The Gospel Of John Chapter 15 Pt. 4 Pruned By The Word To Produce Fruit For God.

Not all Jesus' disciples were clean. 

John 13:10  Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

John 13:30  He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. 

We need to keep John 13 to 15 connected, because it is one extended discourse with Jesus giving final instructions to His disciples, before He went to the cross. 

These five chapters occur mere hours before the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 

Notice, what Jesus said to the twelve men He chose. Jesus said "ye are clean, but not all." This referred Judas Iscariot the betrayer, for he was unclean. 

Satan entered into Judas and he went out to betray Jesus. After this happened, the text says "it was night" because the devil's evil plot was going forward.

They were clean now that Judas was expelled by the words of Christ, "What thou doest, do quickly." 

Satan entered Judas, but when Jesus dismissed him, he had no choice but to swiftly obey the Son of God. Thus, the text says he "went immediately out."

Jesus dismissed Satan after His temptation in the wilderness by commanding the Devil, "Get thee hence." The text says the "devil leaveth him" which conveys the idea of swift compliance (See Matthew 4:1-11). 

In like manner, Jesus dismissed the Devil who had taken over Judas. 

They were made clean by His efficacious Word!

John 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

After Judas left the disciples to carry out his treacherous work, Jesus said, "Now are ye clean."  What a contrast John puts before us. Judas is gone out and the group of men are now clean. 

The word "clean" means blameless from wrongdoing, unstained by guilt for sin, and free from corrupt desires.

Yet, this same word has an agricultural meaning. It also refers to a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear more fruit.

Both meanings apply to the scriptures which are the pruning tool that God uses on our heart.

God's Word is living truth that cuts us like a sharp scalpel. 

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

The word of Christ is a powerful word. It separates the clean from the vile. His living Word sanctifies individual Christians each day as we read it, study it and think about it.  

His Word will separate the good wheat from the bad tares, in the great judgment to come.

His Word discerns the motivation of our heart, even the words that are on our tongue and it knows our thoughts (Psalm 139:1-24).

God uses His Word to renew our minds and to sanctify us. His Word prunes our heart and soul, so that we can be fruit producing branches, securely connected to Jesus Christ, God's true vine. 

Thus, Jesus connects the sanctifying, cleaning work of His Word with the pruning work of our Father in heaven. 

We must stay connected to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

John 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 

Jesus uses this picture of the vine and branches to show us we must hold fast faith and a good conscience. We must not let any trials that come our way, turn us aside from the truth. 

Those branches who abide in Christ, the vine, will receive help and guidance and sustenance for their souls.  Jesus will preserve and save us to eternal life.

We must continue closely united to Jesus Christ by faith and love, and devote ourselves to live in Him and for Him.

Just as the branches of a grape vine cannot bear fruit if it is detached from the vine, so a Christian cannot bear fruit from God, apart from a close connection with Jesus Christ.

The word "abide" means to remain as one, to constantly hang on to, in an ongoing sense. In this manner, it is like the command to continuously be filled by God's Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

Jesus is the vine and when we are in Him, we can produce fruit. 

John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

Separated from Jesus Christ, the true vine, we can do nothing at all. God can do without man, but man cannot do without God. 

It is impossible for a Christian to do any good without Christ, just as it is for a branch to live, and bring forth fruit, while cut off from that vine which supplies food for the branch. 

Those who claim Christ, but have no fruit, will be taken away. 

John 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

Jesus concludes this section with a solemn warning about those who profess faith in Christ, but who have no fruit, no evidence of spiritual life. 

Those who refuse to abide in Christ, through a false profession of faith, or through unbelief, are dead branches. Every branch that does not bring forth fruit will be taken away. 

A branch that is no longer connected to the vine, will indeed dry up and wither. Thus, dead branches are a picture of those who made a false profession of faith, or those who are unbelievers. 

All the withered, dry branches will be gathered up and burned. 

Thoughts to Ponder....

Jesus is teaching us that Christianity is much more than going to church. It is knowing God through repentant faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the true vine of God and each born again believer is grafted into the vine as a new branch. 

Jesus wants us to know that being His disciple, is a brand new way of life. We are bought with a price and now belong to Jesus.

He has given us a new heart, a new spirit, a new destination, a new home in heaven and eternal life.

Therefore, let us love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and soul, and serve Him at all times.

May the parable of the wheat and tares encourage us to remain faithful to the true vine. May we seek to be His faithful witnesses, telling others about the Savior. 

God will ultimately judge the wicked. Picture the tares being burned. Let us point people to Christ, and trust God for the results.

Bob

Matthew 13:24-30  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25)  But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26)  But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27)  So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28)  He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29)  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30)  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.