1. Introduction

The Gospel according to John has always been a favorite book of the Bible, and John 15:7-8 is an important passage within this section. It is our intention within the work to help illuminate these verses and provide the reader with a clearer understanding of what is being said. These verses are crucial to the well-being of the believer, and yet they contain elements which are not easy to comprehend. Many differing interpretations of what Christ is promising or saying in these words have been offered, for they seem to convey a "spiritual wish-dream" which is beyond the realm of reality. This leads to two conclusions: either the words are impossible to believe and hence a cause of discouragement or smug self-complacency, or they are dismissed as irrelevant to our time and passed off as a saying which has no literal meaning to us today. It is our belief that neither of these needs to be true, and given the proper examination into context and parallel scriptural usage, the meaning and application for these verses can be unveiled. This passage is a call to practical Christian living in the present day, and the discovery of its real meaning is cause for real spiritual growth and fruit-bearing in the life of the believer.

2. Remaining in Jesus and His Words

The disciples are also defined in terms of their relationship to Jesus, his command, his word, and everything they have learned from him. The sum of Jesus' teaching is designated in this allusion by the idiomatic expression potapoun:l.--eJntoln (greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I commend you). This is thus a most compassionate appeal made in behalf indeed of the last great eJntolh (command) of Jesus that they love each other, thus fulfilling the limits of current. It is an appeal made to friends who need such a demonstration of love. At the papyp:mata (the commands) of the master are characterized as the acts of a friend, so everything wJn ejgw: (while I) points to his personal acts, the disc embodying a most perfect recollection of the Savior's work. So the sum of the epistle of the first great hcouti:n (I have spoken) the hpM mJy:m a (lay down) ptcfs of the two one culminating in the cross, the latter refers to the friends as those in whose money the musicians model was held. In other words, the sum of the discourses phase of the presence of the beloved disciple with Jesus is to be the whole savior and the apostolic age. This is the total content of the teaching which Jesus requires the disciple to preserve in order that the disciple may keep the command and do the command. This same teaching is later described as the method and truth.

The central command in this passage is to remain in me in verse 4. This command is followed and further clarified in the subsequent verses. The significance of this command is that the entire discourse is really an elaboration of this central command. If the disciples remain in Jesus, theta eerei (he will remain) in verse 7, to bear fruit, and it is only through bearing much fruit that they prove to be disciples. In John's thought, to remain in Jesus is nothing less than to have Jesus' words remain in oneself. The purpose of the discourse is to persuade the disciples to allow Jesus' words to have their home in the disciples. John's thought here can be synonymous with receiving the word, keeping the word, and having the word abide in oneself. This word, which the disciples are to receive and preserve, can be identified as the lōgos of God in the Old Testament. The defense of Jesus' words is evident in paragraph of the conjecture of verse 22, to wit, when the word remains in the believers, according to the peripherals and teaching of the Savior, it tests and reproaches the world.

If the disciples remain in Jesus and His words remain. Menō (remain, stay, live).

3. Asking and Receiving

Have you ever heard someone pray and ask Him to help them so they may help others? People may pray to be shown the things they need to do in order to cultivate fruit in the Garden. They feel they will be more productive by helping the weaker brethren in this way. But it is a mistake to think that we can cultivate fruit in this way, by attempting to come to the aid of a weaker brother, by an act of will or self-sacrifice. If an individual has not previously cultivated fruit by keeping Christ's commandment toward this brother, he will have no fruit to aid this weaker brother, and the Christian wisdom and love - out flowing from abiding in Christ - will be absent. He will be attempting to impart mere human virtues, and he will sigh because of continued failure to help. This toil will be a broken and unfruitful pouring out of self with no result.

One way in which God does chasten and prune His servants is by cutting off those things to which we have been too strongly attached and our continual prayer to The Father to prove, or test, has been granted through some painful experiences (usually they have involved other men or money and things) in the nature of a fire of adversity, but this is still no evidence that God has sanctioned an attempt to help another person. The key to helping others is not to pray for more opportunity to aid the weaker brother, but to pray the prayer of verses seven and eight that we might be filled with the knowledge of His will, that is wisdom and spiritual understanding, and that we might walk worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to Him bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. This is the quality and abundance of fruit that can help others, for it is a part of the strength and ability which God provides for His faithful servant.

4. Bearing Much Fruit

Many who have heard this passage interpreted have understood fruit to be converts. This is understandable, but from other passages it is evident that the fruit is referring to the fruit of the Spirit, more specifically Christlikeness (Galatians 5:22-23). In this passage, Jesus is speaking to the eleven faithful disciples, including Judas who had already gone about his betrayal. The men that he is speaking to are already clean (v.3) because of the word that He has spoken to them. The condition for being cleansed, of course, is repentance, which is made possible by conviction of sin from the Holy Spirit through the word of God, which causes one to change their mind/ways about their sin to become in agreement with God ("godly sorrow brings repentance" 2 Corinthians 7:10). Pardon is to be had, there is a continual cleansing from the things in our lives which are not agreeable to God if we have a certain attitude. This attitude is one of humility, it is a realization that as branches we can do nothing without the vine and that the desires that we have to be spiritually successful come from the leading of the Holy Spirit. This often involves being pruned by God, which is a painful process, however, it is needed for more fruit to come forth. The disciples probably did not enjoy it when Jesus used the Word on them and it cut into the things of their lives which were not in agreement with God, and it certainly couldn't have been enjoyable for Judas whose reaction to the pruning was to reject the Word and go to betray the Lord. This pruning is something that we must endure if we are to bear more fruit. It is trials and tribulations that come our way. This can be seen in James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7. The Word teaches us to have joy in the trials. The reason for this is that it is a testing of our faith, and if we remain steadfast, it will result in praise at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And after having suffered a little while, God himself will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us.

5. Showing Discipleship

The evidence of this is a life that bears fruit. This is essentially the display of Christ-like character and good works by the believer. An apple tree will bear apples, and apples of good quality if it's healthy and in good condition. Likewise, if the believer is adhering to the condition laid down, he will bear good fruit. The Holy Spirit who empowers the believer will produce His fruit in the believer and thus Christ's words will be displayed. This is not a result of trying to be like Jesus with self-effort, but rather being so preoccupied with the person of Christ and depending on His power that His character is naturally displayed in the believer. This fruit is always for the glory of God, as displayed in the verse. This is giving evidence that the believer is a disciple of Christ. This is being set apart from the world and making a distinction that the believer is of Christ and not of the world.

The condition of a healthy Christian life is to remain in Jesus and that his words would remain in you. To remain in Him is to be in a state of continuing belief in Him and His Gospel. Jesus' words in us can be summed up as obedience. It's the continuous adherence to His teachings, and living by His commands. This is all to be done through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Now the believer who does this will have the desires of Christ because the Word and the Spirit consistently shape and transform a believer's mind to desire the things that Christ desires. Now take note that the command in the conditional clause (if) is to ask whatever you wish. This is not a blank check as some may hope, rather it is a statement that the believer's desires will be in line with Christ, so that what is asked is according to His will. The result of this condition is that whatever is asked, as it is in accordance with His will, will be given. This is essentially praying in the will of Christ, and thus being heard and answered by the Father. The example of Christ on this is at the Garden of Gethsemane, when in His humanity, Christ asked if it were possible for the cup of God's wrath to pass from Him, but concluded that He desired the will of God, not His own. This same request was later answered with a no, but the promise of God's sustaining grace was given. And so we see that having a life in complete obedience to God can sometimes lead to difficult situations, but the answer and the grace in those situations will always serve to grow us and glorify God.

There are many different ways to show the confidence of your Christianity through your life. In John 15:7-8, Jesus lays down the condition and the evidence of a healthy Christian life – a life that exudes Christ. The condition is in verse 7, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." The evidence is in verse 8, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." The specifics of these verses can be defined in different ways, however the main point remains consistent.

6. Conclusion

The message of the Christian life as set forth in the upper room discourses is a challenging and convicting one. It holds apart from the hope of the world and its religions. The more we are convicted by it and become aware of our inability to produce such fruit, the more we are driven to Jesus Christ and to a more complete trust and obedience. But our very failure at self-effort and our felt helplessness is often the entrance-way to a more blessed experience of abiding in his grace, where by his power alone, we learn a new depth of love and self-sacrifice for others and experience a joy which transcends all earthly circumstances. His word is spoken to a disheartened and soon to be scattered little band, who would be tested as never before, and it is a word from the Father’s heart to us in our deepest needs.

His statement in John 15:11 concerning these things that his joy might remain in them and that their joy might be full indicates a very close tie-in with the command to love one another. The joy which results from obedience and abiding in Christ is a joy which remains even in the midst of tribulation. Jesus’ own example is before us. He was able to endure the cross because of the joy which was set before him (Hebrews 12:2). His joy came through obedience and self-sacrificing love, and it is to be a pattern for the joy of every believer.

There is some debate as to whether Jesus was speaking to his disciples or to believers throughout the ages, but it seems best in the context to see his words as directed to his immediate followers. The condition to bearing fruit is abiding in Christ. It is not something which comes automatically. The fruitful branch is the one which is abiding in Christ and the vinedresser is constantly doing whatever is necessary to make him bear more fruit. Jesus’ command to the eleven was to remain in his love. This, immediately prior to the cross, was a call to faith.

Comments & Upvotes