Bullet Point Bible

The Vine and the Branches

¹ "I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.² He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.³ You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you.⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.⁵ "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me-and I in him-bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up.⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you.⁸ My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.

Jesus uses the metaphor of a vine and branches, a common Old Testament symbol for Israel (Isaiah 5:1-7, Jeremiah 2:21, Ezekiel 15:1-8), but applies it uniquely to Himself as the "true vine."
The Father is depicted as the "gardener" (Greek: *geōrgos*), actively involved in the cultivation and productivity of the branches (believers).
Bearing fruit is the evidence of a genuine connection to Christ, the vine. Lack of fruit leads to being "cut off," while fruitfulness leads to pruning for greater productivity.
"Pruning" (Greek: *kathairei*) involves cleansing and trimming, suggesting divine discipline and refinement for spiritual growth, not just punishment. It shares a root with the word "clean" (*katharoi*) used in John 15:3.
"Remain" or "abide" (Greek: *menō*) is the key command, appearing multiple times. It signifies a continuous, dependent relationship with Christ.
True discipleship is characterized by fruitfulness, which glorifies the Father (John 15:8). This fruit includes Christlike character (Galatians 5:22-23) and leading others to faith.
Apart from Christ, believers are powerless to produce spiritual fruit ("{{apart from me you can do nothing}}" - John 15:5). This emphasizes total dependence on Him.
The consequence of not remaining in Christ is severe: being discarded and burned, symbolizing judgment and uselessness (John 15:6).
Remaining in Christ and having His words remain in the believer leads to effective, answered prayer aligned with God's will (John 15:7).
The disciples are declared "clean" through Jesus' word (John 15:3), referencing His teaching and perhaps the cleansing effect of His impending sacrifice.

The Command to Love

⁹ "Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love.¹⁰ If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and remain in his love.¹¹ I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.¹² My commandment is this-to love one another just as I have loved you.¹³ No one has greater love than this-that one lays down his life for his friends.¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you.¹⁵ I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father.¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.¹⁷ This I command you-to love one another.

Jesus grounds the disciples' love for one another in the ultimate model: the Father's love for the Son, and the Son's love for them (John 15:9).
Remaining in Christ's love is conditional upon obedience to His commands, mirroring His own obedience to the Father (John 15:10).
The purpose of Jesus' teaching is to impart His own joy to His disciples, leading to their "complete" or full joy (John 15:11).
The central command, derived from abiding in His love, is to love one another sacrificially, just as He loved them (John 15:12).
The ultimate expression of this love is self-sacrifice, foreshadowing Jesus' own death ("{{lay down one's life}}" - John 15:13).
Jesus elevates the disciples' status from "servants" (who obey without full understanding) to "friends" (who are brought into the confidence of the master) (John 15:14-15). This intimacy is based on His revelation of the Father's will.
Divine election is emphasized: Jesus chose the disciples, not the other way around (John 15:16). This choice is purposeful – for bearing lasting fruit.
Bearing fruit is again linked to effective prayer in Jesus' name (John 15:16).
The section concludes by reiterating the core command: mutual love among believers (John 15:17). This love is both a result of abiding and a command to be obeyed.

The World's Hatred

¹⁸ "If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first.¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.²⁰ Remember what I told you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too.²¹ But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But they no longer have any excuse for their sin.²³ The one who hates me hates my Father too.²⁴ If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both me and my Father.²⁵ Now this happened to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ' They hated me without reason .'

Jesus prepares His disciples for inevitable opposition and hatred from the "world" (referring to the system opposed to God).
The world's hatred is primarily because believers, like Jesus, do not belong to its system; they have been chosen "out of the world" by Christ (John 15:19).
Persecution is to be expected, following the pattern of Jesus' own experience ("{{A servant is not greater than his master}}" - John 15:20, referencing John 13:16).
The root cause of the world's hostility is its ignorance of God the Father ("{{they do not know the one who sent me}}" - John 15:21).
Jesus' coming, words, and miraculous works increased the world's accountability. Rejecting Him after such clear revelation leaves them without excuse for their sin (John 15:22, 24).
Hatred directed at Jesus is intrinsically hatred toward the Father, highlighting their unity (John 15:23).
Jesus quotes Psalm 35:19 or 69:4 ("{{'They hated me without reason'}}" - John 15:25), showing that this rejection fulfills Old Testament prophecy concerning the righteous sufferer.
This section provides a realistic perspective on discipleship: intimacy with Christ brings conflict with the world system.
The disciples' identity is defined by their relationship with Christ, setting them apart from the world and thus making them targets for its hostility.

The Witness of the Spirit and the Disciples

²⁶ When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father-the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father-he will testify about me,²⁷ and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Jesus promises the coming of the "Advocate" (Greek: *paraklētos*), the Holy Spirit, who will be sent by both the Son and the Father.
The Advocate is identified as the "Spirit of truth," emphasizing His role in revealing and confirming truth, particularly concerning Jesus.
The primary work of the Holy Spirit described here is to "testify" about Jesus, bearing witness to His identity and significance.
The disciples are also commissioned to testify about Jesus (John 15:27). Their witness is crucial because they were eyewitnesses from the beginning of His ministry.
The witness of the Spirit and the witness of the disciples are presented as complementary and concurrent. The Spirit empowers and validates the disciples' testimony.
This promise provides assurance and empowerment for the disciples as they face the world's hatred mentioned in the previous section.
The term "Advocate" (*paraklētos*) suggests one called alongside to help, counsel, and intercede, highlighting the Spirit's supportive role for believers.
This passage connects the themes of abiding, fruit-bearing (witness), and opposition, showing that the Spirit empowers believers to fulfill their mission despite hostility.
The origin of the Spirit ("{{goes out from the Father}}") is noted, a point of theological significance in discussions of the Trinity.

The Bullet Point Bible

John 15