And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. “with Him” — They were chosen to be “with” Him (Mark 3:14). This process of “choosing” was later used by the disciples (Acts 1:21,22) with questionable success, since this is the one and only time Matthias is mentioned in the Bible. …
Category Archives: Chapter 15
John 15:26
“When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. This verse probably tells us more about the Holy Spirit than any other single verse in the Bible. The Holy Spirit is here referred to as a …
John 15:25
But this is to fulfil what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ “But” is somewhat unexpected. Jesus is probably indicating that the conduct of the Jews was the opposite of what it should have been. “in their law” = (8:17; 10:34). Hoskyns thinks that Jesus states it this way “to rivet …
John 15:24
If I had not done among them what no-one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. “miracles” (NIV) = “works” (KJV) = ergon (Greek) = work, product, act, deed. This undoubtedly is speaking of the miracles …
John 15:23
He who hates me hates my Father as well. To hate Jesus is to hate the Father because Christ reveals God (14:9) and to dishonor Christ is to dishonor God (5:23). The opposite is also true (13:20). John 14:9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a …
John 15:22
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. Jesus is not saying here that the Jews or Gentiles were not guilty of sin until He came, but that the sin of rejecting God as He really is and …
John 15:21
They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. The “name” of Christ speaks of His entire essence. Loyalty to His name will bring persecution as they will soon know (Acts 5:41; Php 1:29; 1 Peter 4:14). Persecution came to the Christians because they …
John 15:20
Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. Jesus recalls something He had said earlier (13:16) and quotes it exactly, for a change. They certainly did persecute Jesus (5:16) and …
John 15:19
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. The reason for the world’s hatred toward the followers of Jesus is that they do not …
John 15:18
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. “The favourites and heirs of heaven have never been the darlings of this world, since the old enmity was put between the seed of the woman and of the serpent.” (Matthew Henry) For example, why did Cain hate Abel? Because his works …
John 15:17
This is my command: Love each other. “This” (NIV) is actually plural “these” or “these things” which may indicate that all of the commands Jesus had spoken that evening were for the single purpose of the disciples engaging in love for each other. Jesus’ command to love each other is a repetition of (13:34; 15:12). …
John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Jesus chose His disciples and His apostles (6:70; 13:18; 15:19, Luke 6:13, Acts 9:15). This was not the normal case, because the usual …
John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. He was their Rabbi and Lord (1:38; 13:13) and had previously called them servants (13:16), but not anymore. John 1:38 …
John 15:14
You are my friends if you do what I command. Jesus says that His disciples were His friends (Luke 12:4), but friendship depends upon having the same general way of looking at things and the same priorities (1 Cor 6:17). Thus the condition of friendship with the Lord of the Universe is to do what …
John 15:13
Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Laying down one’s life is the supreme test of love. Jesus is not saying that He will not lay down His life for His enemies; on the contrary. However, He is among friends and is therefore speaking only of friends. …
John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. This is the “new command” that He gave in (13:34). John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. The command of Jesus that His disciples “love each other” is …
John 15:11
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. The Lord experiences joy when He looks upon His people (Zep 3:17). “As there is a transport of joy in heaven in the conversion of sinners, so there is a remaining joy in the perseverance …
John 15:10
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. Notice the comparison of this verse with (14:15). John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. Jesus is speaking here of something much more than outwardly keeping …
John 15:9
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. In his commentary on this verse, Robertson observes that “Our love for Christ is the result of Christ’s love for us and is grounded at bottom in the Father’s love for the world.” (RWP) See also (1 John 4:19, …
John 15:8
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. Jesus has previously said that the Father was glorified by the work of the Son (13:31-32). Now He notes that the Father is also glorified by the work of the believers who are abiding in the Son. What …
John 15:7
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. Jesus moves from fruitfulness to prayer. Here He notes that the requirement for prevailing prayer is abiding in Him. Previously He noted that prayer must be offered in His name (14:14) and that obedience …
John 15:6
If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. The wood of a grape branch by itself is useless (Eze 15:2-5) and can only be burned. So it is with those who do not remain …
John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. Jesus repeats Himself for emphasis. What He is saying is very important and He does not want His disciples (or us) to miss the point. …
John 15:4
Remain in me, and I will 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. “remain” (NIV) = “abide” (KJV) = meno (Greek) means to stay, wait, or remain without leaving. This is like a man who came …
John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. They have been cleansed by the word (Eph 5:26, James 1:18); actually by the whole of His message to them. He is not rebuking them, but encouraging them. Note that “clean” (katharos) is the same word used in (13:10) which excluded Judas. …
John 15:2
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. The preparation and maintenance of a vineyard has remained almost unchanged from the earliest of times. The ground is cleared of large stones, which are used to …
John 15:1
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. “I am” = this is another of the “I am” statements found in John. Note that each further develops the nature and mission of Jesus (6:35,41,48,51; 8:12; 10:7,9,11,14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1,5). John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who …