Jesus said, “I’m the real vine and my Father is the farmer. He removes any branch in me that doesn’t grow fruit. He cuts back any branch that does grow fruit so that it can grow more fruit. You’re already pure because of what I’ve taught you. Stay in me, and I’ll stay in you. Just like a branch can’t grow fruit if it’s not on the vine, you won’t either unless you stay in me. I’m the vine and you’re the branches. Whoever stays in me and I in them will grow a lot of fruit. Separate from me, you can’t do anything. If anyone doesn’t stay in me, they are thrown out like a branch. The branches dry out, are collected and thrown into the fire where they burn. If you stay in me and my lessons stay in you, ask for whatever you want and it will happen for you. My Father is praised when you grow a lot of fruit and show that you are my disciples. I love you just like the Father loves me. Stay in my love. If you follow my commands, you will stay in my love. This is just like how I have followed my Father’s commands and stayed in his love. I’ve told you all this so my joy can be in you and you can have complete joy.

“I command you to love each other just like I love you. There is no greater love than if someone dies for his friends. You’re my friends if you do what I command you. I don’t call you slaves anymore because the slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. But I call you friends because I’ve told you what I’ve heard from my Father.

“You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and selected you to go and grow fruit. Your fruit should stay so that whatever you ask for from the Father, in my name, he’ll give it to you. I command you to love each other.

“If the world hates you, you know it hated me before you. If you were all about the world, the world would love itself, but because you aren’t all about the world because I chose you from the world, the world hates you.

“Remember what I taught you: A slave isn’t greater than their master. If they went after me,  they’ll also go after you. If they followed my message, they will also follow your message. They will do all this because of me because they don’t know my sender. If I hadn’t come and talked to them, they wouldn’t have been guilty, but now they don’t have a real excuse for their guilt. Whoever hates me also hates my Father. If I hadn’t done the things that I did around them, that no one else could do, they would not be guilty, but now they’ve seen and hate me and my Father so that the message in their law would happen when it said ‘They hated me with no reason’.

When the representative called the Spirit of truth comes, who I’ll send from the Father, that will confirm me. You also will confirm who I am because you’ve been with me from the start.”

John Chapter 15 Summary

Jesus describes himself as the true vine, with God as the gardener. He explains that believers are the branches and must stay connected to him to grow fruit. Those who don’t grow fruit are removed, while those who do are cut back to become even more fruitful. He asks his disciples to keep following him, as a branch cannot grow fruit unless it is connected to the vine.

Jesus also commands his disciples to love one each other, even be willing to die for each other. He calls them friends, not servants, because he’s shared everything he learned from God. Jesus warns them that the world will hate them. Those who reject him also reject God. However, he promises that the Holy Spirit will come to support them.

John Chapter 15 Bible Study Questions and Answers

1. What does it mean to “keep following Jesus,” and how can we do this in daily life?
Answer: Following Jesus means staying in communications with him through prayer, reading the Bible, obeying what he taught, and trusting him. In daily life, we can do this by loving others and trusing in the Holy Spirit to help us grow spiritually.

2. Why does God cut back those who grow fruit, and how can we respond to his pruning?
Answer: God cuts us back—removes unhealthy habits, difficulties, or distractions—so that we can grow spiritually and grow more good habits and decisions in our life. We should respond with trusting him when it does seem he is cutting us back.

3. How can we show love to others as Jesus commanded?
Answer: We show love by forgiving, serving, and putting others’ needs before our own. Loving like Jesus means being patient, kind, and willing to go without things we want for others.

4. Why does Jesus say the world will hate his followers, and how should we respond?
Answer: The world hates Jesus’ followers because they do not belong to the world; they follow Jesus instead. We should respond with faithfulness, kindness, and courage, remembering that Jesus faced rejection too.

5. How does the Holy Spirit help us tell others about Jesus?
Answer: The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom, strength, and the right words to share the message of Jesus. He helps us grow in faith and gives us confidence to speak about Jesus to others.

John Chapter 15 Explained

John 15 uses the imagery of a vine and branches to explain that believers must stay connected to Jesus to grow spiritually and bear fruit. Jesus begins by saying that he is the true vine and God is the gardener. This means that all spiritual life comes through Jesus. If a branch (believer) does not produce fruit (good works, spiritual growth), it is removed. However, even the fruitful branches are cut back—meaning God allows challenges or discipline to help believers grow stronger in faith.

Jesus then stresses the importance of staying in him. Just as a branch cannot survive if it is cut off from the vine, believers cannot grow spiritually if they are disconnected from Jesus. Staying in him means following his teachings, praying, and allowing his teachings to guide our lives. When we do this, we grow fruit—meaning we grow in love, patience, kindness, and other godly qualities.

Jesus also gives a command to love one another as he has loved us. He explains that true love involves sacrifice, even being willing to die for a friend. This foreshadows his own death on the cross. He calls his followers “friends” rather than “slaves” because he has shared his teachings and mission with them. This shows that believers have a close, personal relationship with Him.

However, Jesus warns that following him will bring enemies. The world rejected him, so it will also reject his followers. This is because the world does not understand or accept God’s truth. He reminds them that if they were part of the world, the world would love them. But since he has chosen them out of the world, they will face hatred. This warning encourages believers to remain strong, knowing that their struggles are part of following Christ.

Finally, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, will come to help them. The Spirit will give the disciples the power to share the gospel. This is a reminder that believers are not alone—the Holy Spirit guides, strengthens, and helps them talk to others about Jesus.

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Continue exploring John 15

If you’d like to read John xx in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try John 15 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try John 15 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try John 15 in the Contemporary English Version.

If you prefer to read the Bible in a hard-copy format, here are cheaper versions from Amazon:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, ESV Economy Bible
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, NIV, Economy Bible, Paperback: Accurate. Readable. Clear.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version

If you’d like to explore John in more depth, here are two commentaries I would recommend:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
Easy to access commentaries that include life applications:
The NIV Application Commentary: John
For a commentary that goes into more depth:
The Gospel of John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)