Walking With Christ: The Upper Room Discourse
Lesson 10: John 15 Jesus Our Life
Upper Room Discourse Outline
John 14:1-31 Jesus Our Hope
John 15:1-27 Jesus Our Life
1-8 The Disciple and
Christ
9-17 The Disciple, Christ and Each
Other
18-27 The Disciple, Christ and The World
John 16:1-33 Jesus and Our Future
John 15: 1-11 The Disciple and Christ
Vs. 1 This is the last of the “I am” declaration of Jesus. Each declaration tells us the purpose and the person of Jesus Christ.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (Jehovah)
John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
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.
Why does Jesus use the symbol of a vine to instruct His disciples?
Jesus often used the things that were around Him to teach spiritual truth. The symbol of the vine had a prior association with the Jewish disciples since it was used as a symbol in the OT of Israel’s relationship with God.
What is the purpose of Jesus comparing himself to the vine and the disciples to branches?
Jesus wants the disciples to understand that life and fruitfulness (productivity) is in Him and must flow from Him to them.
In the metaphor who is the vine, the Husbandman, the Branch?
Jesus is the Vine, God the Father is the Husbandman (owner and caretaker), and the disciples (us) are the branches.
What is the purpose of the branches?
To bring forth fruit.
What happens to branches that do not bring forth fruit?
They are taken away, set aside by the husbandman.
What happens to branches that bear fruit?
The husbandman purges (prunes, purfies) them in order to bring forth more fruit.
How does this purging take place?
By removing those things in us which do not lead to fruitfulness in Christ.
Vs. 4-5 What is the only way there can be fruitfulness?
By abiding in Jesus Christ.
How then do we abide in Christ?
We live with Him, walk with Him, talk with Him, surrender to Him, and submit to Him. He must permeate our life and become that which is literally my very source of life.
Since we are the branches what must we do to make this happen?
Nothing! The branch of a grapevine doesn’t will anything to happen it just draws its life from the vine. The fruit comes naturally through the branch’s attachment to and drawing from the vine.
Vs. 6 Isn’t this verse teaching that unless we are fruitful we can lose our salvation and be cast into hell?
No, the subject is fruitfulness, not salvation. It is men who gather the withered branches and cast them into the fire, not God casting men into an eternal fire. The fire speaks of judgment of our fruitless lives by men will who disregard our testimony and relationship with Jesus Christ because there is no fruit.
Vs. 8 The Bible refers to many different kinds of spiritual fruit. Name them from the following verses.
Souls: Romans 1:13 ..oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but
was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among
other Gentiles. John 4:35–37 Say not ye,
There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you,
Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to
harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life
eternal …
Growth in holiness and obedience: Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become
servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting
life.
(Offerings, Gifts: Romans 15:28 When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.
Christian Character: Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
Good works, service, grow
in knowledge of God: Colossians 1:10 That
ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Praise from our hearts and lips: Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.. - Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 1:356.
Vs. 9 Why do you think Jesus mentions love after talking about fruit?
Love is the chief fruit that must be seen in our life.
Vs. 10 What must precede abiding in Christ’s love?
Obedience to his commandments in the same way Jesus obeyed the Fathers commandments.
Vs. 11 What is the result of obeying Christ, and continuing in His love?
His joy remains in us and our joy is fulfilled.
How does this dual aspect of abiding in Christ (obey and love) typify the goal of the Christian life?
It again shows the necessity of the Christian life being built equally on truth and love.
John 15:12- 17 The Disciple, Christ and Each Other
Vs. 12 When Christ give His commandment to love one another, what does it mean in relation to the other commandments?
It supersedes them, making them all subservient to His. Loving one another encompasses and fulfills all the commandments.
Vs. 13-16 What is the true relationship of a disciple to Jesus Christ?
He is elevated above a servant to a chosen ordained friend.
Vs. 17 What is Christ’s overall
command?
That we love one another. This is vital because of what Jesus must say next.
John 15:18-27 The Disciple, Christ, and The World
Vs. 18-21 Why does the world hate Christians?
If (first class condition: since) the world hate us it is because it hated and still hates Christ. We are not of this world but of Christ therefore the world must hate us.
Vs. 22-25 What reason does Jesus give that the world hates Him?
He took away their cloak, exposed their sin of unbelief by his works while on earth therefore they hate Him.
Conclusion
In this discourse Jesus gives the apostles and us our means of survival and success while He is physically absent from the earth. We must abide, stay vitally connected to Him and we will be fruitful. We must expect the touch of God’s hand, but not fear it. We must honor Christ’s by our obedience and love one for another. Finally, we must expect the hatred of the world but also the comfort of the Holy Spirit as we bear witness of our Lord and Savior.
These are some of the most powerful instructions for the true disciple of
Christ in this present age.
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