1„Já jsem ta pravá vinná réva a můj Otec je hospodář. 2Každou ratolest ve mně, která nenese ovoce, odstraňuje, a každou, která nese ovoce, čistí, aby nesla hojnější ovoce. 3Vy jste již čistí pro slovo, které jsem vám pověděl. 4Zůstaňte ve mně a já ve vás. Jako ratolest nemůže nést ovoce sama od sebe, nezůstává-li v révě, tak ani vy, jestliže nebudete zůstávat ve mně. 5Já jsem ta vinná réva, vy jste ratolesti. Kdo zůstává ve mně a já v něm, ten nese hojné ovoce; neboť beze mne nemůžete činit nic. 6Jestliže někdo ve mně nezůstává, bude jako ta ratolest vyvržen ven a uschne; pak je shromažďují a házejí do ohně, a hoří. 7Zůstanete-li ve mně a zůstanou-li mé výroky ve vás, požádejte, oč chcete, a stane se vám. 8Tím bude oslaven můj Otec, když ponesete hojné ovoce a stanete se mými učedníky. 9Jako Otec miluje mne, tak i já miluji vás. Zůstaňte v mé lásce. 10Zachováte-li má přikázání, zůstanete v mé lásce, jako já jsem zachoval přikázání svého Otce a zůstávám v jeho lásce.“ 11„Toto jsem vám pověděl, aby moje radost byla ve vás a aby vaše radost byla naplněna. 12To je mé přikázání, abyste se navzájem milovali, jako já miluji vás. 13Nikdo nemá větší lásku než tu, že položí svou duši za své přátele. 14Vy jste moji přátelé, činíte-li, co vám přikazuji. 15Už vás nenazývám otroky, protože otrok neví, co činí jeho pán; nazval jsem vás přáteli, protože jsem vám oznámil všechno, co jsem uslyšel od svého Otce. 16Ne vy jste si vybrali mne, ale já jsem si vybral vás a ustanovil jsem vás, abyste vyšli a nesli ovoce a vaše ovoce aby zůstávalo; aby vám Otec dal, oč byste ho požádali v mém jménu. 17To vám přikazuji, abyste se navzájem milovali.“ 18„Jestliže vás svět nenávidí, vězte, že mne nenáviděl dříve než vás. 19Kdybyste byli ze světa, svět by miloval to, co je jeho. Že však nejste ze světa, ale já jsem si vás ze světa vybral, proto vás svět nenávidí. 20Pamatujte na slovo, které jsem vám řekl: ‚Otrok není větší než jeho pán.‘ Jestliže pronásledovali mne, i vás budou pronásledovat; jestliže zachovali mé slovo, i vaše zachovají. 21Ale to všechno vám učiní kvůli mému jménu, protože neznají toho, který mě poslal. 22Kdybych nepřišel a nepromluvil k nim, neměli by hřích; nyní však pro svůj hřích nemají výmluvu. 23Kdo mne nenávidí, nenávidí i mého Otce. 24Kdybych byl mezi nimi neučinil skutky, které neučinil nikdo jiný, neměli by hřích. Ale nyní viděli, a mají v nenávisti jak mne, tak mého Otce. 25To proto, aby se naplnilo slovo, které je napsáno v jejich Zákoně: ‚Nenáviděli mne bez příčiny.‘ “ 26„Až přijde Zastánce, kterého vám pošlu od Otce, Duch Pravdy, jenž vychází od Otce, ten o mně vydá svědectví. 27Ale i vy budete svědčit, neboť jste se mnou od počátku.“
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 DISCOURSE AT THE SUPPER TABLE CONTINUED. (John 15:1-27)
The spiritual oneness of Christ and His people, and His relation to them as the Source of all their spiritual life and fruitfulness, are here beautifully set forth by a figure familiar to Jewish ears (
Es 5:1, &c.).
I am the true vine--of whom the vine of nature is but a shadow.
my Father is the husbandman--the great Proprietor of the vineyard, the Lord of the spiritual kingdom. (It is surely unnecessary to point out the claim to supreme divinity involved in this).
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit . . . every branch that beareth fruit--As in a fruit tree, some branches may be fruitful, others quite barren, according as there is a vital connection between the branch and the stock, or no vital connection; so the disciples of Christ may be spiritually fruitful or the reverse, according as they are vitally and spiritually connected with Christ, or but externally and mechanically attached to Him. The fruitless He "taketh away" (see on
Jn 15:6); the fruitful He "purgeth" (cleanseth, pruneth)--stripping it, as the husbandman does, of what is rank (
Mc 4:19), "that it may bring forth more fruit"; a process often painful, but no less needful and beneficial than in the natural husbandry.
3 Now--rather, "Already."
ye are clean through--by reason of.
the word I have spoken to you--already in a purified, fruitful condition, in consequence of the long action upon them of that searching "word" which was "as a refiner's fire" (
Ml 3:2-
Ml 3:3).
4 Abide in me, and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, &c.--As all spiritual fruitfulness had been ascribed to the mutual inhabitation, and living, active interpenetration (so to speak) of Christ and His disciples, so here the keeping up of this vital connection is made essential to continued fruitfulness.
5 without me--apart, or vitally disconnected from Me.
ye can do nothing--spiritually, acceptably.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch . . . withered . . . cast into the fire . . . burned--The one proper use of the vine is to bear fruit; failing this, it is good for one other thing--fuel. (See
Ez 15:1-
Ez 15:5). How awfully striking the figure, in this view of it!
7 If ye abide in me, and my words . . . in you--Mark the change from the inhabitation of Himself to that of His words, paving the way for the subsequent exhortations (
Jn 15:9-
Jn 15:10).
ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you--because this indwelling of His words in them would secure the harmony of their askings with the divine will.
8 glorified that ye bear much fruit--not only from His delight in it for its own sake, but as from "the juices of the Living Vine."
so shall ye be my disciples--evidence your discipleship.
9 continue ye in my love--not, "Continue to love Me," but, "Continue in the possession and enjoyment of My love to you"; as is evident from the next words.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love--the obedient spirit of true discipleship cherishing and attracting the continuance and increase of Christ's love; and this, He adds, was the secret even of His own abiding in His Father's love!
12 That ye love one another, &c.--(See on
Jn 13:34-
Jn 13:35).
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends--The emphasis lies not on "friends," but on "laying down his life" for them; that is, "One can show no greater regard for those dear to him than to give his life for them, and this is the love ye shall find in Me."
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you--hold yourselves in absolute subjection to Me.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants--that is, in the sense explained in the next words; for servants He still calls them (
Jn 15:20), and they delight to call themselves so, in the sense of being "under law to Christ" (
1Co 9:20).
the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth--knows nothing of his master's plans and reasons, but simply receives and executes his orders.
but . . . friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you--admitted you to free, unrestrained fellowship, keeping back nothing from you which I have received to communicate. (Compare
Gn 18:17;
Ps 25:14;
Es 50:4).
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I . . . you--a wholesale memento after the lofty things He had just said about their mutual indwelling, and the unreservedness of the friendship they had been admitted to.
ordained--appointed.
you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit--that is, give yourselves to it.
and that your fruit should remain--showing itself to be an imperishable and ever growing principle. (Compare
Prv 4:18;
2Jn 1:8).
that whatsoever ye shall ask, &c.--(See on
Jn 15:7).
17 The substance of these important verses has occurred more than once before. (See on
Mt 10:34-
Mt 10:36;
Lc 12:49-
Lc 12:53, &c.).
22 (See on
Jn 9:39-
Jn 9:41).
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin--comparatively none; all other sins being light compared with the rejection of the Son of God.
now they have no cloak for their sin--rather, "pretext."
24 If I had not done . . . the works which none other . . . did--(See on
Jn 12:37).
25 that the word might be fulfilled . . . They hated me without a cause--quoted from the Messianic
Ps 69:4, applied also in the same sense in
Jn 2:17;
Act 1:20;
Rm 11:9-
Rm 11:10;
Rm 15:3.
26 (See on
Jn 14:15;
Jn 14:17).
27 ye also shall bear witness--rather, "are witnesses"; with reference indeed to their future witness-bearing, but putting the emphasis upon their present ample opportunities for acquiring their qualifications for that great office, inasmuch as they had been "with Him from the beginning." (See on
Lc 1:2).