FRUIT OR FAKE? (JOHN 15:1-8)
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Chapter 15 is a part of Jesus’ farewell discourse in chapters 14-17 to the disciples after the Last Supper but before His crucifixion. Chapter 13 ended with the prediction of Peter’s denial, so the message was given with poignancy, patience and purpose. It was the last words of Jesus the last night before his death. In the Old Testament, Israel was the vine, but she failed terribly and totally, producing wild and worthless grapes (Isa 5:4, 7). She was a noble vine, a seed of highest quality that turned into the degenerate plant of an alien vine (NKJV).
What does God expect from believers in their conversion and commitment? How would you describe your relationship with Christ? Why is discipleship the first and final step in meaningful Christian living?
Be Fruitful: Never Lack Growth
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. (John 15:1-3)
At one time in the States climbing vines have taken over the corner part of one side of our tall house in Walnut. Because of its height and lack of space in the corner the task was beyond me, so I had to ask my gardener to take care of it. Believe me, most single home owners cannot live without their gardeners. Left by themselves, the climbing vines would attract the insects, rot the walls and darken the house. Cling vines are known to have damaged rooftops, gutters and chimneys. Within two hours he was able to pull them down, chop them up and clean the place. All within the regular US$50 monthly in the 1990s.
John 15 is the last of Jesus’ famous seven I AM sayings (John 6:41 bread, 8:12 light, 10:7 door, 10:11 good shepherd, 11:25 resurrection, 14:6 way, truth and life, 15:1 vine). Out of the seven I AM sayings three of the metaphors reappear again as true light (John 1:9), true bread (6:32) and true vine (15:1).
A vine is a climbing plant that produces grapes and grapes are the most widely grown fruit in the world. Vines are grown for their fruit, their landscape, and for longevity. With proper care, grapevines can live for 50 to 100 years or more. The upper limit of longevity is 150 years. Grapes can be clusters of 15 to 300 (Wikipedia). The early settlers in America grew grapes because grapes grow just about anywhere. Pruning each spring is a must! Without pruning, vines run out of control. It begins in the early winter when the leaves are off and growth has stopped. All they need is two buds left. It is almost impossible to kill a grape vine. Pruning to shorten the branches and keep a few stems to fill your space because too much fruit can lessen taste and to cut down thin flower clusters that look misshapen and cut off fruit clusters that develop poorly. Pruning means removing 75-90% of the previous year’s growth. Not pruning leads to lower yields and improper ripening. Grapes are vigorous growers, and with the proper pruning, they will produce fruit with ease and can last longer than 30 years. (Almanc.com)
God is the gardener or “husbandmen” in KJV – the owner, planter and expert. His job is twofold: to take away fruitless trees or plants and to prune the fruitful to bear more fruit. The verb “cuts off/take away” (airo) is basically lifted or raised, but is translated as bear up (Matt 4:6), take up (Matt 9:6), remove (Matt 21:21, take away (Mark 2:21) and lift up (Rev 10:5). It has the implication of cut off (NIV), to remove, be discarded, doomed, and dealt with.
The verb “prune/purge” (kathairo) appears for its only time in the Bible, but the noun form is translated as pure (Matt 5:8), clean (Matt 23:26) and less frequently as clear (Rev 21:18). It is to cleanse, clear, control, correct and cultivate. It means to return grapes to its best form, peak performance, and star turn.
To bring (phero) more fruit is to carry, bear or produce fruit. It is translated elsewhere as brought (Matt 14:11), bear (Luke 23:26), reach (John 20:27), carry (John 21:18) and endure (Rom 9:22). The purpose of the pruning is to yield more fruit. Fruit can be singular or plural in the Bible, but singular here.
Be Faithful: Never Let Go
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:4-7)
Like it or not, most of us have to shop for food. For rush of time and to beat the lines, I rush into the supermarket 8 a.m. when it opens. What are the essential things I have to buy? Bananas for my early snack and vegetables for food. I am not as concerned for fresh meat because they are sold after I am at work. One a week or two I go to get fresh flowers for Doris. How often do I go shopping? Depends on how long these perishable foods last. Why do they not last, unlike frozen food? Because they are detached from the plant or source.
How long can bananas last? Four to five days. Vegetables? Less. Flowers? Depends. They last longer in the winter. For that reason in the past my wife thinks I am crazy because I buy barely ripe bananas so I do not have to go to the supermarket that much. A website says bananas, like broccoli, strawberries and cherries, last a day or two only. Another website suggests to place bananas in the refrigerator or in a bowl with other fruits. A good recipe for a homemade preservative is to take 1 tsp. of sugar, 1 tsp. of bleach, 2 tbsp. of lemon or lime juice and mix them all in warm water. Some even suggest aspirin. What should you get for a longer lasting cut flower life? Orchids.
As the story goes, they built a new church building and people came from far and wide to see it. They admired its beauty! Up on the roof, a little nail heard the people praising everything about the lovely structure-except the nail! No one even knew he was there, and he became angry and jealous.
“If I am that insignificant, nobody will miss me if I quit!” So the nail then released its hold, slid down the roof, and fell in the mud. That night it rained and rained. Soon, the shingle that had no nail blew away, and the roof began to leak. The water streaked the walls and the beautiful murals. The plaster began to fall, the carpet was stained, and the pulpit Bible was ruined by water. All this because a little nail decided to quit!
The most repeated verb in the passage is not the verb “bear” or the noun “fruit,” but the verb “abide” that occurs seven times in the passage (vv 1-8) and ten times in the chapter, more than any chapter in the Bible. The verb remain or abide is in the imperative. It is a command and a charge, not a compromise or concession; it is necessary and normative, and not to be negotiated or neglected. Remain is also translated as abide (Matt 10:11), tarry (Matt 26:38), dwell (John 1:38), continue (John 2:12), endure (John 6:27), being present (John 14:25) and might stand (Rom 9:11). It is ongoing and not once only; lasting and not lacking, persistent and not partial, wholehearted and not halfhearted. Abide means God is not a renter, an occupant, a lodger or a mate at your house, but the ruler, the owner, Lord and Master of your home.
The branch is nothing without the vine. There is an important substantiation in verse 5, without me you can do nothing. In Greek it is “not do nothing.” The vine is the backbone, the body, the backup and the boss. Abiding, to the grapes, is holding on or hanging on for its dear life. There is no option, opportunity or order more worthwhile.
Five things happen to the person who does not remain in Him: thrown away and withers; picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. The first cast is thrown “away/out” (exo), but the second thrown (v 6) is qualified by the preposition “into (eis)”. The second verb “wither” is translated as dry up (Mark 5:29) and ripe (Rev 14:15). The third verb is collected. None is spared. The fourth is thrown into the fire and the fifth is burned. The first two verbs (thrown away, wither) are in the aorist tense and the last three verbs in verse 6 (pick up, throw, burn) are in the present tense.
Thrown away Withers Picked up Thrown into Burned
Discarded Dehydrated Differentiated Dead Destroyed
The positive part of remaining or abiding in Christ is that all that we ask “will be done for you” (v 7), on the condition that “you remain in me and my words remain in you,” which amounts to the obedience of the person and the observation of God’s word.
Be Followers: Never Lose Ground
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:8)
A lady cut down the two or three vines down to the ground, “figuring I had killed the whole thing and could start all over with something new. The next year, though, vigorous new vines emerge and the year after that the kids and I harvested 40 pounds of grapes.” A website says, “Don’t be afraid to remove at least 90 percent of the previous season’s growth. This will ensure a rather quality product. Remember the more you prune, the more grapes you will have.”
All the previous “glorification” references in the aorist tense passive voice are found in John (7:39, 12:16, 13:31, 32) and no other, and all refers to the Son and the Father’s glorification, but verse 8 tells us how we can share in the glorify. John 13:31-32 and John 14:13 reveal that the Father is “glorified” in the Son. The only way we can share in this is to bear fruit and show to be Jesus’ disciples. In the Greek “bear much fruit” – present active - and “become disciples” are parallel, two things and not one. The ultimate is to be disciples and not deadwood, participants and not pedestrians. The Greek verb ginomai is be or become (KJV), not show (NIV) or prove (NASB, RSV, ESV). It is your being and bearing, a part and production but not a performance, inside and not outside, a substance and not a show. NRSV later repented and corrected RSV’s “prove” to “become” – the most accurate translation so far because discipleship is a process, a path, and a product.
John is the only gospel that emphasized “more fruit” (John 15:2)
and “much fruit” (John 12:24, 15:5, 8), in terms of amount, abundanceand availability. Matthew (Matt 3:10, 7:18-19, 12:33) and Luke (Luke 3:9, 6:43) on the other hand, stress “good fruit.” The contrasts to more fruit or much fruit in the gospels are evil fruit (Matt 7:17-18), fruit corrupt (Matt 12:33) and no fruit (Mark 4:7, John 15:2).
In John’s gospel the term and teaching on what constitutes my disciples” are very pointed and particular, especially in three areas: to “continue in my word” (John 8:31), love one another (John 13:35) and bear much fruit (v 8). It is mutual, mindful and marvelous relationship. More than a good person, a disciple is a godly, genuine and growing student and servant of Christ. Christ is our source, salvation, strength and sufficiency.
Conclusion: Discipleship is more than getting baptized, attending church, and giving offerings. Have you been living the Christian life without produce and purpose? Are there excesses, errors and exaggerations stumbling and stifling your relationship with Christ? Are you more like the Master? Do you have His majesty and meekness in you? Are you the fruit that exemplify and exalt Christ?
