John 15

Jesus Is the Vine--Followers Are Branches

1“1I am the true vine, and My Father is the 2vinedresser. 2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He 3prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 34You are already 5clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 46Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit 7of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he 8bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in Me, he is 9thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, 10ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My 11Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so 1213prove to be My disciples. 9Just as 14the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 1015If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as 16I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 1117These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your 18joy may be made full.

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

12“This is 19My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 1320Greater love has no one than this, that one 21lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My 22friends if 23you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for 24all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 1625You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and 26bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that 27whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17This 28I command you, that you love one another.

Disciples’ Relation to the World

18“29If the world hates you, 30you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but 31I chose you out of the world, 32because of this the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you, ‘33A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, 34they will also persecute you; if they 35kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21But all these things they will do to you 36for My name’s sake, 37because they do not know the One who sent Me. 2238If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have 39sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates Me hates My Father also. 2440If I had not done among them 41the works which no one else did, they would not have 42sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. 25But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their 43Law, ‘44They hated Me without a cause.’

26“When the 4546Helper comes, 47whom I will send to you from the Father, that is 48the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, 49He will testify about Me, 2750and 51you will testify also, because you have been with Me 52from the beginning.