The True Vine
v1. He is the source of life.
v2. Judgment and sanctification. From a vine we look for grapes, from a Christian we look for Christianity. We must honor God and do good, bearing fruit.
v3. (Lev 19:23-24)
v4. Nothing we do in ourselves can glorify God. We can’t save ourselves.
v5. Nothing, not justification, sanctification or glorification.
v6. Christianity requires regular maintenance. Cast and burned – twice damned.
v7. Prayer aimed at carrying out the will of God.
v10. Obedience. Can only be done by the Holy Spirit working within us. (Ps 89:33)
v13. Action, not emotion.
v15. The master only tells the servant what they need to know to perform their duty, but Christ holds nothing from His disciples.
v16. Does bearing good fruit increase your chances of answered prayer? How about this; if you are bearing good fruit, that is evidence that you are operating in the will of God, which should mean that your prayers line up with the will of God, in turn your prayers are heard and will be answered in God’s timing. However, if you are not bearing good fruit, then you are not operating under God’s will, then you are most likely praying outside of God’s will and your prayers will not be answer since they oppose the will of God.
Hatred & Persecution
v18. Who is the world? All who oppose the cross of Christ.
v19. Why do the hate? Pride and the idea that they aren’t wicked enough to need God to save them. When did this begin? (Gen 3:15) At the fall. Why did Cain hate Abel? Because his works were righteous unto the Lord. (Jacob, Joseph, David?)
v20. (2 Tim 3:12) They won’t listen or believe us any more than they did Jesus.
v22. The sin of rejecting the solution.
v24. He was with them. He did miracles in their midst, yet He was rejected.
v26. Testify of what? That He is who He claimed to be and that He can and will do what He said He would do.
v27. (1 Jn 1:1-3) Built upon the cornerstone.
v1. (1 Tim 4:1) He is preparing them to expect the worst so they won’t lose faith.
v2. Excommunicated and even worse martyred.
v3. Since they reflect the Light.
v4. He didn’t tell them before since He was the one hated and being persecuted for the most part. They are told this now to make them aware of what is to come after He is gone. Especially, that they will have the Holy Spirit with them.
v5. But didn’t they ask Him? Yes, but not for His sake, but for their concern.
v6. They were expecting victory and an earthly kingdom, but all He is telling them of is persecution and affliction.