Yochanan 15

1 5 I am HaGefen HaAmittit (the true vine)[TEHILLIM 80:8-20; YESHAYAH 5:1-7; YECHEZKEL 19:10] and HaAv of me is the Korem (vineyard proprietor).

2 Every sarig (shoot, branch) in me not bearing p’ri [TEHILLIM 92:14] He takes it away, and every sarig bearing p’ri He prunes that it may bear much p’ri.

3 You are already metoharim (clean) because of the dvar which I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in me and I in you. As the sarig is not able to bear p’ri from itself, unless it remains on the gefen (vine), so neither are you, unless you remain in me.

5 Ani Hu (I am) HaGefen; you are the sarigim (branches). The one remaining in me and I in him, this one bears much p’ri, because apart from me you are not able to do anything.

6 Unless someone remains in me, he is cast out as the sarig and is dried up and they gather them, and into the Eish they throw them, and they are burned. [YECHEZKEL 15:1-8; 19:10]

7 If you remain in me and the dvarim of me remain in you, whatever you want, ask, and it will be done for you!

8 By this HaAv of me was given kavod, that much p’ri you bear, and so be my talmidim.

9 As HaAv has ahavah for me, so I have ahavah for you. Remain in my ahavah [see Yd verse 21].

10 If you are shomer of my mitzvot, you will remain in my ahavah, as I of the mitzvot of HaAv of me have been shomer, and I remain in His ahavah.

11 These things I have spoken to you that the simcha of me may be in you and the simcha of you may be made shleimah.

12 This is my mitzvah for you, that you have ahavah (agape) one for the other, as I have ahavah (agape) for you.

13 Ahavah (agape) gedolah than this no one has, that someone lay down his neshamah for his chaverim [BERESHIS 44:33].

14 You are my chaverim, if you are shomer oner my mitzvot. [IYOV 16:20; MISHLE 18:24]

15 No longer do I call you avadim, because the eved does not have da’as of what his Adon is doing. But you I have called chaverim, because all things which I heard from HaAv of me, of all these things I gave you da’as. [SHEMOT 33:11]

16 It was not that you chose me, but I chose you, and have given you s’michah that you go and bear p’ri and the p’ri of you remain, that whatever you ask HaAv b’Shem of me (Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach), HaAv may give it to you.

17 I am giving you these mitzvot, that you have ahavah (agape) one for the other.

18 If the Olam Hazeh has sin’as chinom (hatred without cause) for you, [YESHAYAH 66:5] be aware it has had sin’as chinom for me before you.

19 If you were of the Olam Hazeh, the Olam Hazeh would have had ahavah for its own. But because from the Olam Hazeh you are not, but I chose you out of the Olam Hazeh, therefore the Olam Hazeh has sin’as chinom for you [1Yn 4:5; Yn 17:14].

20 Put in zikaron (remembrance) the dvar which I told you, An eved is not gadol (greater) than his Adon. If they brought redifah (persecution) on me, they will also bring redifah on you. If over my dvar they were shomer, also over yours they will be shomer.

21 But all these things they will do to you on account of the Shem of me [YESHAYAH 66:5], because they do not have da’as of the One having sent me.

22 If I did not come and speak to them, [YECHEZKEL 2:5] they would not have chet; but now they have no ptur (excuse) for their chet.

23 The one having sin’as chinom (hatred without cause) for me (Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach) has sin’as chinom for HaAv of me.

24 If I did not do pe’ulot among them which no other man did, they would not have chet; but now they have beheld and they have had sin’as chinom for both me and HaAv of me.

25 But this was that the dvar having been written in their Torah might be fulfilled, SONE’AI CHINOM ATZMU (They are many hating me without cause). [TEHILLIM 69:4 5; 35:19; 109:3]

26 But when the Melitz Yosher (Praklit, Advocate, Counselor, Helper in Court) comes, whom I will send to you from HaAv, the Ruach Hakodesh, the Ruach HaEmes, who proceeds from HaAv, that one will gives solemn edut (testimony) about me.

27 And you [Shlichim] will give solemn edut (testimony) also, because from the beginning you are with me.

Yochanan 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.