In considering John 15
● notice that the chapter consists wholly of the words of Jesus, as he continues to speak finally with his disciples before the events of the garden,
● notice the seventh time Jesus declares the “I am,” here stating, “I am the true vine” (1) and “I am the vine” (5), figuring himself as the source and the power and the life of the disciples,
● see that the source of that life depends on “abiding” (4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10),
● understand that the result of the abiding life is “fruit” (2, 2, 4, 5, 8),
● reckon with Jesus’ declared purpose for offering these words of the possibility of bearing fruit by abiding in him, the vine, is to possess the joy (11) of Jesus in all its fullness,
● notice how “abiding in my love” (10) is strongly associated with keeping Jesus’ commandments, as Jesus himself has kept his Father’s commandments and therefore abides in his Father’s love (10), echoing words offered in the previous chapter,
● register the return of Jesus’ command to “love one another” (12, 17 and 13:34, 35)
● marvel that Jesus calls the disciples “friends” (14, 15) because of their commandment keeping and because they have received God’s words from Jesus,
● remember Jesus telling the disciples that they are “not of this world” (19) and that they have been chosen “out of the world” (19), and that hatred by the world will be a response (19), and
● register Jesus’ promise that he will send the “Helper” (26), the “Spirit of truth” (26) “from the Father” (26, 26), to “bear witness” (26, 27) as the disciples do because they have been with Jesus “from the beginning” (27).
Thank you,
Randy Tumlinson