1 I am the true vine, and my Father is þe husbandman.
2 Euery branch in me that beareth not fruit, hee taketh away: and euery branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring foorth more fruit.
3 Now ye are cleane through the word which I haue spoken vnto you.
4 Abide in me, and in you: As the branch cannot beare fruit of itselfe, except it abide in the vine: no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
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 doe nothing.
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.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall aske what ye will, and it shall be done vnto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye beare much fruit, so shall ye bee my Disciples.
9 As the Father hath loued me, so haue I loued you: continue ye in my loue.
10 If ye keepe my Commandements, ye shal abide in my loue, euen as I haue kept my Fathers Commandements, and abide in his loue.
11 These things haue I spoken vnto you, that my ioy might remaine in you, and that your ioy might be full.
12 This is my Commaundement, that ye loue one another, as I haue loued you.
13 Greater loue hath no man then this, that a man lay downe his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoeuer I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not seruants, for the seruant knoweth not what his lord doth, but I haue called you friends: for all things that I haue heard of my Father, I haue made knowen vnto you.
16 Ye haue not chosen me, but I haue chosen you, and ordeined you, that you should goe and bring foorth fruit, and that your fruite should remaine: that whatsoeuer ye shall aske of the Father in my Name, he may giue it you.
17 These things I commaund you, that ye loue one another.
18 If the world hate you, yee know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would loue his owne: But because yee are not of the world, but I haue chosen you out of the world, therfore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said vnto you, The seruant is not greater then the Lord: if they haue persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they haue kept my saying, they will keepe yours also.
21 But all these things will they doe vnto you for my Names sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come, and spoken vnto them, they had not had sinne: but now they haue no cloke for their sinne.
23 He that hateth me, hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among thē the works which none other man did, they had not had sinne: but now haue they both seene, & hated both me & my father.
25 But this commeth to passe, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I wil send vnto you from the Father, euen the Spirit of trueth, which proceedeth from the Father, hee shall testifie of me.
27 And ye also shall beare witnesse, because ye haue bene with me from the beginning.
Christ the true Vine. (1-8) His love to his disciples. (9-17) foretold. (18-25) The Comforter promised. (26,27)1-8 Jesus Christ is the Vine, the true Vine. The union of the human and Divine natures, and the fulness of the Spirit that is in him, resemble the root of the vine made fruitful by the moisture from a rich soil. Believers are branches of this Vine. The root is unseen, and our life is hid with Christ; the root bears the tree, diffuses sap to it, and in Christ are all supports and supplies. The branches of the vine are many, yet, meeting in the root, are all but one vine; thus all true Christians, though in place and opinion distant from each other, meet in Christ. Believers, like the branches of the vine, are weak, and unable to stand but as they are borne up. The Father is the Husbandman. Never was any husbandman so wise, so watchful, about his vineyard, as God is about his church, which therefore must prosper. We must be fruitful. From a vine we look for grapes, and from a Christian we look for a Christian temper, disposition, and life. We must honour God, and do good; this is bearing fruit. The unfruitful are taken away. And even fruitful branches need pruning; for the best have notions, passions, and humours, that require to be taken away, which Christ has promised to forward the sanctification of believers, they will be thankful, for them. The word of Christ is spoken to all believers; and there is a cleansing virtue in that word, as it works grace, and works out corruption. And the more fruit we bring forth, the more we abound in what is good, the more our Lord is glorified. In order to fruitfulness, we must abide in Christ, must have union with him by faith. It is the great concern of all Christ's disciples, constantly to keep up dependence upon Christ, and communion with him. True Christians find by experience, that any interruption in the exercise of their faith, causes holy affections to decline, their corruptions to revive, and their comforts to droop. Those who abide not in Christ, though they may flourish for awhile in outward profession, yet come to nothing. The fire is the fittest place for withered branches; they are good for nothing else. Let us seek to live more simply on the fulness of Christ, and to grow more fruitful in every good word and work, so may our joy in Him and in his salvation be full.
9-17 Those whom God loves as a Father, may despise the hatred of all the world. As the Father loved Christ, who was most worthy, so he loved his disciples, who were unworthy. All that love the Saviour should continue in their love to him, and take all occasions to show it. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a continual feast. They are to show their love to him by keeping his commandments. If the same power that first shed abroad the love of Christ's in our hearts, did not keep us in that love, we should not long abide in it. Christ's love to us should direct us to love each other. He speaks as about to give many things in charge, yet names this only; it includes many duties.
18-25 How little do many persons think, that in opposing the doctrine of Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, they prove themselves ignorant of the one living and true God, whom they profess to worship! The name into which Christ's disciples were baptized, is that which they will live and die by. It is a comfort to the greatest sufferers, if they suffer for Christ's name's sake. The world's ignorance is the true cause of its hatred to the disciples of Jesus. The clearer and fuller the discoveries of the grace and truth of Christ, the greater is our sin if we do not love him and believe in him.
26,27. The blessed Spirit will maintain the cause of Christ in the world, notwithstanding the opposition it meets with. Believers taught and encouraged by his influences, would bear testimony to Christ and his salvation.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.