The important thing to apprehend in this chapter is, that it is always a question of the responsibility of the disciples. The vine and the branches were upon earth; it is not a heavenly union of the members of Christ, because it is not possible that a member of Christ be torn from His body and cast into the fire.
The branches are all the disciples who follow Him: at the present day they are all who profess to be Christians: and therefore, it is said (v. 6), “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth; “He speaks in general terms, if a man; but when He speaks of His disciples regenerated, He says (v. 3), “Now ye are clean, through the word which I have spoken unto you.” In chap. 13, He had said, “Ye are not all clean,” because Judas was present then, but here he is no longer present. We repeat, then, that the subject is not here the love of God for the salvation of poor sinners, but the responsibility of the disciples.
The Jews thought the vine was Israel, and Jesus the best branch the vine had ever borne. In fact, Israel had been called a vine, that the Lord had brought out of Egypt (Psalms 80), and planted in Canaan, surrounded with every blessing; but, instead of bringing forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes (Isa. 5). And now Jesus calls Himself the true vine, as He is the true Servant, though Israel be reckoned as a servant: but since she was unfaithful, Christ is substituted in her stead, and becomes the true Servant (Isa. 40). He prunes the branches that bring forth fruit, that they may bring forth more fruit: this work is perfected by means of fatherly discipline. To abide in Him means to live in dependence and confidence realized in submission, near to Him; then one draws blessing from Him, love and everything.
At v. 6 the phraseology is changed. He does not say ye, but if a man; then at v. 7 He returns to ye, and the reason is clear: when He is speaking of true disciples, they can be pruned, chastised, disciplined in every sense, but they cannot be cast into the fire, because they are members of the body of Christ; but when He speaks generally, as at v. 6, then there is the possibility of a disciple, who makes a profession, being cast away; because he has not life. The vine is not union with Christ in heaven, but it is Christ on earth who takes the place of Israel, in order that the branches may bring forth fruit. In heaven there is no pruning, in heaven He does not look for fruit, and the members of Christ in heaven are not cut off, because the union of Christ’s members is with the Head in heaven. The Lord calls the true disciples clean, and when He speaks of them, He means that they should bring forth fruit. Apart from Jesus, it is impossible they should bring forth fruit; if it could be done without Him, you. Would accord it very many things done by the world; but God does not own them as fruit, which is only produced when one lives in Him, in immediate dependence upon Him.
At v. 7 we notice that if the words of Jesus abide in us, then our prayers are, according to the perfect will of God, expressed in the words of Jesus; and, as a consequence, we are sure of being heard in the things which we ask. There are two kinds of prayers, one when I am certain that what I ask is the will of God, then I am certain of being heard; and the second is when I am not certain if it be the will of God, in which case I ought to add, “if it be the will of God.” This is what the Lord Himself did when He prayed in Gethsemane. The Father wishes His children to make known their desires to Him. The words, “Ask what ye will, and it shall be done for you,” contain an immense promise; the power of God is placed at our disposal. Then, if the words of Christ abide in us, we know what is in accordance with His will; in every case we should made all our requests known to God, as Paul says (Phil. 4). We have liberty to ask everything, but if we are not near God, in communion with Him, we cannot be certain of receiving the things in the way we asked them. The Lord knows what is needful for us. Paul was not answered in the way he thought, but in another way, assuredly far more happy. If we present all our requests with confidence, then Paul says that “the peace of God shall keep our hearts;” that is, one enjoys perfect peace whatever be the way the Lord sees fit to answer us (Psalms 37:3-73Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (Psalm 37:3‑7)).
In v. 8, the disciples ought to bear much fruit, and imitate in this their Master, who bore all the fruits possible on earth. Then the disciples are exhorted not only to abide in Christ, but also in His love. If we keep His commandments, we enjoy the love of Christ; this is the way to enjoy His love, it is not that the faithfulness of His love to us is uncertain, because it is also true of Jesus, who kept the Father’s commandments, and therefore abode in His love; the love of the Father for Christ was not doubtful; but it was in obedience that He enjoyed this love. Also at v. 12 we see that the motive to love the brethren is not found in the loved objects, but it must be in Christ Himself. So, too, at v. 14 we can see what we have already observed, that it is not a question of the love of God for poor sinners, but of the love of Christ for His disciples—those who are His friends; the more faithful they are, obedient, and submissive, the more He loves them. He has revealed everything to us, as one does to a friend. When one speaks on business with a person, one speaks but of what interests we have to transact with him; but to a friend, one’s heart is opened to him, one tells him everything. Thus has the Lord dealt with us. But to be familiar with Him, and partakers of the secrets of His heart, one needs to walk according to His will; then only we have the intelligence of His mind, and we are initiated into His thoughts. Jesus here puts His disciples on the same ground as that on which He is with the Father; and if the world hates us, Jesus has already forewarned us, and we should not marvel at it: the world hated Jesus before the disciples—He who was the perfect One.
At the end of this chapter we have the judgment on the Jews. If Christ had not come, they would have had a cloak for their sin, but now they have no cloak: they had seen Christ, and the Father in Him, and, notwithstanding, had hated both oil and the other. At v. 26, Jesus it is who sends the Holy Spirit; and Jesus, as Son of Man, who sends Him to reveal the glory of the Son of Man. At v. 27, the disciples must bear witness, besides the witness of the Holy Spirit Himself, because they had been with Jesus from the beginning; they must bear witness of those things they had seen on earth, while the Holy Spirit would bear witness of heavenly things, of the heavenly glory of Christ. We know from the preceding chapter, v. 26, that He would bring to the remembrance of the disciples the things that Jesus had said.