Juan 15

1 Jesús, la vid verdadera

2 Él corta de mí toda rama que no produce fruto y poda las ramas que sí dan fruto, para que den aún más.

3 Ustedes ya han sido podados y purificados por el mensaje que les di.

4 Permanezcan en mí, y yo permaneceré en ustedes. Pues una rama no puede producir fruto si la cortan de la vid, y ustedes tampoco pueden ser fructíferos a menos que permanezcan en mí.

5 »Ciertamente, yo soy la vid; ustedes son las ramas. Los que permanecen en mí y yo en ellos producirán mucho fruto porque, separados de mí, no pueden hacer nada.

6 El que no permanece en mí es desechado como rama inútil y se seca. Todas esas ramas se juntan en un montón para quemarlas en el fuego.

7 Si ustedes permanecen en mí y mis palabras permanecen en ustedes, pueden pedir lo que quieran, ¡y les será concedido!

8 Cuando producen mucho fruto, demuestran que son mis verdaderos discípulos. Eso le da mucha gloria a mi Padre.

9 »Yo los he amado a ustedes tanto como el Padre me ha amado a mí. Permanezcan en mi amor.

10 Cuando obedecen mis mandamientos, permanecen en mi amor, así como yo obedezco los mandamientos de mi Padre y permanezco en su amor.

11 Les he dicho estas cosas para que se llenen de mi gozo; así es, desbordarán de gozo.

12 Este es mi mandamiento: ámense unos a otros de la misma manera en que yo los he amado.

13 No hay un amor más grande que el dar la vida por los amigos.

14 Ustedes son mis amigos si hacen lo que yo les mando.

15 Ya no los llamo esclavos, porque el amo no confía sus asuntos a los esclavos. Ustedes ahora son mis amigos, porque les he contado todo lo que el Padre me dijo.

16 Ustedes no me eligieron a mí, yo los elegí a ustedes. Les encargué que vayan y produzcan frutos duraderos, así el Padre les dará todo lo que pidan en mi nombre.

17 Este es mi mandato: ámense unos a otros.

18 Odio del mundo

19 Si pertenecieran al mundo, el mundo los amaría como a uno de los suyos, pero ustedes ya no forman parte del mundo. Yo los elegí para que salieran del mundo, por eso el mundo los odia.

20 ¿Recuerdan lo que les dije? “El esclavo no es superior a su amo”. Ya que me persiguieron a mí, también a ustedes los perseguirán. Y, si me hubieran escuchado a mí, también los escucharían a ustedes.

21 Les harán todo eso a causa de mí, porque han rechazado a aquel que me envió.

22 Ellos no serían culpables si yo no hubiera venido a hablarles, pero ahora no tienen ninguna excusa por su pecado.

23 Cualquiera que me odia a mí también odia a mi Padre.

24 Si yo no hubiera hecho entre ellos esas señales tan milagrosas que nadie más podría hacer, no serían culpables; pero la verdad es que vieron todo lo que hice, y aun así nos siguen odiando a mí y a mi Padre.

25 Con eso se cumple lo que está registrado en sus Escrituras:
“Me odiaron sin motivo”.

26 »A ustedes yo les enviaré al Abogado Defensor,
el Espíritu de verdad. Él vendrá del Padre y dará testimonio acerca de mí,

27 y también ustedes deben dar testimonio de mí porque han estado conmigo desde el principio de mi ministerio.

Juan 15 Commentary

Chapter 15

Christ the true Vine. (1-8) His love to his disciples. (9-17) foretold. (18-25) The Comforter promised. (26,27)

Verses 1-8 Jesus Christ is the Vine, the true Vine. The union of the human and Divine natures, and the fulness of the Spirit that is in him, resemble the root of the vine made fruitful by the moisture from a rich soil. Believers are branches of this Vine. The root is unseen, and our life is hid with Christ; the root bears the tree, diffuses sap to it, and in Christ are all supports and supplies. The branches of the vine are many, yet, meeting in the root, are all but one vine; thus all true Christians, though in place and opinion distant from each other, meet in Christ. Believers, like the branches of the vine, are weak, and unable to stand but as they are borne up. The Father is the Husbandman. Never was any husbandman so wise, so watchful, about his vineyard, as God is about his church, which therefore must prosper. We must be fruitful. From a vine we look for grapes, and from a Christian we look for a Christian temper, disposition, and life. We must honour God, and do good; this is bearing fruit. The unfruitful are taken away. And even fruitful branches need pruning; for the best have notions, passions, and humours, that require to be taken away, which Christ has promised to forward the sanctification of believers, they will be thankful, for them. The word of Christ is spoken to all believers; and there is a cleansing virtue in that word, as it works grace, and works out corruption. And the more fruit we bring forth, the more we abound in what is good, the more our Lord is glorified. In order to fruitfulness, we must abide in Christ, must have union with him by faith. It is the great concern of all Christ's disciples, constantly to keep up dependence upon Christ, and communion with him. True Christians find by experience, that any interruption in the exercise of their faith, causes holy affections to decline, their corruptions to revive, and their comforts to droop. Those who abide not in Christ, though they may flourish for awhile in outward profession, yet come to nothing. The fire is the fittest place for withered branches; they are good for nothing else. Let us seek to live more simply on the fulness of Christ, and to grow more fruitful in every good word and work, so may our joy in Him and in his salvation be full.

Verses 9-17 Those whom God loves as a Father, may despise the hatred of all the world. As the Father loved Christ, who was most worthy, so he loved his disciples, who were unworthy. All that love the Saviour should continue in their love to him, and take all occasions to show it. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a continual feast. They are to show their love to him by keeping his commandments. If the same power that first shed abroad the love of Christ's in our hearts, did not keep us in that love, we should not long abide in it. Christ's love to us should direct us to love each other. He speaks as about to give many things in charge, yet names this only; it includes many duties.

Verses 18-25 How little do many persons think, that in opposing the doctrine of Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, they prove themselves ignorant of the one living and true God, whom they profess to worship! The name into which Christ's disciples were baptized, is that which they will live and die by. It is a comfort to the greatest sufferers, if they suffer for Christ's name's sake. The world's ignorance is the true cause of its hatred to the disciples of Jesus. The clearer and fuller the discoveries of the grace and truth of Christ, the greater is our sin if we do not love him and believe in him.

26,27. The blessed Spirit will maintain the cause of Christ in the world, notwithstanding the opposition it meets with. Believers taught and encouraged by his influences, would bear testimony to Christ and his salvation.