?

The Father

What is the results of much fruit (v.8)?

Prove to be My disciples

Jesus is not leaving them to be orphans (14:18). You are still going to be My disciples. It will be proven by your love (13:35) and by much fruit (15:8). So, don’t have a troubled heart. I am sending help (14:16)

The purpose of the fruit was not to bring glory to the disciples, it was to bring glory to God.

The branch that bears much fruit brings honor to the One who cares for the vine. So, the vinedresser.

Another good quote

Clarke: “It is the honour of the husbandman to have good, strong, vigorous vines, plentifully laden with fruit: so it is the honour of God to have strong, vigorous, holy children, entirely freed from sin, and perfectly filled with His love.”

Connection between love and obedience

John 15:9–10 HCSB

9 “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.

John 15:11 HCSB

11 “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

Jesus example of love was the demonstration of the Father’s love for Him (Jn15:9)

Jesus demonstration was by teaching them, protecting them, guiding them, and humbly (sacrificially) serving them. He did all of this under the power/authority of the Father; in turn they will continue to do the work under the power/authority of Him.

Jesus love was intentional, was deliberate and Jesus is teaching, telling them to do the same, be intentional.

As the Father loves the Son

Spurgeon says it like this: “Beloved, you do not, dare not, could not, doubt the love of the Father to his Son. It is one of those unquestionable truths about which you never dreamed of holding an argument. Our Lord would have us place his love to us in the same category with the Father’s love to himself. We are to be as confident of the one as of the other.”

The Father loved the Son

A love that has no beginning

A love that has no end

A love that is close and personal

A love that is without measure

A love that is unchanging.

Jesus speaking of the Fathers love for the Son:

Father loves and placed all things in His Hands (Jn3:35)

Father loves and revealed all things to Him (Jn5:20)

Father loved the Son before the world was formed (Jn17:24)

Father loved the Son as He died on the cross (Jn10:17)

Jesus calls for them to abide in His love; if you were to put some descriptions of Jesus love, what words would you use?

Love is a display of his power, wisdom, truth, holiness, devotion, submission, sacrifice. Jesus calls for them to do the same. To abide in His love.

Morris: “Notice that this is done as an explanation of the means of abiding in His love. This is not some mystical experience. It is simple obedience. It is when a man keeps Christ’s commandments that he abides in Christ’s love.”

Jesus uses the “if” clause. Should it be “since you are” then you will abide in My love. Obedience through love.

Jesus example was that He followed the Father’s command and He abided in the Father’s love.

Display your love by keeping His commandments (Jn14:15)

John 14:15 NASB95

15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

The upper room discourse is mainly focused on “love” not just words but actions. They were going to need to know, understand and apply when He returns to the Father.

Abide so can enjoy. Abide in Him and enjoy joy made full. His joy in you!

I guess this is a night for quotes. I found some very good ones when studying

This one from DA Carson

“No one is more miserable than the Christian who for a time hedges in his obedience. He does not love sin enough to enjoy its pleasures, and does not love Christ enough to relish holiness. He perceives that his rebellion is iniquitous, but obedience seems distasteful. He does not feel at home any longer in the world, but his memory of his past associations and the tantalizing lyrics of his old music prevent him from singing with the saints. He is a man most pitied; and he cannot forever remain ambivalent.”

MY JOY IN YOU PICTURE INSERTED HERE

My joy is not happiness or excitement

My joy in not pleasure or ease in life

My joy is in being right with God; abiding in God’s love and God abiding in YOU!

Morrison in speaking of this verse: “When Jesus spoke of His joy, ‘Nobody ever asked Him what He meant. They did not look at each other in perplexity. To them it seemed entirely natural that the Mater should make reference to His gladness. From this we gather that the joy of Christ was something they were perfectly familiar with.”

Are you familiar with the joy of Christ in your life?

Our passage last week and this week have been about abiding and bearing. We are the branches that need to abide in the vine for the vine abides in us when we do. When we do we will bear fruit, much fruit.