Albert Barnes Commentary John 15

I am the true vine. Some have supposed that this discourse was delivered in the room where the Lord's Supper was instituted. They suggest that, as they had made use of wine, Jesus took occasion from it to say that he was the true vine, and to intimate that his blood was the real wine that was to give strength to the soul.

Others have supposed that it was delivered in the temple, the entrance of which was adorned with a golden vine (Josephus), and that Jesus took occasion from there to say that he was the true vine. However, it is most probable that these words were spoken while they were going from the paschal supper to the Mount of Olives.

Whether it was suggested by the sight of vines along the way, or by the wine of which they had just partaken, cannot now be determined. The comparison was frequent among the Jews, for Palestine abounded in vineyards, and the illustration was very striking. Thus, the Jewish people are compared to a vine which God had planted (Isaiah 5:1–7; Psalms 80:8–16; Joel 1:7; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 19:10).

When Jesus says he was the true vine, perhaps an allusion is made to Jeremiah 2:21. The word true, here, is used in the sense of real, genuine. He really and truly gives what is emblematically represented by a vine.

The point of the comparison, or the meaning of the figure, is this: a vine yields proper juice and nourishment to all its branches, whether these are large or small. All the nourishment of each branch and tendril passes through the main stalk, or the vine, that springs from the earth.

So Jesus is the source of all real strength and grace to his disciples. He is their leader and teacher, and imparts to them, as they need, grace and strength to bear the fruits of holiness.

And my Father is the husbandman. The word vine-dresser more properly expresses the sense of the original word than "husbandman." It means one who has the care of a vineyard, whose office it is to nurture, trim, and defend the vine, and who of course feels a deep interest in its growth and welfare (See Barnes on Matthew 21:33).

The figure means that God gave, or appointed his Son to be, the source of blessings to mankind; that all grace descends through him; and that God takes care of all the branches of this vine—that is, of all who are by faith united to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus and all his church God feels the deepest interest, and it is an object of great solicitude that his church should receive these blessings and bear much fruit.

Every branch in Me. Everyone who is a true follower of Me, who is united to Me by faith, and who truly derives grace and strength from Me, as the branch does from the vine. The word branch includes all the boughs, and the smallest tendrils that shoot out from the parent stalk.

Jesus here says that He sustains the same relation to His disciples that a parent stalk does to the branches; but this does not denote any physical or incomprehensible union. It is a union formed by believing on Him; resulting from our feeling our dependence on Him and our need of Him; from embracing Him as our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.

We become united to Him in all our interests, and have common feelings, common desires, and a common destiny with Him. We seek the same objects, are willing to encounter the same trials, contempt, persecution, and want, and are desirous that His God shall be ours, and His eternal abode ours.

It is a union of friendship, of love, and of dependence; a union of weakness with strength; of imperfection with perfection; of a dying nature with a living Savior; of a lost sinner with an unchanging Friend and Redeemer. It is the most tender and interesting of all relations, but not more mysterious or more physical than the union of parent and child, of husband and wife (Ephesians 5:23), or friend and friend.

That beareth not fruit. As the vinedresser will remove all branches that are dead or that bear no fruit, so will God take from His church all professed Christians who give no evidence by their lives that they are truly united to the Lord Jesus. He here refers to such cases as that of Judas, the apostatizing disciples, and all false and merely nominal Christians (Dr. Adam Clarke).

He taketh away. The vinedresser cuts it off. God removes such in various ways:

1. By the discipline of the church.
2. By allowing them to fall into temptation.
3. By persecution and tribulation, by the deceitfulness of riches, and by the cares of the world (Matthew 13:21–22); by allowing the person to be placed in circumstances like those of Judas, Achan, and Ananias—circumstances that show what they were, bring their characters clearly out, and let it be seen that they had no true love to God.
4. By death, for God has power thus at any moment to remove unprofitable branches from the church.

Every branch that beareth fruit. That is, all true Christians, for all such bear fruit. To bear fruit is to show by our lives that we are under the influence of the religion of Christ, and that that religion produces in us its appropriate effects (Galatians 5:22–23). See Barnes on Matthew 7:16-20.

It is also to live so as to be useful to others. As a vineyard is worthless unless it bears fruit that may promote the happiness or subsistence of man, so the Christian principle would be worthless unless Christians should live so that others may be made holy and happy by their example and labors, and so that the world may be brought to the cross of the Savior.

He purgeth it. Or rather He prunes it, or cleanses it by pruning.

There is a use of words here—a paronomasia—in the original that cannot be retained in the translation. It may be imperfectly seen by retaining the Greek words: "Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away (airei); and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it (kathairei); now you are clean (katharoi)," and so on.

The same Greek word in different forms is still retained. God purifies all true Christians so that they may be more useful.

He takes away whatever hindered their usefulness, teaches them, quickens them, revives them, and makes them more pure in motive and in life.

He does this by the regular influences of His Spirit in sanctifying them, purifying their motives, teaching them the beauty of holiness, and inducing them to devote themselves more to Him.

He does it by taking away what opposes their usefulness, however much they may be attached to it, or however painful to part with it; as a vinedresser will often feel himself compelled to lop off a branch that is large, apparently thrifty, and handsome, but which bears no fruit, and which shades or injures those which do.

So God often takes away the property of His people, their children, or other idols. He removes the objects which bind their affections, and which render them inactive. He takes away the things around man, as He did the valued gourds of Jonah (Jonah 4:5–11), so that he may feel his dependence, and live more to the honor of God, and bring forth more proof of humble and active piety.

Now you are clean. Still keeping up the figure (katharoi). It does not mean that they were perfect, but that they had been undergoing a process of purification by His instructions all the time He had been with them.

He had removed their erroneous notions about the Messiah; He had gradually reclaimed them from their cherished and foolish views respecting earthly honours; He had taught them to be willing to forsake all things; and He had so trained and disciplined them that immediately after His death, they would be ready to go and bear fruit among all nations to the honour of His name.

In addition to this, Judas had been removed from their number, and they were now all true followers of the Saviour. See Barnes on John 13:10.

Through the word: by means of the teachings of Jesus while He had been with them.

Abide in me. Remain united to me by a living faith. Live a life of dependence on me, and obey my doctrines, imitate my example, and constantly exercise faith in me.

And I in you. That is, if you remain attached to me, I will remain with you, and will teach, guide, and comfort you. This he proceeds to illustrate by a reference to the vine. If the branch should be cut off an instant, it would die and be fruitless.

As long as it is in the vine, from the nature of the case, the parent stock imparts its juices, and furnishes a constant circulation of sap adapted to the growth and fruitfulness of the branch. So our piety, if we should be separate from Christ, or if we cease to feel our union to him and dependence on him, withers and droops.

While we are united to him by a living faith, from the nature of the case, strength flows from him to us, and we receive help as we need. Piety then, manifested in good works, in love, and self-denial, is as natural, as easy, as unconstrained, and as lovely as the vine covered with fruitful branches is at once useful and enticing.

I am the vine (John 15:1).

Without me ye can do nothing. The expression "without me" denotes the same as separate from me. As the branches, if separated from the parent stock, could produce no fruit but would immediately wither and die, so Christians, if separate from Christ, could do nothing. The expression is one, therefore, strongly implying dependence.

The Son of God was the original source of life (John 1:4). He also, by his work as Mediator, gives life to the world (John 6:33), and it is by the same grace and agency that it is continued in the Christian.

From this, we see:

1. That to him is due all the praise for all the good works the Christian performs.
2. That they will perform good works just in proportion as they feel their dependence on him and look to him.
3. That the reason why others fail to be holy is because they are unwilling to look to him and seek grace and strength from him who alone is able to give it.