1Já jsem pravý vinný kmen a můj Otec je vinař. 2Každou ratolest na mně, která nenese ovoce, odřezává, a každou, která nese ovoce, čistí, aby nesla ovoce ještě více. 3Vy jste už čistí tím slovem, které jsem k vám mluvil. 4Zůstaňte ve mně, a já zůstanu ve vás. Jako ratolest nemůže nést ovoce sama od sebe, nezůstane-li na kmeni, tak ani vy, nezůstanete-li ve mně. 5Já jsem vinný kmen, vy jste ratolesti. Kdo zůstává ve mně a já v něm, ten nese mnoho ovoce, neboť beze mne nemůžete dělat nic. 6Kdo nezůstane ve mně, bude vyhozen ven jako ratolest; uschne, seberou ji, hodí do ohně - a hoří. 7Zůstanete-li ve mně a zůstanou-li ve vás moje slova, můžete prosit, oč chcete, a dostanete to. 8Tím bude oslaven můj Otec, že ponesete mnoho ovoce a osvědčíte se jako moji učedníci. 9Jako Otec miloval mne, tak já jsem miloval vás. Zůstaňte v mé lásce. 10Zachováte-li moje přikázání, zůstanete v mé lásce, jako jsem já zachovával přikázání svého Otce a zůstávám v jeho lásce. 11To jsem k vám mluvil, aby moje radost byla ve vás a aby se vaše radost naplnila. 12To je mé přikázání: Milujte se navzájem, jak jsem já miloval vás. 13Nikdo nemá větší lásku než ten, kdo za své přátele položí svůj život. 14Vy jste moji přátelé, když děláte, co já vám ukládám. 15Už vás nenazývám služebníky, protože služebník neví, co dělá jeho pán. Nazval jsem vás přáteli, protože vám jsem oznámil všechno, co jsem slyšel od svého Otce. 16Ne vy jste si vyvolili mne, ale já jsem vyvolil vás a určil jsem vás k tomu, abyste šli a přinášeli užitek a váš užitek aby byl trvalý. Potom vám Otec dá všechno, oč ho budete prosit ve jménu mém. 17To vám přikazuji: Milujte se navzájem! 18Jestliže vás svět nenávidí, uvažte, že mne nenáviděl dříve než vás. 19Kdybyste byli ze světa, svět by miloval to, co mu patří. Že však nejste ze světa, ale já jsem vás ze světa vyvolil, proto vás svět nenávidí. 20Vzpomeňte si na slovo, které jsem vám řekl: 'Služebník není víc než jeho pán.' Když pronásledovali mne, budou pronásledovat i vás. Když zachovali moje slovo, budou zachovávat i vaše. 21Ale to všechno vám způsobí kvůli mému jménu, protože neznají toho, který mě poslal. 22Kdybych byl nepřišel a k nim nemluvil, neměli by hřích; nyní však pro svůj hřích nemají výmluvu. 23Kdo nenávidí mne, nenávidí i mého Otce. 24Kdybych nebyl mezi nimi vykonal skutky, jaké nevykonal nikdo jiný, neměli by hřích; nyní však je viděli, a přesto mají v nenávisti mne i mého Otce. 25Ale má se splnit slovo napsané v jejich Zákoně: 'Nenáviděli mě bez příčiny.' 26Až přijde Přímluvce, kterého vám pošlu od Otce, Duch pravdy, který vychází od Otce, ten vydá o mně svědectví. 27Vy také vydávejte svědectví, protože jste se mnou od začátku.
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 (
Isa 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
John 15:6); the fruitful He "purgeth" (cleanseth, pruneth)--stripping it, as the husbandman does, of what is rank (
Mark 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" (
Mal 3:2-
Mal 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
Ezek 15:1-
Ezek 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 (
John 15:9-
John 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
John 13:34-
John 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 (
John 15:20), and they delight to call themselves so, in the sense of being "under law to Christ" (
1Cor 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
Gen 18:17;
Ps 25:14;
Isa 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
Pro 4:18;
2John 1:8).
that whatsoever ye shall ask, &c.--(See on
John 15:7).
17 The substance of these important verses has occurred more than once before. (See on
Matt 10:34-
Matt 10:36;
Luke 12:49-
Luke 12:53, &c.).
22 (See on
John 9:39-
John 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
John 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
John 2:17;
Acts 1:20;
Rom 11:9-
Rom 11:10;
Rom 15:3.
26 (See on
John 14:15;
John 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
Luke 1:2).
