John 15

15 ¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²Every branch in me not bearing fruit, he removes; and every one bearing fruit, he prunes, so it bears more fruit. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, and I in you. As a branch can't bear fruit alone, unless it remains in the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. ⁵I am the vine, you the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in them, bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Anyone not remaining in me is thrown out like a branch and withers; branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you. ⁸This is how my Father is glorified: that you bear much fruit and prove to be my disciples.

⁹"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I've told you this so my joy may be in you, and your joy be complete.

¹²"This is my command: love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants—a servant doesn't know what his master does. I call you friends, since I've made known to you everything I heard from my Father. ^a a v15 Jesus moves disciples from servants to friends by sharing everything he has heard from his Father — this is the Father's heart goal for every reader, friendship through the Son. ¹⁶You didn't choose me—I chose you and placed you to go, bear fruit that lasts, so whatever you ask the Father in my name, he'll give you. ¹⁷This is my command to you: love one another.

When the World Hates You

¹⁸"If the world hates you, know that it hated me first. ¹⁹If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But you are not of the world; instead, I chose you out of the world, so the world hates you. ²⁰Remember what I told you: a servant isn't greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they'll persecute you too; if they kept my word, they'll keep yours too. ²¹But they'll do all this to you because of my name, since they don't know the one who sent me. ²²Had I not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴Had I not done among them the works no one else did, they would have no sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵But this happened to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without cause.'

²⁶"When the Helper comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth proceeding from the Father—he will testify about me. ^b b v26 The Helper Jesus promises is the Holy Spirit — sent by Jesus from the Father, named here "the Spirit of truth" because he leads disciples into all that Jesus has revealed.

²⁷"And you also must testify, because you have been with me from the beginning."