What are your initial reactions to John 15:1-17?

If your background is like mine¹, you may feel a mixture of conviction and encouragement in Jesus’ words. A wealth of wisdom and hope are seen, but what about the difficult parts of the text?

I want to examine why someone might expierence a slight uneasiness from verses such as:

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. - John 15:2

and…

If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. - John 15:6

Do these verses stir up insecurities? Or potentially reveal a trusting in “self” rather than God?

A question we may ask ourselves: “What type of branch am I?” Such a question can be used to encourage and examine our faith.

Also how do we reconcile Jesus’ words on joy in the same section:

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. – John 15:11

How do I see joy in Jesus’ words?

Since joy is a fruit of the spirit, it is a result of grace. It is woven throughout the scriptures and details an aspect of the image and nature of God to us. Joy is important. Listed number 2 in Galatians 5:22-23. So Jesus mentioning joy John 15:11 is important.

Condition vs Promise

Briefly examining the defined differences between the words condition and promise, bring out a perspective that I find helpful when meditating on this section of text.

Condition

something that you must do or accept in order for something to happen

The words that emphasize a condition “if” and “then” appear in the text. They appear as conditions that remind me of the Old Testament blessings and curses. That is if you obey you will receive a blessing, but if you do not obey, a curse.

• Is it a condition or a promise concerning the vine?
• What is communicated in John 15?

I believe the message being communicated in the text is a promise: one of grace. Namely, the work of our hands can not bear fruit or exist in a vine, so Jesus’ command requires a different perspecitive.

Promise

a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.

So what kind of command is it?

I believe it is a promise-like command.

God promises that He will and is fulfilling miraculously the actual command. For instance, the phrase

“this is my commandment that you love one another”

is a command from God to his children that He will fulfill….as if you are a branch in a vine. Bearing fruit, just by existing in the vine.

What does all this mean?

I should not be discouraged because Jesus words are not just commands but fulfilled commands that I may look upon as a gift from Him.

God’s miraculous command of resurrecting the dead

“…Lazarus, come out" (John 11:43)

is miraculously fulfilled.

Similarly, Christ’s commands to “abide in me” and “love one another” are miraculously fulfilled (i.e. accomplished) by Him. As a result, we should be encouraged…we should have joy.

Summing Up

Because God is treating us as friends, he is giving us an insight into this command/promise. We are not just seeing the result of a command, but even the process of it being accomplished by Him.

This is joyous news:

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be made full.” John 15:11

We also see a special command with v17:

These things I command you, so that you will love one another. - John 15:17

What type of command is the above? A command or a promise?

What insights do you see shared between the following commands:

• Lazarus come forth?
• Love one another?
• Abide in the vine?

When it hits you….your joy will be full.

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