BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY
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BIBLE STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday April 6, 2014
____________________________________________________________
STAY
OPEN AND OBEDIENT
(Growing
in the faith)
John
15:1-17
Throughout the Old Testament, the analogy of the “vineyard”
is used as a depiction of GOD’s beloved Israel. However, this term is never
used apart from the idea of degeneration. The descriptions by Isaiah (Isaiah
5:1-7), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 2:21-22), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 15 &
19:10-14), Hosea (Hosea 10:1), and King David (Psalm 80:8-13) all stress the point of degeneration, or, a moral
decline of GOD’s chosen people (the church).
In John 15:1-16:4, the author of
GOD writes of JESUS’ instructions to HIS Disciples, that they should be “rightly
related” to HIM, to each other as Christians (15:11-17), and,
to the World of Unbelievers (15:18-16:4).
Christians are to have three
respective duties. They are to;
·
Abide in JESUS (Vs.1-10)
·
Love each other (Vs.11-17)
·
Witness and testify to the World (Vs.18-16:4)
“I am the True Vine” is the
last of the seven, now famous, “I am” statements of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST that are found in the Gospel according to Saint John. The
scene in this particular passage, takes place on the eve of JESUS’ trials and
subsequent Crucifixion, by Roman method. Here JESUS seeks to relate and
demonstrate to HIS Disciples, and to us, just what GOD THE FATHER, and HE
HIMSELF, expects from HIS followers as Christians living in the world.
JESUS, as the “True Vine”, fulfills
that which GOD had intended for the Israelites and the world in general. GOD
is the Cultivator and Protector of all of life, human and otherwise, and HE
desires good fruit, from each of us. In fact, we see JESUS stressing that point
in 15:2-16, no less than eight times. The fruit, which GOD expects from the
human side of HIS creation, is obedience, righteousness, and justice.
JESUS tells us that every branch,
or person in this case, that does not produce good fruit will be cut off from
HIS vine. Here we see that, every person (branch), who professes to be a
follower of CHRIST, is not necessarily a “true follower”, or “a
producing branch” of “THE TRUE VINE”. Such branches, or people, will be
cut off from THE TRUE VINE in the last day, or “time of harvest”. The
great example of this is Judas Iscariot. Although Judas Iscariot was a branch
of THE TRUE VINE, he was not a producing branch, or true follower. He did
not produce good fruit, and therefore, had to be cut off from THE TRUE VINE,
and burned in the end.
In the Greek, the word the Apostle
John, and other New Testament writers use for “remain” is “meno”
(men-o), and it means “to stay in a given place, state of mind,
relationship, or expectancy”; and “to abide, continue, dwell, or endure”.
This word occurs 11 times in this particular chapter of this Gospel
account of John. The fruitfulness, of which JESUS speaks of in this passage,
can only occur, as a result of HIS life being reproduced in ours.
In other words, our life and
behavior must reflect JESUS’ life and behavior, and we must “remain”
in HIM, or “continue” to reflect HIS image to others, through our own
behavior, throughout our entire lifetimes. And only by doing this, can we be
considered as “true followers”, or “producing branches” of the
“TRUE VINE” of GOD. If we remain, or abide in JESUS, we will continue to bear
good fruit. If we fail to remain in JESUS (on the VINE), in spite of all of
GOD’s tender loving care of the vineyard, we will be lopped off, and cast into
the fire to burn as useless wood.
In John 15:11-17, JESUS moves on
to instruct HIS disciples (and us), as to how we should “rightly relate to
each other” as Christians. Here, we see JESUS delivering to all who seek to
follow HIM, the only commandment that HE would ever give, and it is to “Love
one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12). It is a commandment that
the Apostle John never forgot.
According to Jewish folklore, the
Apostle John, who lived longer than all of JESUS’ original twelve Disciples, in
his old age, had to be carried into the Temple, because he could no longer
walk. At that time, the Apostle’s sermon consisted of only one sentence, “Little
children, love one another”. It is one of the more lovely stories in a
Biblical Church history that consists of countless lovely stories from the
early Church. Every time I think of it, it nearly brings me to tears.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official
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