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Gospel of John - Chapter 15
- Chapters 15-17 are an unexpected break between chaps 14 and 18, which repeat much of chap 14. But
not an intrusion - a circling round the motifs of chap 14, reinforcing it. Starts with longest monologue in
this gospel: 15:1 - 16:16.
- 1 Now Jesus shows himself as the vine of the new Israel. (Cf Hos 10:1; Is 5:1-7; Ez 17:5-10; Ps 80:9-17).
In OT God often threatened to uproot the unproductive vine; the vine of the new Israel will not fail, but
fallen branches will be removed and burned. Jesus as divine wisdom - Wisdom is also compared to a
vine (Sir 24:17-18). At Cana Jesus was reluctant to produce wine until his hour had come: now he
transmits life to his branches. Earliest account of eucharist outside NT: “We thank you our Father for the
holy vine of David your servant that you have revealed through Jesus Christ your servant” (Didache; also
Cf Mk 14:25).
- 2 The Father is the vinegrower - he takes personal care of Jesus the true vine, trimming clean or pruning
the fruitful branches. Every gardener knows that removing unfruitful branches is essential - and also
cleaning those that remain to increase their yield.
- 3 The disciples are already pruned (same word in greek as in v. 2) or cleansed because of Jesus’ word.
Verb for remove or take away (v 2) is related to that for prune. V 3 is centre of chiasm: V 3: clean
because of word; vv 1, 5-6: I am the vine; branches not remaining/bearing fruit are cast out; vv 2b, 4:
branches bearing fruit are cleansed/cannot bear fruit from itself. Cleaning involves foot washing and
commitment.
- 4 Message addressed only to those “in” Jesus: Jews and others who rejected Jesus’ message are not part
of the vine. A jarring message also for those who are welcomed into the community of believers: they
can only stay if they bear fruit by bringing life to others: it is no place for contemplative bystanders.
- 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches”: this is the heart of the Johannine community. In developing
this theme Jesus challenges the disciples (and us) to build through their relationship with him a loving
community different from synagogue and from apostolic churches. Vine used as image in OT/NT over
200 times (Gen 9:20; Ps 80:8,14; Is 5:1,2,7; Is 27:2-5;Jer 2:21; Jer 12:10; Ezek 17:5-6; Zech 8:12-13).
“I am the true vine” laces Jesus in position of Israel as one closest to bosom of God. Vine is symbol of
having settled down from nomadic life. French villages measure their age by their vines. Provides food
for sustenance and wine for celebration. Recalls Cana - can now be stated openly as manifestation of
what Jesus is: source of God’s life for humanity. If truly connected to Jesus, impossible not to bear much
fruit - as impossible as to bear fruit if not connected. Can do nothing “apart” from Jesus (Cf 1:3).
- 6 Branches cut off were dried on vineyard wall for later use as fuel. In community facing persecution
can be no compromise with potential betrayers, they must be thrown out. (But problem is how to tell the
difference - branch might have a fallow season - Cf 1 Jn). Ironic aside: dead branches, not fruiting alone,
are gathered together - synegagon - as the gathered together synagogue threw out the man born blind.
- 7 Vv 7-10 touch on themes of divine indwelling, asking in Jesus’ name, keeping the commandments, and
abiding love (Cf 14:27; 20:20-21). The disciples are invited to “abide” - live on - in Jesus. The greek
word for remain or abide occurs 11 times in vv.1-8, insisting on the return of Jesus by indwelling.
Abiding in Jesus is to align one’s will with his, in which case whatever one seeks will happen.
- 8 But the vine-grower - God - is essential for the vine to flourish. Else brings forth wild grapes, etc.
Confusingly Jesus says they “will become” his disciples, although they are already clean and know and
see the spirit of truth: cannot claim to be “my disciples” yet.
- 9 Vv 9-17 emphasise “love”. Central teaching vv 1-17 is “Remaining in Jesus through love”. When this
happens, there will be fruit - if not, the disciple is no disciple, good only for fuel. This love starts with
the Father’s love for Jesus, Jesus’ love for his friends - reciprocated by their obedience to him, and
radiates out through their love for one another, which will be the source of their joy, and is required
before they can enter into friendship with Jesus.
- 10 For third and final time Jesus urges “keep my commandments”: surely we have got the message by
now! But we don’t, else what a different world it would be. Irony that church has not been a model of
what Jesus preached so many times.
- 11 Jesus’ joy, like Jesus’ peace, will come in its fulness only after the resurrection. A “narrative pause”:
the message is of joy (Cf 3:29), not grim determination.
- 12 Again the supreme commandment of loving one another (Cf 13:34-37) - again restricted to Jesus’
followers. Balances and repeats 13:34, bracketing the 4 questions asked by the disciples.
- 13 Again the theme of laying down one’s life (Cf 1 Jn 3:16) - but this time extended to his hearers, who
must be ready to do the same. This is what Jesus means in 13:15. Love means more than affection - it
means solidarity with others in face of persecution and betrayal by outsiders - not just self-sacrifice but
building communal bonds to enable this. Not only the supreme example by Jesus, but - as an example -
makes love peculiarly Christian. For discipleship the model for love is extreme, ie Jesus who lays down
his life for his friends. It is for love like this that Jesus has chosen them - and us.
- 14 Friends of Jesus as Abraham was a friend of God (Is 41:8), whereas Moses, Joshuah and David were
all servants or slaves of Yahweh. NT ideal is to be a friend of Jesus (Jas 2:23). Friends = those whom
one loves. Although agapeo is used in vv 9-13a and phileo in 13b-15, for John the two verbs appear to
be synonymous, both meaning “love”.
- 15 May have called the disciples servants, but no longer - they are raised to friends - their knowledge of
God now outshines any Israel figure. (Eph 3:5).
- 16 Jesus chose the disciples: in return for this gift they must spread the word and love one another (v.
17). Same greek root for “lay down” and “appoint”: if willing to lay down (the) lives for one another,
become Jesus friends whom he has “appointed” (etheka) to bear fruit. They must choose to lay down
their lives, but Jesus has chosen and appointed them to do just that - a mystery!
- 17 Again a “narrative pause”. They will bear fruit, their prayers will be answered, to the extent that they
love one another.
- 18 Sudden change from love to hate. Several themes of different sorts of hate in the Bible: Esau (Gen
27:41); Joseph (Gen 37:5-8); opposition between those who love God and those who do not (Ps 139:21;
Ps 81:15) causeless hatred of God (Ps 35:19; 38:19; 69:4), which Jesus’ followers also experience. Jesus
first relates their experience of the world’s hatred to his own same experience.
- 19 A central distinction in John’s ideology, but often misinterpreted: is not a denial of call to discipleship
in the world. John’s community is not part of the world because it seeks the glory of God, not the glory
of man (5:44; 12:43), its members are born of God, not of the will of man (1:12-13). There is no
comfortable path of Christianity in culture. The way of the world and the way of Jesus are radically
opposed. To be chosen by Jesus is to be called to follow a path the world neither knows nor sees. And
you cannot go to the synagogue in the morning and eucharist in the evening, as the apostolic churches
(Acts 2:46). You cannot follow Christ if you are “of” the world. Cf current willingness of church
leaders to stand with state in support of war, racism, nationalism.
- 20 Cf 13:16. Disciples are both Jesus’ equals as friends who do his works and his slaves who have life
only in following Jesus. Equal also in being mistreated by the world.
- 21 The Jesus connects their experience to the Father. Just as the Father sent the Son into the world, and
the world hates the Son, so the Son sends his disciples inti the world - and the world will hate them
because of their mission (3:34-35) (Cf Mt 10). These are facts - well known also to John’s community.
The “world” now includes gentiles, as well as Jews, who persecute Jesus’ followers. Is this the same
“world” as that in chap 3:16-17? There is both the world created by God, and the unworldliness in which
hatred and death reign. For us this message that following Jesus will require giving our lives is not
welcome. But for the Johannine community it explains what they are already experiencing: they are
suffering the hatred of the world, and Jesus is explaining that this it to be expected - it is not their fault,
but the sin of the world. It is proclaiming Jesus as Messiah and Lord that brings hatred from Jews and
Romans - and is still a problem today - you cannot owe obedience to Rome and to the state at the same
time (abortion, divorce, etc).
- 22 The “sin” only occurs because they have had the opportunity to recognise Christ and chose not to do
so (Deut 1818-19). Jesus spoke to them and performed unique works (Cf Dt 4:32-33), but they still do
not know the Father (v 21).
- 23 In hating Jesus they hate the Father who sent Jesus. (Cf Ps 69:4).
- 24 The other side of v 22: word and works are two sides of same coin: either is a basis for recognising
God and knowing sin. Refusal to change in face of either word or works is to hate God.
- 25 (Cf Ps 35:19; 69:4). It is through “their” law and psalms, originally directed at Israel’s enemies, that
the Johannine community is hated.
- 26 Because of the injustice of the world’s hatred, the disciples will need the Advocate, the Spirit of true
witness to help them. The instruments of the Paraclete’s testimony will be the disciples who were with
Jesus from time of John Baptist - ie the Spirit will tell people about Jesus through the church - through
the disciples. Here Jesus will send the Spirit: in 14:16,26 it is the Father who sends the Spirit. Subtly
indicates the unity of purpose between Father and Son. Focus is on disciples’ need, not on interior life of
the Trinity. Is the Spirit to be read here as coming once to testify, or as coming and remaining eternally?
In face of requirement to be willing to lay down lives, and of worse predictions (16:2), the need for the
Advocate is even stronger. The Spirit will bear witness on Jesus’ behalf - recalling the language of trial
(8:18) - Jesus’ trial is now approaching fast - and that of the disciples too.
- 27 The disciples are also to testify about Jesus. (Could also read vv 26-27 as “the Spirit and the disciples
are to testify to the crime that was done to Jesus - he was hated without cause”) For Jesus “the
beginning” is the moment he started his community by calling the disciples (1:36-37).