JOHN LESSON 42
We will begin this lesson in John 15:1.
V-1, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."
The vine throughout the Word of God is associated with God's people.
The followers of God are spoken of as God's vineyard in Isaiah 5:1,
"Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his
vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vine yard in a very fruitful hill:"
We see here, that God the Father is spoken of as the true husbandman.
Just as Jesus is the tree of life, He also is the true vine. The
branches get their strength from the vine, not the other way around.
A branch which is broken off from the vine will die. Those, who do
not receive Jesus, are also headed for an eternal death and the lake
of fire.
V-2, "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."
Just as a peach tree which bears no fruit is cut down and burned,
that is what is done with branches on this vine that do not produce at
all. Just as a peach tree must be pruned to put out beautiful fruit,
these branches here are pruned to make them grow better and stronger.
The best fruit comes from the new growth after the pruning. You see,
God cuts away the dead part of the branch, so that the new growth will
produce more fruit. We workers for Jesus must not get self-satisfied
and stagnant. We must be growing all the time in the Lord to be
productive. Remember the best results are from new growth. You will
never stand still with God. You will either be going forward or b
ackward.
V-3, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto
you."
We can read a little more about this in Ephesians 5:26-27, "That
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word," V-27, "That he might present it to himself a glorious church,
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish." Jesus is the Word. The Word is what keeps
us straightened out in our thinking. When we feed upon the Word of
God, we become powerful men and women of God. Jesus speaks of the
Word as being like a two edged sword. It is powerful. When this Word
washes you, you are every whit whole.
V-4, "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."
Just as the strength of this branch comes from the vine, so does
the strength of the Christians come from Jesus Christ. We cannot
grow, unless we stay with Jesus. The sad thing in many Christians
today is they do not stay in Jesus (the Word of God) . Most expect
God to be there when there is a need in their life, but they do not
feed upon the Word of God. The nourishment comes from the branch.
Without that daily feeding upon the Word, the branch will die. To do
God's will, we must know God' s will. God's will in your life is
found in His Word. Daily Bible reading and study gives Christians
good solid growth and makes us a strong branch.
V-5, "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."
This is Jesus speaking here. He is elaborating on the fact that
He and His true followers are one. He is showing the need of His
followers to be continually in Him. Abide means to dwell continually.
Jesus reminds us in this verse above, that the power to be
fruitbearers only exists as we draw our strength from Him. To be
broken away from the body of the vine (Jesus), we would be but a
broken dead branch. The power to be what God would have us to be lies
within our relationship to Jesus Christ (the vine). These disciples
Jesus is speaking to, as well as we disciples of today, need to stay
in contact with our source of existence and power (Jesus Christ).
V-6, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and
is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and
they are burned."
We see her people who are supposed to be Christians and are, in
fact, hypocrites. This message in the last few verses has been to
those who claim to be Christians. They are branches and Jesus is the
vine. We see here, if a person strays from the Word of God (vine),
they dry up and die. Any storm of false doctrine, or most any trial,
can cut them off from Jesus. Just as dead branches from a vine are
gathered and burned, dead members of the church (those who have
separated themselves from God) will go the way of the unconverted
world (to hell). These are those once enlightened who walked away
from God.
V-7, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
Jesus is saying here that those, who abide (dwell continually) in
Him and store the Word of God in themselves, are pleasing God. These
are Jesus' followers who have completely lined up their will with His
will. Their prayers will be in the will of God, because they are
stayed upon His Word. They are full of His will, as well as His Word.
Their wishes are answered positively, because they line up with the
will of God (the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much), James 5:16. In Psalms 37:4-5 we read more about this, "Delight
thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine
heart." V-5, "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he
shall bring it to pass." When I see the word +trust +, I think of it
as abiding in Him. Trust goes farther than faith. Trust, to me,
means we rest contentedly knowing all is well with us and God.
V-8, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so
shall ye be my disciples."
Those who are strengthened by their relationship with Jesus
Christ should have no problem being fruit bearers for the kingdom.
Jesus is not only our source of strength, but our example, as well.
We (if we are Christians) should be an extension of H is work. We are
the working arm of our leader Jesus Christ. Jesus works through us to
bring more into the kingdom. The Father is pleased in us when we
carry out the wishes of His Son. The amount of fruit we bear, depends
entirely on our dependence on the vine for our strength. A disciple
is a disciplined one who follows his master. If we discipline
ourselves and follow Him doing His will and not our own, we shall be
His disciples.
V-9, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue
ye in my love."
No greater love could man have, than to lay down his life for his
friends. Jesus did that for us. He died, that we might live. More
than once the Father said, "This is my beloved Son". When we make it
to heaven and stand before Jesus, He will say to the Father and the
angels of heaven, these are my beloved. What a wonderful thought, He
will not be ashamed of us, but will claim us for His very own.
V-10, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love;
even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
We read that obedience is better than sacrifice. Jesus was
obedient unto the death of the cross. Jesus fulfilled the law. We
must obey His law of love. Love God first and with all that is within
you, and love your neighbor as yourself. If we do these few things,
Jesus will be with us all the way. We can rest in His love with no
fear of tomorrow. Our tomorrow will be in Him.
V-11, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might
remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
We Christians are not like the people of the world who have no
hope of tomorrow. Jesus spoke these things to His disciples, that
their sorrow over His death might be turned into joy. There should be
no fear of death for a Christian. Our hope and t rust lies in Jesus
who rose from the grave. We should have joy forevermore, knowing that
because He arose, we shall, also, rise to have everlasting peace and
joy.
Notes
John 42 Questions
1. Who is the true vine in verse 1?
2. Who is the husbandman?
3. What is the vine associated with throughout the Bible?
4. In Isaiah 5:1, who are the vineyard of God?
5. What happens to branches which produce no fruit?
6. Why are the branches purged?
7. If we are not growing in Jesus, what is happening?
8. Verse 3 says, we are clean through what?
9. In Ephesians 5:26, we read that He might sanctify it how?
10. The branch cannot bear fruit unless it abide in the ___________.
11. Jesus said He was the vine, we are the ________________________.
12. Without Jesus, we can do ____________________________.
13. What happens to withered branches?
14. Quote verse 7.
15. What kind of prayer availeth much?
16. If we bear ________________________, we are His _______________.
17. How does Jesus love us?
18. What is the greatest show of love?
19. Jesus said, if ye keep my ____________________________________,
ye shall abide in my love.
20. What does Jesus wish for His disciples in verse 11?
21. What is different in a Christian and a person of the world?
Notes
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