The Vine and the Gardener
15 1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in them, bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This 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. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
12 This is my command: love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. Instead, I have called you friends, for I have made known to you everything I learned 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. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 17 This 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. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. But you do not belong to the world; instead I have chosen you out of the world, and that is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21 But they will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these works, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this happened to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without cause.'
26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out 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.