Two commandments in John 15 are “Abide in Me” and “Love one another.” This is the law of our union with Christ, an order. It is enforced by His example because He loved us with sacrificial love. Listening, helping, encouraging, and giving are all ways of doing this. Love at its highest point, its greatest expression, is laying down one’s life and giving our best because of obedience. Christ’s life is infinitely higher than ours, and He lays it down for us. Servants do what they are told because He is Lord and Master. Faithful friends are obedient servants. Friends show friendship. Friends are those He shares His joy with; He chooses and instructs them in His purposes and ways.
He chose to love and die for us. He chose to save us, to bear fruit, and to win souls. In grace, He selected disciples to go and be diligent in their work, not to sit still, so their efforts would be fruitful. When we ask, we come as a son to a parent, understanding the parent's heart, stepping into family liberty and the fullness of the parent's love. Asking brings great joy to the parent. God longs for the company, confidence, and fellowship of man. He never experienced it until Jesus was here.
We are united with Christ, the Vine. He has created us for this purpose and desires our utmost confidence. We have a God to turn to—our heavenly Father. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can approach God with full confidence in His authority. An answer to our prayers is assured. Our response should be to obey Him in love, strive to bear fruit by sharing the Gospel with others, and pray to the Father according to His will in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He reveals His will to us through the word of God, and our prayer requests should always align with what we know He desires.
Love for one another reveals to us what our Lord intends because we are motivated by Christ's love for us. “The love of Christ constrains us” to reach out to others in His name and demonstrate through words and actions that His love is more than just a feeling. Love is a response to the worth of someone or something. There is a lot of hatred in the world. The hatred of Jesus by the people of the world is an open sin against God. Our Lord openly revealed the Father in His humanity. There is no excuse for people to claim that God has not revealed Himself to us. All who reject the Lord Jesus and His teachings will reject those who follow Him and speak for Him.
Because of the warning about to be given, follow the instructions already provided. The teaching of biblical Christianity contradicts human opinions and perspectives, including many so-called “Christian doctrines” that are not rooted in the Bible. Opposition from those who practice sin and deny the Bible as God’s Word will lead to persecution. We can rejoice in this because it happened to our Lord and will happen to those who remain faithful to Him. The love of the world can never compare to the love Christ has for us.
We need love and support from one another. Love is only mentioned because it encompasses many duties and has a positive impact on everyone. His love is boundless, but He recognizes and rejoices in it. Christ found comfort in the love of His Father during His sufferings. Because Christ loved the Father, He willingly endured suffering. The core of our lasting relationship is the love of God. His “commandments”: exhortations and examples, make this possible for us. Christ consistently demonstrated that God brought Him happiness. We share God’s joy and Christ’s joy by getting to know Him better. Glorifying God means revealing who God is and what He is like to others.
The more Christ means to us, the more He does for us, and the more He becomes known. Joy comes from inviting God into one’s life, not excluding Him. Joy surpasses circumstances. It originates from a consistent relationship with Christ, which keeps us balanced. This verse can be interpreted in two ways: 1) His joy in us may remain; fruitful and faithful disciples are the joy of the Lord Jesus; 2) My joy, that is, your joy in Me, may remain—rejoicing constantly in Him. Union with Christ means we share in His joy. All other joys are as chaff.
Friends v.15 speaks to me of communion and joy with Christ. We rejoice in Him; we have fellowship with Him. This is a spiritual privilege. Am I living closely with Him and in daily fellowship with Him? This involves my relationship with fellow believers [v.9-17] regarding fellowship. Servants v.15 speaks of toiling and applying ourselves to faithful service for the Lord. We work for Him despite the persecution that may come. Our work is a spiritual endeavor. Am I faithfully serving Him? This involves my relationship to the world [v.18-25] as it relates to spiritual foes. Witnesses v.27 speak to me of sharing and proclaiming the message of the Gospel. We speak for Him, and the Spirit of God, the divine Paraclete, comes alongside. This is my spiritual responsibility. Am I daily witnessing discreetly for Him? This involves my relationship to the Holy Spirit [v.26-27] as a friend.
The enmity between the seed of the woman and the serpent is real and enduring. The hatred of the world is not uncertain but a fact. The world loves its own and hates what is not of itself and its nature. That is why it hates Christ. The philosophy, conditioning, materialism, and worldly satisfaction are all contrary to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Of the world” versus “not of the world” are complete opposites. If we cause others to hate, we may regret it; if hatred stems from what people should value and cherish, we have pity, not confusion. The word "world" is often negative in scripture, and among its worst evils is its rejection of Jesus Christ. The servant and the master will be treated the same. The believer’s true nature, his new life, comes directly from God and is therefore different from those who oppose Him. Persecution is unavoidable because of the world’s ignorance and rejection of the Father (16:3). We are hated because we belong to Christ. Therefore, we carry His Name and will suffer for His name’s sake. We are connected to Christ. The world does not know God. If Christ had not come, the world would not be guilty of rejecting Him. They could have claimed they lacked proof of His identity. But He did come, and He offered His grace and was refused. Now, they have no excuse, no cover for their rejection, even though they have always been sinners. Now, they are completely inexcusable. Privilege and responsibility go together. They had the privilege, and now they must accept the responsibility. The Father and Son are one. In hating Christ, the world hates the Father. Jews claimed to obey the Father but hated the Son. In reality, they hated both. His works, wonders, and words reveal who He is. If the Jews had not seen these, they could have claimed lack of proof of His identity. To reject Christ despite His works is inexcusable. In rebellion and hatred, the Jews fulfilled God’s plan [Psa. 35:19, 69:4]. Their hatred was a deliberate choice. "Without a cause." Enmity toward Christ is unreasonable. Christ is the greatest blessing for His own, yet He was hated. The words and deeds of the Lord Jesus are open for everyone to read. Those who reject His words reject Him and are responsible for the sin of turning away from the truth and God’s love. To comfort and support those who love and follow Him, He told His disciples for a third time that the Comforter, or Helper, would come. The Holy Spirit clarifies the truth about our Lord Jesus Christ and empowers believers to testify to God's grace.
Christ [Jn.14] and the Father will send the Holy Spirit to testify of Christ. There is more about the Holy Spirit in this verse than in any other verse in the Bible. He is... 1) a Person, 2) Spirit of Truth, 3) proceeds from the Father, 4) according to the Father’s will, 5) by the Father’s power and authority as Husbandman, 6) Comforter, Advocate, 7) a Witness for Jesus, Counselor: helping, encouraging, strengthening. Spirit of Truth: teaching, illuminating, reminding. He operates with His friends by being the energy and power that uphold them. The Spirit’s work will enlarge and encourage our witness. These were especially qualified because they were witnesses of 1) His words, 2) His works, 3) having been with Him, and 4) having lived a life of communion with Him.
Different, yet made from the same material, "The True Vine," and the branches share eternal life. There's a difference in the name, but when joined together, the purpose is clear – to bear fruit and bless God's people. "The True Vine," perfect in every way, provides life from the Source with words that say, "I AM ... My Father ... ye are.” Pay attention, bear fruit, be My disciples." The branches are lifted up by the Father from defilement, and life flows through them, even when they are occasionally cut so that fruit can be formed, filling a cup that satisfies and blesses the people.
When the branches fall, they are lifted up and purified so the earth's contamination and disease will truly end. Through that branch, again, the True Vine sends fruit to bless the people through the servant who listens and hastens to obey. His job is to act on what the Master says, and a faithful servant acts now, not waiting another day to do the Master's will. For the servant to find joy and full satisfaction, he will not hesitate or linger, taking immediate action to do the Master's will and reach the goal without distraction. The servant’s will is to do the Master's will.
The more a servant serves and completes each task given to him or her, the greater his or her joy when placing a finished work at his or her Master's feet. The servant’s heart and life desire to serve the Master faithfully. The relationship between the Master and servant develops a unique bond with shared objectives, fostering a special fellowship that, through time and shared experiences, builds a lasting friendship between the Master and the servant who does His will.
Now, it is not just a branch; although fruit is still produced through faithful service, it fosters a fellowship that is visible to onlookers and shares a genuine friendship. The branch servant becomes the Master's friend. That friendship's depth is sacrificial love; its result is transformation from above; and its expression is intimacy among friends.
The one who initiates that friendship is the loving Savior. The goal of that friendship is fruitfulness, which enriches the bond they share. The friendship they both enjoy is such that blessings flow from branches, servants, and now friends, to all who depend on their unity. Fruitfulness remains rooted in love that never ends between the True Vine and those who are His.
Privilege and responsibility go hand in hand. The Jews had the privilege of having the Lord Jesus Christ right there among them, and they had the Old Testament scriptures that foretold of Him. About three hundred prophecies were fulfilled when the Lord was in His body. To reject all those privileges left them without excuse. Not coming to Him in faith was bad enough. Deliberately rejecting Him was far worse. Rejected light condemns a soul to endless night.
The indwelling Holy Spirit and His work are carried out by believers today. He is involved in everything we do for God. His power is available to those who seek it. Through the Gospel, the Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and the coming judgment. He reveals Christ in His fullness to those who believe, guides us, teaches us, fills us, and uses willing servants. By His power, Christian testimony—both visually and audibly—is open for this generation to see and hear the great things God has done for those who fear the Lord and love Him.