15:01 .. I am the true vine .. and my father is the vinedresser 15:02 .. 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 15:03 .. you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you 15:04 .. 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 15:05 .. 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 15:06 .. If anyone does not abide in me .. he is thrown away as a branch and dries up .. and they gather them .. ......... and cast them into the fire and they are burned
15:07 .. If you abide in me .. and my words abide in you .. ask whatever you wish .. and it will be done for you 15:08 .. my father is glorified by this .. that you bear much fruit .. and so prove to be my disciples 15:09 .. just as the father has loved me .. I have also loved you .. abide in my love 15:10 .. 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 15:11 .. these things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be in you .. and that your joy may be made full
.................. disciples’ relation to each other
15:12 .. this is my commandment .. that you love one another .. just as I have loved you 15:13 .. greater love has no one than this .. that one lay down his life for his friends 15:14 .. you are my friends if you do what I command you 15:15 .. no longer do I call you slaves .. for the slave does not know what his master is doing .. but I have called you friends .. ......... for all things that I have heard from my father I have made known to you 15:16 .. you did not choose me but I chose you .. and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit .. and that your fruit would remain .. .........so that whatever you ask of the father in my name he may give to you
15:17 .. this I command you .. that you love one another
.................. disciples’ relation to the world
15:18 .. If the world hates you .. you know that it has hated me before it hated you 15:19 .. If you were of the world .. the world would love its own .. but because you are not of the world .. but I chose you out of the world .. ......... because of this the world hates you
15:20 .. remember the word that I said to you . . . a slave is not greater than his master .. If they persecuted me .. they will also persecute you .. ......... if they kept my word .. they will keep yours also 15:21 .. but all these things they will do to you for my name’s sake .. because they do not know the one who sent me 15:22 .. If I had not come and spoken to them .. they would not have sin .. but now they have no excuse for their sin 15:23 .. he who hates me hates my father also 15:24 .. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did .. they would not have sin .. ......... but now they have both seen and hated me and my father as well 15:25 .. but they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law . . . they hated me without a cause
15:26 .. when the helper comes .. whom I will send to you from the father .. that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the father .. ......... he will testify about me 15:27 .. and you will testify also .. because you have been with me from the beginning
Jesus is the true vine .. in which the life of believers .. as abiding branches .. is hid . . . abiding in him .. the believer is able to walk in purity of life .. with Christ sharing in all the interests of his life .. taking all burdens to him .. and drawing all wisdom and strength from him .. It is only the abiding life that bears fruit to the glory of the father . . . . Christ proved his love to the world by laying down his life for it (1 John 3:16) in redemption work .. his love to us should ever be the standard of measure of our love to others in service for him