John 15:1-5
 
John 15:1 (KJB)
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
 
Here Jesus is likening Himself to a vine which has many branches and God the Father is the Husbandman or the farmer. Now shortly Jesus is will undergo what is akin to a pruning and a cutting off of pieces of the vine. The husbandman does this so the vine will bring forth more fruit in subsequent seasons. Jesus as the true vine will undergo the crucifixion and that will result in many more branches and much more fruit, meaning millions will become saved until the last day. God is the one who planned this crucifixion for the purpose of Jesus dying for those who were named unto salvation before the world was created. The true vine will produce true Christians who will be saved for eternity. The false vine will only give out the false fruit of false gospels which will eventually cause those who eat of it to be sentenced to hell for eternity. Only the true salvation can come from true vine of God.
 
John 15:2 (KJB)
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
 
Purgeth - Cleanses or prunes
 
Here is a very sobering verse for the true believer. In the first part of this verse, Jesus is stating that those who are in Him and bear no fruit, God has the right to remove them either from the ministry they are supposed to be doing or He reserves the right to take them home. The reason that this speaking of believers are the words “in me.” The unbeliever is not in Christ and therefore would not be in view. Christians who do not partake in any type of ministry have rejected their reason of existence and can be removed to make room for other Christians who are willing to serve and obey the Great Commission. Then in the second half of this verse, those that are bearing fruit, will be pruned to be able to bring forth more fruit. These are the Christians who go through rough times or maybe a redirection in their ministry. They are being guided by God because they showed faithfulness in doing ministry, so they are being entrusted with further ministry. (John 15:8 KJV) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. Christians are to bring forth as much fruit as they can. Sometimes God redirects our ministries through circumstances. He may allow a person to become handicapped who always enjoyed good health but within the confines of that handicap, He will open up a new avenue of ministry. As the Husbandman, God has the right to do this but keep in mind that whatever ministry is given, you will be empowered to perform it.
 
John 15:3 (KJB)
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
 
For over three years the disciples had heard the teachings of Jesus and here Jesus declares them clean through the words which He spoke to them. This verse may also have a connection with Leviticus 19:23-24. (Lev 19:23-24 KJV) And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. {24} But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal. The first three years the disciples walked with the Lord and were being pruned and purged as a tree would be. Then in the fourth year, which would be the year that they are in would come the time that they would bear fruit. When they are given the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, in their fourth year of ministry, He will also teach them about any areas in their life which must be purged for the sake of the Gospel and simultaneously, they will be out preaching and teaching the Gospel bearing fruit.
 
John 15:4 (KJB)
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
 
Abide - Remain, be permanent, dwell, stand fast
 
This is an interesting verse because the three “abides” are in the Aorist tense and the Aorist tense does not indicate a specific duration of time. This means that time does not factor into this equation. What is factored in is the fact that the believer abides in Christ and that is only possible when salvation has taken place. The first “abide” relates to salvation of the believer because not only do we abide in Christ, but He abides or dwells in us through the Holy Spirit and that is for eternity. The second “abide” gives us an agrarian example, that a branch of a vine cannot bear fruit of itself if it is detached from the vine. The detached branch will wither and die. The third “abide” transfers that principle to the Christian. We cannot bear fruit alone but only through the Lord Jesus Christ indwelling us. The third “abide” really builds on the first “abide.” If Christ is in us and we in Him, then we will bear fruit. Those who will not bear fruit are the unbelievers because they are detached from the true vine. If they are in a false religion, they will not bear true fruit for the Gospel but they may make converts but those converts are also detached from the true vine.
 
John 15:5 (KJB)
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
 
Much - Many or great
 
The Lord Jesus Christ states plainly here that He is the vine and the believers are the branches attached to that vine. Since we are attached to that vine, we receive spiritual nutrition through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. That spiritual nutrition we receive enables us to bear fruit but if we are not attached to that vine, we can do nothing for the Gospel. Those who do not have Christ, can do nothing in the way of bringing a Gospel of truth. Those without Christ can only bring forth bad fruit from a false gospel. When we are in Christ, we not only bring forth true fruit but we bring forth much fruit.

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