15:1 the true vine Jesus is likely referring to a grapevine. Jesus is the center of the Christian faith—He is the source of life and the way to eternal life (14:6).

Jesus’ ‘I Am’ Statements Table

15:2 prunes it Grapevines are more plentiful if pruned. The pruning may refer to hardship that (eventually) produces faithfulness and closer relationship with God, such as the disciples are about to experience (compare Rom 5:3–5; Jas 1:2–4). Jesus also could be referring to the pruning of dead branches, which would entail removing what is undesirable.

15:5 the branches Refers to Jesus’ disciples, who depend on the true vine (Jesus) for all things, including life.

you are not able to do anything Jesus means that people cannot access God without Him, and consequently they cannot bear fruit. All life-giving things require access to the source of life, Jesus (John 14:6; 15:1).

15:6 into the fire Jesus is referring to those who choose not to accept Him as Savior. The dead branches are people who are useless to God’s work—people like Judas, who chose to reject Jesus when faced with the truth (13:2).

15:7 it will be done for you See note on 14:13.

15:8 prove to be my disciples Jesus wants the opposite of destruction for His disciples: He wants them to make God’s greatness known. The way His disciples prove to be His is by loving others as He loved them and by believing and proclaiming God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus’ death and resurrection (12:50; 13:34).

15:9 in my love Indicates that they follow Jesus, who showed His love for them by being willing to sacrifice His life for them. The Spirit will be their guide in this process (14:26).

15:10 keep my commandments See 12:50; and see note on 13:34.

15:11 be made complete That is, whole—for His mission to be accomplished.

15:12 as I have loved you See note on 13:34.

15:14 my friends The way that Jesus’ disciples reciprocate the friendship He showed them is by doing what He asked of them (v. 10).

15:15 slaves Disciples were completely subservient to their teachers. See note on 13:16; note on 13:34.

revealed to you Jesus is referencing the subject matter at hand, not everything He knows. He means that He has told His disciples everything regarding salvation and what it means to follow God and obey His will. There is no secret way to receive salvation; it simply involves accepting Jesus as Savior. Compare note on 16:12.

15:16 I chose you Jesus means His disciples, whom He selected (e.g., 1:43–51).

appointed you They have been called to the vocation of doing God’s will by loving other people and telling them about Christ’s ability to save them from their sins. They are commissioned for this task.

bear fruit Involves keeping Jesus’ commands (vv. 8, 10) and being guided by His Spirit in the process of doing so (14:26).

remain Not only must the disciples follow Jesus, but their works should align with His purposes (14:11).

15:17 you love one another See note on 13:34; compare v. 12.

15:18 hated me before it hated you The Jewish religious leaders were already plotting to arrest and kill Jesus (11:47).

15:19 out of the world The disciples will remain part of the world, but they will be spiritually united with Jesus. In this way, they will no longer be part of the world’s purposes, but God’s (14:12).

15:20 they will keep yours also The disciples become God’s ambassadors and speakers on Jesus’ behalf through the work of the Holy Spirit (14:26).

15:21 do not know the one In John’s Gospel people often misunderstand God’s role in sending Jesus into the world (e.g., 7:28–29; 8:54–55).

15:22 not have sin People who have not encountered Jesus or His message—which can come through His disciples and believers (v. 20)—cannot make a choice to accept or deny Him. They cannot sin against Him because they do not know of Him.

valid excuse If they are unaware of their sin because they have not been confronted by people who know God’s feelings against it, by His Son, or by His Spirit, then they are not accountable for it.

15:24 hated both me and my Father Even though the Jewish leaders who killed Jesus claimed to be following God’s will, they neglected to acknowledge Jesus as part of His will and thus showed their love for their own positions over God’s work (12:43; compare note on Isa 53:10).

15:26 Advocate See note on John 14:26.