John 15:1-11 is a section of Scripture where Jesus teaches on our intimacy with Him and His Father. In it He talks about an abstract concept of “abiding in Him.” I think as church goers we think we have a good feel for what abiding in Jesus means, and maybe you do. But hopefully through this study we’ll be able to uncover some more truth about abiding in Jesus. I also hope each of us will be able to ask and answer the questions:

What does it mean to abide in Christ?
How do I know if I am abiding in Christ?

Word Counts:
In this section of Scripture we find the word “abide” used 10 times. That’s quite a bit for only 11 verses. So I think it’s safe to say the Lord wants to teach us something about abiding in Him.

Also in this passage, the word “fruit” is used 6 times and, according to Biblical numerology, 6 usually is the number that refers to mankind. The word “vine” is used 3 times which typically refers to God or of the divine. And lastly, the word “branch” is used 4 times which usually refers to things that have been created. So even without a verse by verse study, we can quickly see that:

• the fruit referred to in this passage is linked to mankind
• the branches are most likely pointing to mankind since we are what God created
• the vine is that which is not created but rather what is divine
• and a strong emphasis is placed on abiding in the vine

Walk through:
Verse 1:
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

Jesus starts by describing what roles He and the Father play in His illustration.

Jesus is the “true vine” which is the source of life for everything connected to it. Also, since He said He is the “true” vine, that most likely indicates that there are also “false” vines. There are no doubt many things that people look to for their source of life, fulfillment and satisfaction, but Jesus is the only true vine that provide lasting, eternal life.

The Father is the “vinedresser,” literally, the “husbandman” or “tiller of the soil.” He’s the one that takes care of the vine and all it’s branches.

Verse 2:
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

Jesus does two things in this verse. First He tells us that He’s talking about branches that are connected to Him. Then, of those connected branches, He separates them into two groups.

1. Branches that bear fruit
2. Branches that don’t bear fruit

Knowing the human condition, Jesus tells us right away what happens if we’re a branch in Him that doesn’t bear fruit. He knows that there are believers in Him that aren’t bearing fruit, and so He addresses it at the very beginning.

The word for “fruit,” by the way, has three aspects to its meaning.

Greek– fruit (karpos) –– the fruit of trees, of children, of the effect/result of something

Regarding the non-fruit bearing branch, Jesus says that His Father, the Vinedresser, “takes [the branch] away.” But to “take away” is only one part of the meaning of that Greek word.

Greek– take away (airo) –– to raise up or elevate; to lift up from the ground.

The fuller meaning of this word paints a picture of a vinedresser finding a branch that is not bearing fruit because it is bent down and laying on the ground. Seeing that it is still connected to the main vine, he lifts it off of the ground and props it up so that it may grow and bear fruit.

That’s a beautiful picture of what the Father does for us.

Then Jesus describes the second group, the branches that are not bent down but are already growing correctly and bearing fruit. Jesus says His Father prunes them so that they may bear more fruit. Now I was expecting the word “prunes” to mean clipping or trimming or something along that line, but it doesn’t.

Greek– prune (kathairo); root– katharos –– to cleanse

The act of pruning is more of a washing away of those things that will harm or hinder the production of fruit in the branch. So instead of a gardener with a pair of sheers ready to cut away things from the branch, this word describes a gardener with a bucket of water and a wash rag.

So how exactly does this pruning/washing happen? Well, according to verse 3…

Verse 3:
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Jesus says very plainly that if you are a branch that’s connected to Him, then you are already clean (katharos, the root word for “prune”) because of the words He’s spoken to you.

Greek– clean (katharos) –– clean physically, ethically, and ceremonially

Greek– word (logos) –– the written and spoken word

In Ephesians we see another example of how the Word of God is used as a cleansing agent.

Ephesians 5:26
…so that He (Jesus) might sanctify her (the Church), having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

The written and spoken word of God, when applied to our lives, has the power to wash and cleanse us of everything we’ve done, including our wrong motives (guilt), and place us in right standing with Him. And as a side note, the Word of God is not just a cleansing agent; it is also what makes us strong.

1 John 2:14
I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

So when we are weak and not able to breakthrough temptations and circumstances that surround us, get the Word of God in your heart and mind. Only there will we find the sure foundation to stand strong.

Verse 4:
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

Jesus here mentions the word “abide” to further describe how a branch is connected to the vine.

Greek– abide (meno) –– to stay, to remain, to wait for

A branch has to stay or remain connected to the vine in order to live. And notice that this state of remaining and waiting is not just something we do. Jesus said “Abide in Me, and I in you.” He remains in us just as the life-giving sap from a vine flows into its branches. And just like the Greek word also means “to wait”, Jesus also waits on us – waits as in serves us and also waits as in waiting for us to make the right decision.

The point Jesus makes is clear. If we want to bear fruit of any eternal value, we need to abide in, stay in, remain in, and wait on Him.

The thing we need to be very careful about is what I call “the disconnect.” When a branch is cut off and disconnected from the main vine, it still grows and produces fruit…for a little while. It takes time for the fruit-producing ends of the branch to realize the live-giving sap is gone.

The same is true with us. There are times when we allow “little” sins to slip through –– all the while they are disconnecting us from the Lord. Our conscience becomes seared and we don’t realize that we’ve cut ourselves from the vine. Only when the fruit is no longer there do we realize what we’ve done.

Verse 5:
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

In this verse Jesus just further emphasizes what He said in the last verse.

In case there was any wondering, He tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches. In both verses 4 and 5 Jesus declares that apart from Him, we can not bear fruit or do anything of eternal value.

Verse 6:
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

Jesus now defines another type of branch, those that are not connected to Him. Up to this point He’s been talking about connected branches and how bad it would be to become disconnected from Him. But in this verse He officially calls them branches that “do not abide” in Him.

Jesus provides a very serious description of what happens to those who do not abide in Him. The branches are thrown away (or thrown outside, literally) and left to dry up and wither. Then they are gathered by others and thrown into the fire and burned.

Bible scholar, Matthew Henry, has this to say about branches that are disconnected from Christ.

If any man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch. This is a description of the fearful state of hypocrites that are not in Christ, and of apostates that abide not in Christ. [1.] They are cast forth as dry and withered branches, which are plucked off because they cumber the tree. It is just that those should have no benefit by Christ who think they have no need of him; and that those who reject him should be rejected by him. Those that abide not in Christ shall be abandoned by him; they are left to themselves, to fall into scandalous sin, and then are justly cast out of the communion of the faithful. [2.] They are withered, as a branch broken off from the tree. Those that abide not in Christ, though they may flourish awhile in a plausible, at least a passable profession, yet in a little time wither and come to nothing. Their parts and gifts wither; their zeal and devotion wither; their credit and reputation wither; their hopes and comforts wither, Job 8:11–13. Note, Those that bear no fruit, after while will bear no leaves. How soon is that fig-tree withered away which Christ has cursed! [3.] Men gather them. Satan’s agents and emissaries pick them up, and make an easy prey of them. Those that fall off from Christ presently fall in with sinners; and the sheep that wander from Christ’s fold, the devil stands ready to seize them for himself. When the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, an evil spirit possessed him. [4.] They cast them into the fire, that is, they are cast into the fire; and those who seduce them and draw them to sin do in effect cast them there; for they make them children of hell. Fire is the fittest place for withered branches, for they are good for nothing else, Eze. 15:2-4. [5.] They are burned; this follows of course, but it is here added very emphatically, and makes the threatening very terrible. They will not be consumed in a moment, like thorns under a pot (Eccl. 7:6), but they are burning for ever in a fire, which not only cannot be quenched, but will never spend itself.
(Henry, Matthew. “Commentary on John 15.” . Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar 1996. 2008. 30 Nov 2008.)

While Matthew Henry’s understanding of verse 6 describes what would or could happen to a person who does not abide in Christ in the here and now, I believe we can also look at Jesus’ words as prophetic regarding the end of the age.

Matthew 25:41
Then He will also say to those on His left, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;”

Revelation 20:15
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

These two passages, along with many others in the New Testament, describe the place of eternal punishment as a burning fire.

Either way, if the verse is talking about the here and now or the end of the age, it’s a very serious warning and I don’t want to be a part of it.

Verse 7:
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Here Jesus lists a very positive benefit of abiding in Him. If we are staying, remaining and waiting in Christ, and His words remain in us, then we can ask anything and it will be done for us.

This is a pretty big promise to make, but He can make it knowing that we will only ask for what is already within His will, because we are abiding in Him.

Another way to look at this promise from Jesus (thank you Leslie) is that if He is truly our source of life and our source for everything we need in life, then would He want us going anywhere else for something we need? No! Jesus made this promise because He wants to be the one to fulfill us. He wants us to come to Him for anything we need!

Verse 8:
My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

This verse is pretty self-explanatory in that bearing much fruit shows to the world that we are disciples of Christ, which glorifies God the Father.

But something else worth pointing out is that there are four degrees of fruit-bearing:

1. no fruit (v2)
2. fruit (v2)
3. more fruit (v2)
4. much fruit (vv5,8)

This is important to note because bearing much fruit doesn’t just happen overnight. Many times we look at the fruit in somebody else’s life and we want the same thing right away, but we forget that their fruit was produced over time. If we stay, remain and wait in Christ, our fruit will be produced also.

Here are different areas where our fruit may be produced:

• The fruit may be new believers in Christ through evangelism (Romans 1:13)
• The development of Christian character through the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
• And living a Christian life through the fruits of righteousness (Romans 6:21-22; Philippians 1:11)

Verse 9:
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.

Jesus here confirms that He loves us the same way the Father loves Jesus. And this is the type of love we experience when we abide in Him.

Verse 10:
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Jesus explains in this verse that keeping His commands is part of how we abide in Him.

In fact, through this section of Scripture we’ve discovered three conditions of an abiding and fruitful life:

• We must be cleansed by God’s Word (vv2-3)
• We must remain in Him and His Word in us (vv4,7)
• We must be obedient to do all that He commands us (v10)

Verse 11:
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Jesus closes His teaching by saying the result of living this cleansing, remaining, and obedient life is that we will have the His joy in us and our joy will be full. What a wonderful way to live life!