Chapter XV

The last sentence of the previous chapter is, “Arise, let us go hence!’ A number of expositors think that our Lord arose from the place where He had washed the disciples’ feet and where He had spoken all these precious words, and that He moved onward towards Gethsemane. On the way there He continued to talk to the disciples till at some convenient place He offered His great prayer in their presence, after which Judas, with the band of men and officers, appeared to arrest Him. We do not share this opinion. It is almost inconceivable that our Lord should have spoken the great words contained in chapters xv and xvi in the act of walking in the night. It would also have been quite impossible for all the eleven disciples to have heard Him if He walked ahead of them. But the first verse of chapter xviii contradicts the view that He left the room and walked across Kedron to Gethsemane. “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Kedron, where was a garden into which He entered, and His disciples.”

But if He did not leave the place, what did He mean when He said, ‘‘Arise, let us go hence”? It must have a symbolical meaning. He was about to leave the world, for Him, though He is the creator of all, a strange place. Repeatedly in His discourse and also in His prayer He mentions the world. ‘The world cannot receive the Holy Spirit (xiv:17). Only to His own and not to the world is He manifesting Himself (xiv:21,22). He giveth, not as the world gives (xiv:27). The world hates Him and those who belong to Him (xvi:18). They are the chosen ones out of the world, and therefore separated ones (xvi:19). They are not of the world even as He is not of the world (xvii:16). He was leaving the world to go back to the Father, and for His own it becomes also the strange place, no longer their home. While they are in the world they are not of it and must be separated from it. They must take their places with Him. This is the spiritual meaning of the words He spoke and what follows in His teaching confirms this.

Verses 1-8. He speaks to them ina parable. Those who teach that He left the chamber where He had taught, say that the parable was suggested by the vineyards on the way to Gethsemane; others say that over the great doors of the temple there was an immense vine carved, and that this vine was in the mind of the Lord when He uttered these words. We must look for a deeper reason. Every student of the Word of God knows that Israel is symbolized by the three trees, the Olive, the Fig-tree, and the Vine. These three trees are mentioned together for the first time in Jotham’s parable, in which they typify Israel; and the bramble, the Gentiles (Judges ix:7-15). Asaph speaks of Israel thus: “Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt, Thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it’ (Psalm Ixxx:8). Through Jeremiah the Lord declared ‘Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me?” (Jeremiah i:21);

Ezekiel speaks of Israel as the vine (Ezekiel xv:2). Hosea bears witness against Israel under the figure of the vine. Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according unto the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images” (Hos. x:1). But above all Isaiah has a great message on Israel as the vine and the failure of Israel. It is the song of the vineyard contained in chapter v:1-7. He pictures first what the Lord did for Israel as the vine, and then pictures Israel’s failure. ‘‘Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?” Then judgment is announced. “I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down.” The fulfillment of all this was at hand. Israel was about to crown its shameful history by casting out the Son who had come to the vineyard and by killing Him (see Matthew xxi:33-41). Israel as the vine had completely failed; its judicial blindness and world-wide dispersion was near, not far away.

But here is the true Vine. Israel is called in Isaiah “‘the servant of the Lord”; they failed, but Christ is the true servant. He is the true Israel (Isaiah xlix) and He is the true Vine, as He is the true Light and the true Bread. Upon the failure of Israel He announces Himself as the true vine, and those who believe on Him as branches. What then is the meaning of this parable? In the interpretation of it we must first of all remember the purpose of a parable. It is to illustrate a great principle by certain figures and pictures. To apply each part of a parable to something definitely, or give it a literal interpretation has done much harm. “Let us, instead of perplexing ourselves with minor details, bear in mind that in interpreting each of our Lord’s parables, the great purpose for which it was delivered is ever to be born in mind, if we would understand it rightly.”* To base some great doctrine on the figure of speech in a parable would lead, in some instances, to confusion. What is the purpose of this parable? The most prominent word is the word “fruit.” Six times we find this word and it leaves us therefore not in doubt that the purpose of the parable is fruit-bearing. Israel, the vine, had brought forth wild grapes; Israel, the fig-tree, had nothing but leaves; the branches of the olive tree were unbelieving and had to be broken off. But now the true source of fruitfulness for God is made known. It consists in living union, in the closest identification with Christ. This fact was prophetically hinted at in Hosea. There it is said of Ephraim, Israel, which had joined itself to idols, that in some future day they will say, “What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard Him, I have seen Him...” Then the Lord says: ‘From Me thy fruit is found’? (Hosea xiv:8). And when the Holy Spirit after the departure of our Lord unfolds the fulness of Christianity, we read of the truth taught in this parable in the Epistle to the Romans. At the close of the sixth chapter of this great Epistle we read of believers being made free from sin, bearing fruit unto holiness. ‘That this fruit is not produced by law-keeping, by the use of the law, to which the true believer is dead, is the teaching in the beginning of the seventh chapter. Then we read: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married

*Dean Bourgon.

unto another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” This is the great truth the Lord illustrates in the parable of the vine and the branches. The marriage union is used in Romans to illustrate the same principle. The law could not produce fruit, but being married to Him who is risen from the dead, identified with Him, results in fruit bearing.

Christ, not in incarnation, but risen from the dead, the corn of wheat, which fell into the ground and died, is the source of life and power, the source of true fruit unto God. This is the meaning of the figure “the true vine.” Those who believe on Him, accept Him as Saviour, are consequently born again, and thus receiving the new nature, eternal life, are constituted branches of the vine. The life and nature which is in the vine is in the branch. The condition of fruit-bearing is that the branch abide in the vine. If the branch is not in the vine, the sap in the vine does not circulate in the branch; there can be no fruit and the branch withers and is dead; the only thing it is good for is to be cast into the fire and to be burned. The secret of fruit-bearing is, therefore, as mentioned repeatedly, to abide in Him and He in us, for without Him we can do nothing.

But while He calls Himself the true vine, He also speaks of the Father as the husbandman. The vine needs the care of the husbandman, as also do the branches. We must not overlook the fact that the Son of God came to earth and brought fruit also unto God in dependence on the Father. He testified to this fact when He said: “The Father who abideth in Me doeth the works.” As the Father was in Him, and He in the Father, so the true believer is in Christ, and Christ in him. To abide in Him means the continued exercise of faith in Him, that faith which is the very breath of the new nature, which realizes constantly that Christ is all, that depends on Him for everything and knows its utter helplessness apart from Him. As a result of such dependence the believer clings close to Him and lives the life of close and intimate communion with Him. This is the true abiding in Him, and explains the meaning of His words: “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. 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.” But what is the fruit? The fruit which the branch bears is the fruit of the vine. It is the fruit of Himself, produced by the indwelling Spirit, the fruit which is like the true vine Himself; it is Christlikeness. If this fruit is lacking it is an evidence that the branch is lifeless.

“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 ... 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.” Here we face a difficulty. How can these statements be reconciled, some ask, with the teachings of Scripture of the perseverance in faith of the children of God, that a true believer can never be lost? The verses we have quoted have been used by many an Arminian theologian to contradict what so many other passages teach, that is, the eternal security of all believers.

The branches which bear no fruit, which-are taken away and finally perish do not represent true believers at all. Whenever a person takes upon himself the profession of a Christian, he claims by that outward profession to take the place, the position, the privileges and responsibility of a believer in Christ. He is in his profession a follower of Christ, a separated one and also a branch in the vine. But while his profession in churchmembership indicates all this, in reality this person is only nominally a follower of Christ, only nominally a branch in the vine, only nominally identified with Christ. He has not the reality of it, he does not possess what he has taken upon himself in profession, for he was never born again. As a result there is no fruit, because there is no life. Such a professing branch is here in view, a branch joined to the church by profession, but not joined to the Lord by a living faith and the power of the Spirit of God. That there are thousands upon thousands of such branches, dead and unfruitful in the professing church, does not need any demonstration. It is only too evident. Such will be taken away in judgment. But the real branches are purged (or cleansed) by the ‘Father, to bring forth more fruit. The evidence of being a living branch in the vine is the fruitage,and the Father who desires fruit does to the true believer what the husbandman does to the branch, in cutting away and cleansing, so that there might be more fruit. The cleansing is by the Word, and the different disciplines are providences which the Father graciously uses with His beloved children.

In verse 6, the solemn warning, it must be noticed that our Lord changes his words from ‘“‘ye” to “any one.” He does not say “If ye (His disciples as true believers) abide not in Me,” but, He says: “‘If any one (or man) does not abide 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.” This change of address is significant and conclusive. The Lord thereby indicates that His true disciples are not meant by Him. He would not have it supposed that it might be possible for those who belong to Him, the gifts of the Father, in whom His own life dwells, to be cast forth and to share the fate of the wicked. In the next verse He speaks again of His true disciples, and not of a mere professor. “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Here is one of the secrets of effectual prayer, conditioned on our nearness to Him.

“The doctrine here laid down and implied is a very remarkable one. There are some Christians whose prayers are more powerful and effectual than those of others. The nearer a man lives to Christ, and the closer his communion with Him, the more effectual will his prayers be. The truth of the doctrine is so self-evident and reasonable, that no one on reflection can deny it. He that lives nearest to Christ will always be the man that feels most, and prays most earnestly, and fervently, and heartily. Common sense shows that such prayers are most likely to get answers. Many believers get little from God, because they ask little, or ask amiss. The holiest saints are the most earnest in prayer, and they consequently get the most.’’*

*Bishop Ryle.

In bearing much fruit, His Father is glorified, and in glorifying Him, whom the Son glorifies, we give evidence that we are His disciples.

Verses 9-11. Could there be a greater comforting assurance than that which our Lord gave to His disciples and to us as well, contained in the ninth verse? “As the Father hath loved Me so have I loved you; continue ye in My love.” He was the Father’s delight and the object of His love. Who can measure the love which the Father has for the Son? And His own are now the objects of the love of the Son of God in the same degree as He is beloved by the Father. Believers are the “Beloved of God called Saints” (Rom. i:7). But in order to know this love, to enjoy it, we must continue, abide in His love. What it means to abide in His love is made known in the verse which follows. ‘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.” He walked in obedience as Man; His meat and His drink was to do the will of Him that sent Him, thus He abode in His Father’s love. This must be the path of His own. It is in practical obedience that we abide in His love; without it there can be no assurance and enjoyment of His love. “Hereby we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John ii:3). And if we fail in this practical obedience, as we often do, we flee to Him with confession and self-judgment and find that His mighty, loving advocacy restores us to the fellowship which disobedience severed. We call attention to the little word “as.” It is used by our Lord several times in these chapters. 4s the Father loveth Him so He loveth us. 4s He kept His Father’s commandments so we are to keep His commandments. ds He is not of the world, even so are we not of the world (xvii:16). 4s the Father sent Him into the world even so has He sent us into the world.

The blessed purpose of all these words is that His joy might remain in us and that joy in us might be full. He had spoken of His peace, the legacy He has left (xiv:27) and now He speaks of His “joy.” His is the greatest joy, the joy of the Redeemer, who has accomplished redemption. This was the joy set before Him, for which He endured the cross and despised the shame (Heb. xii:1-3). We can share His joy, and as we walk in His blessed steps, following Him as our pattern, abiding in Him and in His love, our joy in Him will be full. We rejoice with Him in the things in which He rejoices.

Verses 12-16. In chapter xiii:34 He had given the new commandment that believers should love one another; this He repeats and adds again the measure of that love, “‘as [have loved you.” ‘The Holy Spirit in the Epistle ta the Colossians speaks of true Christian conduct, “Forbearing one another and forgiving one another; if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Col. iii:13). If the words of our Lord were always practiced and this admonition of the Spirit of God obeyed, there would never be any disagreement or unpleasantness amongst God’s people. Some one writes: “The crossness, spitefulness, jealousy, maliciousness and general disagreeableness of many high professors of ‘sound doctrine’ are a positive scandal to Christianity. Where there is little love there can be little grace.” With these words we fully agree.

Then He spoke to them as His friends. They were Jewish believers, and as such under the old dispensation they were servants, but grace made them His friends (Gal. iv:1-7). The manifestation of the greatest love is to lay down the life, that is self-sacrificing love, dying for His friends. This love He manifested towards them by dying in their stead, and though He called them His friends, by nature they were, as we all are, enemies by wicked works, and as such we need His propitiatory death. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. v:6-8). Such is the example of His love. And self-sacrificing love must be the measure of our love towards our brethren. Our relationship to Him as friends demands obedience.

While it is true that every believer is a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, the word servant in verse 15 refers to the state of Jewish believers under the law. Identified with

Him He constitutes us His intimate friends and introduces us to all things He has heard of the Father, making known to the believer’s heart through the Scriptures the deep things of God. We are reminded here of Abraham, not under the law-covenant (the law came 430 years after), but under the grace-covenant, that the Lord made the secret things known to him. Abraham is called the friend of God (Isaiah xli:8; James ii:23). The Lord came to Him in the garb of man and then said, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” And let us remember in that theophany the same One was revealed to Abraham who talked to these sons of Abraham in these blessed words.

“Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name He may give it you.”” The choice here means both the choice of eternal election to salvation and to the office of apostles. We did not seek Him, but He sought us when we were lost and completely undone. What a precious assurance it is, not that we have chosen Him, but that He has done so. The following remarks by the late Bishop J. C. Ryle give additional suggestions on this verse:

“When our Lord says, ‘I have chosen and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit,’ I think He refers to the work of conversion and building a church in the world. ‘I chose and set you apart for this great purpose, that ye should go into all the world preaching the Gospel, and gathering in the harvest and fruit of saved souls; and that this work begun by you might remain and continue long after your deaths.’ And then to encourage the eleven, He adds, ‘It was part of my plan that so bringing forth fruit, ye should obtain by prayer everything that ye need for your work.’”

Verses 17-21. When our Lord says “these things I command you,” He had reference to all these instructions He had given to them. He speaks next of the identification of Himself with His disciples. The blessed truth He states, the oneness of the believer with Himself, is fully made known in the Pauline epistles. For the first time He states the great fact that believers in Him, those who are the gifts of the Father, whom He hath chosen out of the world, are not of the

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world. In His highpriestly prayer we shall return to this great statement. He was not of the world, and those who are born again, in possession of the divine nature, are not of the world, even as He is not of the world. Because He is not of the world, the world which lieth in the wicked one hates Him, and it hates equally all who belong to Him. Alas! how little of this hatred from the side of the world is known today to true believers. Has the world changed? Is it no longer the evil world? Is it a different world from what it was 2,000 years ago? Is it no longer in the wicked one? The world does not change in its moral aspect; it is the same evil age it has always been. Satan is still the prince of this world, and the god of this age. ‘The world does not improve; it still hates Christ. But the trouble is with believers. They do not live out their separation. They have forgotten the fact that believers are dead to the world and the world dead unto them. Nor are exhortations like James iv:4 and 1 John ii:15-17 heeded. If we live as separated ones, bearing a definite witness in our lives as to our place in Christ, we soon shall find that the words of our Lord are still true. The servant is not greater than His Lord. They hated Him, they would hate them; they persecuted Him, and the disciples would also be persecuted.

Verses 22-27. In verses 22 to 25 He gives a resume of the three years now closing He had spent in the midst of His people. He had spoken to them the words of life, revealed the truth, warned them, invited them, yea, He would have gathered them as a hen gathers her chickens, yet they would not. ‘They compassed Him about with words of hatred; for His love they became His adversaries (Psalm cix:3-4). They hated Him, they hated His Father. He had done His mighty works and the works of the Father; they had seen both and hated both. Their own Scripture had been fulfilled, they hated Him without a cause (Psalm cix:3).

Another announcement of the soon coming of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, sent by Him from the Father, the Spirit of truth, follows. When He comes He will testify of Him. This is the great work of the Holy Spirit, to bear witness to Christ. Chapter xvi:13-15 enlarges upon this. And when He has come, they also would be enabled to bear witness, on account of their association with Him from the beginning of His ministry. This promise is repeated by Him after His resurrection: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts i:8).