Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches

15 (A)I am the true vine, and My Father is the (B)vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. (C)You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (D)Remain in Me, [c]and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit [d]of itself [e]but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him [f](E)bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is (F)thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, (G)ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My (H)Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [g](I)prove to be My disciples. Just as (J)the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. 10 (K)If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as (L)I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 (M)These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your (N)joy may be made full.

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

12 “This is (O)My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 (P)Greater love has no one than this, that a person will (Q)lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My (R)friends if (S)you do what I command you. 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, because (T)all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 (U)You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and (V)bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that (W)whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This (X)I command you, that you love one another.

Disciples’ Relation to the World

18 (Y)If the world hates you, [h]you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but (Z)I chose you out of the world, (AA)because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘(AB)A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, (AC)they will persecute you as well; if they (AD)followed My word, they will follow yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you (AE)on account of My name, (AF)because they do not know the One who sent Me. 22 (AG)If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have [i]sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 (AH)If I had not done among them (AI)the works which no one else did, they would not have [j]sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. 25 But this has happened so that the word that is written in their (AJ)Law will be fulfilled: ‘(AK)They hated Me for no reason.’

26 “When the [k](AL)Helper comes, (AM)whom I will send to you from the Father, namely, (AN)the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, (AO)He will testify about Me, 27 and [l](AP)you are testifying as well, because you have been with Me (AQ)from the beginning.

Footnotes

  1. John 15:2 Lit cleans; used to describe pruning
  2. John 15:3 I.e., pruned like a branch
  3. John 15:4 Or I also remain in you
  4. John 15:4 Lit from
  5. John 15:4 Lit if it does not remain
  6. John 15:5 Lit this one bears
  7. John 15:8 Or become My disciples
  8. John 15:18 Or (command) know that
  9. John 15:22 I.e., guilt
  10. John 15:24 I.e., responsibility for their sin
  11. John 15:26 Or Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor
  12. John 15:27 Or (command) testify, you as well

15 Jesus: I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. My Father examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit; already you are clean because you have heard My voice. Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, and neither will you if you are not connected to Me.

I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is like a branch that is tossed out and shrivels up and is later gathered to be tossed into the fire to burn. If you abide in Me and My voice abides in you, anything you ask will come to pass for you. Your abundant growth and your faithfulness as My followers will bring glory to the Father.

At a time when all of His disciples are feeling as if they are about to be uprooted, Jesus sketches a picture of this new life as a flourishing vineyard—a labyrinth of vines and strong branches steeped in rich soil, abundant grapes hanging from their vines ripening in the sun. Jesus sculpts a new garden of Eden in their imaginations—one that is bustling with fruit, sustenance, and satisfying aromas. This is the Kingdom life. It is all about connection, sustenance, and beauty. But within this promise of life is the warning that people must be in Christ or they will not experience these blessings.

Jesus: I have loved you as the Father has loved Me. Abide in My love. 10 Follow My example in obeying the Father’s commandments and receiving His love. If you obey My commandments, you will stay in My love. 11 I want you to know the delight I experience, to find ultimate satisfaction, which is why I am telling you all of this.

12 My commandment to you is this: love others as I have loved you. 13 There is no greater way to love than to give your life for your friends. 14 You celebrate our friendship if you obey this command. 15 I don’t call you servants any longer; servants don’t know what the master is doing, but I have told you everything the Father has said to Me. I call you friends. 16 You did not choose Me. I chose you, and I orchestrated all of this so that you would be sent out and bear great and perpetual fruit. As you do this, anything you ask the Father in My name will be done. 17 This is My command to you: love one another.

18 If you find that the world despises you, remember that before it despised you, it first despised Me. 19 If you were a product of the world order, then it would love you. But you are not a product of the world because I have taken you out of it, and it despises you for that very reason. 20 Don’t forget what I have spoken to you: “a servant is not greater than the master.” If I was mistreated, you should expect nothing less. If they accepted what I have spoken, they will also hear you. 21 Everything they do to you they will do on My account because they do not know the One who has sent Me. 22 If I had not spoken within their hearing, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for ignoring My voice.

23 If someone despises Me, he also despises My Father. 24 If I had not demonstrated things for them that have never been done, they would not be guilty of sin. But the reality is they have stared Me in the face, and they have despised Me and the Father nonetheless. 25 Yet their law, which says, “They despised Me without any cause,”[a] has again been proven true.

26 I will send a great Helper to you from the Father, one known as the Spirit of truth. He comes from the Father and will point to the truth as it concerns Me. 27 But you will also point others to the truth about My identity, because you have journeyed with Me since this all began.

Footnotes

  1. 15:25 Psalm 35:19

Jesus, the True Vine

15 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

The World’s Hatred

18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. 21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. 22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. 25 This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures[a]: ‘They hated me without cause.’

26 “But I will send you the Advocate[b]—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.

Footnotes

  1. 15:25 Greek in their law. Pss 35:19; 69:4.
  2. 15:26 Or Comforter, or Encourager, or Counselor. Greek reads Paraclete.

Jesús, la vid verdadera

15 »Yo soy la vid verdadera(A), y Mi Padre es el viñador(B). Todo sarmiento que en Mí no da fruto, lo quita; y todo el que da fruto, lo poda[a] para que dé más fruto. Ustedes ya están limpios por la palabra(C) que les he hablado.

»Permanezcan en Mí(D), y Yo en ustedes. Como el sarmiento no puede dar fruto por sí mismo si no permanece en la vid, así tampoco ustedes si no permanecen en Mí. Yo soy la vid, ustedes los sarmientos; el que permanece en Mí y Yo en él, ese da mucho fruto(E), porque separados de Mí nada pueden hacer. Si alguien no permanece en Mí, es echado fuera como un sarmiento(F) y se seca; y los recogen, los echan al fuego y se queman.

»Si permanecen en Mí, y Mis palabras permanecen en ustedes, pidan lo que quieran y les será hecho(G). En esto es glorificado Mi Padre(H), en que den mucho fruto, y así prueben que son[b] Mis discípulos(I). Como el Padre me ha amado(J), así también Yo los he amado; permanezcan en Mi amor. 10 Si guardan Mis mandamientos, permanecerán en Mi amor(K), así como Yo he guardado los mandamientos de Mi Padre(L) y permanezco en Su amor.

11 »Estas cosas les he hablado, para que Mi gozo esté en ustedes, y su gozo sea perfecto[c](M). 12 Este es Mi mandamiento: que se amen los unos a los otros, así como Yo los he amado(N). 13 Nadie tiene un amor mayor que este: que uno dé[d] su vida(O) por sus amigos. 14 Ustedes son Mis amigos(P) si hacen lo que Yo les mando(Q). 15 Ya no los llamo siervos, porque el siervo no sabe lo que hace su señor; pero los he llamado amigos, porque les he dado a conocer todo lo que he oído de Mi Padre(R).

16 »Ustedes no me escogieron a Mí, sino que Yo los escogí a ustedes(S), y los designé para que vayan y den fruto(T), y que su fruto permanezca; para que todo lo que pidan al Padre en Mi nombre se lo conceda(U). 17 Esto les mando: que se amen los unos a los otros(V).

18 »Si el mundo los odia, sepan[e] que me ha odiado a Mí(W) antes que a ustedes. 19 Si ustedes fueran del mundo, el mundo amaría lo suyo; pero como no son del mundo, sino que Yo los escogí(X) de entre el mundo, por eso el mundo los odia(Y). 20 Acuérdense de la palabra que Yo les dije: “Un siervo no es mayor que su señor(Z)”. Si me persiguieron a Mí, también los perseguirán a ustedes(AA); si guardaron Mi palabra(AB), también guardarán la de ustedes. 21 Pero todo eso les harán por causa de Mi nombre(AC), porque no conocen a Aquel que me envió(AD). 22 Si Yo no hubiera venido y no les hubiera hablado, no tendrían pecado[f](AE), pero ahora no tienen excusa por su pecado. 23 El que me odia a Mí, odia también a Mi Padre. 24 Si Yo no hubiera hecho entre ellos las obras(AF) que ningún otro ha hecho, no tendrían pecado[g](AG); pero ahora las han visto, y me han odiado a Mí y también a Mi Padre. 25 Pero ellos han hecho esto para que se cumpla la palabra que está escrita en su ley(AH): “Me odiaron sin causa(AI)”.

26 »Cuando venga el Consolador[h](AJ), a quien yo enviaré del Padre(AK), es decir, el Espíritu de verdad(AL) que procede del Padre, Él dará testimonio de Mí(AM), 27 y ustedes también darán testimonio[i](AN), porque han estado junto a Mí desde el principio(AO).

Footnotes

  1. Juan 15:2 Lit. limpia.
  2. Juan 15:8 O y se conviertan en.
  3. Juan 15:11 O completo.
  4. Juan 15:13 Lit. ponga.
  5. Juan 15:18 O sepan.
  6. Juan 15:22 I.e. culpa.
  7. Juan 15:24 I.e. culpa.
  8. Juan 15:26 O Intercesor; gr. Parácletos; i.e. uno llamado al lado para ayudar.
  9. Juan 15:27 O den testimonio.