CHAPTER 15
. DISCOURSE AT THE
SUPPER TABLE
CONTINUED.
1-8. The spiritual oneness of
Christ and His people, and His relation to them as the Source of all
their spiritual life and fruitfulness, are here beautifully set
forth by a figure familiar to Jewish ears (, &c.).
I am the true vine—of
whom the vine of nature is but a shadow.
my Father is the
husbandman—the great Proprietor of the vineyard, the Lord of
the spiritual kingdom. (It is surely unnecessary to point out the
claim to supreme divinity involved in this).
2. Every branch in me that beareth
not fruit . . . every branch that beareth fruit—As in a fruit
tree, some branches may be fruitful, others quite barren,
according as there is a vital connection between the branch
and the stock, or no vital connection; so the disciples of
Christ may be spiritually fruitful or the reverse, according as they
are vitally and spiritually connected with Christ, or
but externally and mechanically attached to Him. The
fruitless He "taketh away" (see on ); the fruitful He "purgeth" (cleanseth,
pruneth)—stripping it, as the husbandman does, of what is
rank (Mark 4:19), "that
it may bring forth more fruit"; a process often painful, but no
less needful and beneficial than in the natural husbandry.
3. Now—rather, "Already."
ye are clean through—by
reason of.
the word I have spoken to
you—already in a purified, fruitful condition, in consequence
of the long action upon them of that searching "word" which
was "as a refiner's fire" (Malachi 3:2;
Malachi 3:3).
4. Abide in me, and I in you; as the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine,
&c.—As all spiritual fruitfulness had been ascribed to the
mutual inhabitation, and living, active interpenetration
(so to speak) of Christ and His disciples, so here the keeping up of
this vital connection is made essential to continued fruitfulness.
5. without me—apart, or
vitally disconnected from Me.
ye can do
nothing—spiritually, acceptably.
6. If a man abide not in me, he is
cast forth as a branch . . . withered . . . cast into the fire . . .
burned—The one proper use of the vine is to bear fruit;
failing this, it is good for one other thing—fuel. (See ). How awfully striking the figure, in this view of it!
7. If ye abide in me, and my words .
. . in you—Mark the change from the inhabitation of Himself
to that of His words, paving the way for the subsequent
exhortations (John 15:9; John 15:10).
ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you—because this indwelling of His words in
them would secure the harmony of their askings with the divine will.
8. glorified that ye bear much
fruit—not only from His delight in it for its own sake, but as
from "the juices of the Living Vine."
so shall ye be my
disciples—evidence your discipleship.
9-11. continue ye in my love—not,
"Continue to love Me," but, "Continue in the
possession and enjoyment of My love to you"; as is evident from
the next words.
10. If ye keep my commandments, ye
shall abide in my love—the obedient spirit of true discipleship
cherishing and attracting the continuance and increase of Christ's
love; and this, He adds, was the secret even of His own abiding in
His Father's love!
9-11. continue ye in my love—not,
"Continue to love Me," but, "Continue in the
possession and enjoyment of My love to you"; as is evident from
the next words.
12-16. That ye love one another,
&c.—(See on John 15:1).
13. Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends—The emphasis
lies not on "friends," but on "laying down his
life" for them; that is, "One can show no greater
regard for those dear to him than to give his life for them, and this
is the love ye shall find in Me."
14. Ye are my friends, if ye do
whatsoever I command you—hold yourselves in absolute subjection
to Me.
15. Henceforth I call you not
servants—that is, in the sense explained in the next
words; for servants He still calls them (), and they delight to call themselves so, in the sense of
being "under law to Christ" ().
the servant knoweth not what
his lord doeth—knows nothing of his master's plans and
reasons, but simply receives and executes his orders.
but . . . friends, for all
things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto
you—admitted you to free, unrestrained fellowship, keeping back
nothing from you which I have received to communicate. (Compare
Genesis 18:17; Psalms 25:14;
Isaiah 50:4).
16. Ye have not chosen me, but I . .
. you—a wholesale memento after the lofty things He had just
said about their mutual indwelling, and the unreservedness of the
friendship they had been admitted to.
ordained—appointed.
you, that ye should go and
bring forth fruit—that is, give yourselves to it.
and that your fruit should
remain—showing itself to be an imperishable and ever growing
principle. (Compare Proverbs 4:18;
2 John 1:8).
that whatsoever ye shall ask,
&c.—(See on John 15:1).
17-21. The substance of these
important verses has occurred more than once before. (See on ; , &c.).
22-25. (See on ).
If I had not come and spoken
unto them, they had not had sin—comparatively none; all
other sins being light compared with the rejection of the Son of God.
now they have no cloak for
their sin—rather, "pretext."
24. If I had not done . . . the
works which none other . . . did—(See on ).
27. ye also shall bear
witness—rather, "are witnesses"; with reference
indeed to their future witness-bearing, but putting the
emphasis upon their present ample opportunities for acquiring
their qualifications for that great office, inasmuch as they had been
"with Him from the beginning." (See on ).
CHAPTER 15
. DISCOURSE AT THE SUPPER TABLE CONTINUED.
1-8. The spiritual oneness of Christ and His people, and His relation to them as the Source of all their spiritual life and fruitfulness, are here beautifully set forth by a figure familiar to Jewish ears (, &c.).
I am the true vine—of whom the vine of nature is but a shadow.
my Father is the husbandman—the great Proprietor of the vineyard, the Lord of the spiritual kingdom. (It is surely unnecessary to point out the claim to supreme divinity involved in this).
2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit . . . every branch that beareth fruit—As in a fruit tree, some branches may be fruitful, others quite barren, according as there is a vital connection between the branch and the stock, or no vital connection; so the disciples of Christ may be spiritually fruitful or the reverse, according as they are vitally and spiritually connected with Christ, or but externally and mechanically attached to Him. The fruitless He "taketh away" (see on ); the fruitful He "purgeth" (cleanseth, pruneth)—stripping it, as the husbandman does, of what is rank (Mark 4:19), "that it may bring forth more fruit"; a process often painful, but no less needful and beneficial than in the natural husbandry.
3. Now—rather, "Already."
ye are clean through—by reason of.
the word I have spoken to you—already in a purified, fruitful condition, in consequence of the long action upon them of that searching "word" which was "as a refiner's fire" (Malachi 3:2; Malachi 3:3).
4. Abide in me, and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, &c.—As all spiritual fruitfulness had been ascribed to the mutual inhabitation, and living, active interpenetration (so to speak) of Christ and His disciples, so here the keeping up of this vital connection is made essential to continued fruitfulness.
5. without me—apart, or vitally disconnected from Me.
ye can do nothing—spiritually, acceptably.
6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch . . . withered . . . cast into the fire . . . burned—The one proper use of the vine is to bear fruit; failing this, it is good for one other thing—fuel. (See ). How awfully striking the figure, in this view of it!
7. If ye abide in me, and my words . . . in you—Mark the change from the inhabitation of Himself to that of His words, paving the way for the subsequent exhortations (John 15:9; John 15:10).
ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you—because this indwelling of His words in them would secure the harmony of their askings with the divine will.
8. glorified that ye bear much fruit—not only from His delight in it for its own sake, but as from "the juices of the Living Vine."
so shall ye be my disciples—evidence your discipleship.
9-11. continue ye in my love—not, "Continue to love Me," but, "Continue in the possession and enjoyment of My love to you"; as is evident from the next words.
10. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love—the obedient spirit of true discipleship cherishing and attracting the continuance and increase of Christ's love; and this, He adds, was the secret even of His own abiding in His Father's love!
9-11. continue ye in my love—not, "Continue to love Me," but, "Continue in the possession and enjoyment of My love to you"; as is evident from the next words.
12-16. That ye love one another, &c.—(See on John 15:1).
13. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends—The emphasis lies not on "friends," but on "laying down his life" for them; that is, "One can show no greater regard for those dear to him than to give his life for them, and this is the love ye shall find in Me."
14. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you—hold yourselves in absolute subjection to Me.
15. Henceforth I call you not servants—that is, in the sense explained in the next words; for servants He still calls them (), and they delight to call themselves so, in the sense of being "under law to Christ" ().
the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth—knows nothing of his master's plans and reasons, but simply receives and executes his orders.
but . . . friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you—admitted you to free, unrestrained fellowship, keeping back nothing from you which I have received to communicate. (Compare Genesis 18:17; Psalms 25:14; Isaiah 50:4).
16. Ye have not chosen me, but I . . . you—a wholesale memento after the lofty things He had just said about their mutual indwelling, and the unreservedness of the friendship they had been admitted to.
ordained—appointed.
you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit—that is, give yourselves to it.
and that your fruit should remain—showing itself to be an imperishable and ever growing principle. (Compare Proverbs 4:18; 2 John 1:8).
that whatsoever ye shall ask, &c.—(See on John 15:1).
17-21. The substance of these important verses has occurred more than once before. (See on ; , &c.).
22-25. (See on ).
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin—comparatively none; all other sins being light compared with the rejection of the Son of God.
now they have no cloak for their sin—rather, "pretext."
24. If I had not done . . . the works which none other . . . did—(See on ).
25. that the word might be fulfilled . . . They hated me without a cause—quoted from the Messianic Psalms 69:4, applied also in the same sense in John 2:17; Acts 1:20; Romans 11:9; Romans 11:10; Romans 15:3.
26, 27. (See on ; John 15:1).
27. ye also shall bear witness—rather, "are witnesses"; with reference indeed to their future witness-bearing, but putting the emphasis upon their present ample opportunities for acquiring their qualifications for that great office, inasmuch as they had been "with Him from the beginning." (See on ).