John 15: introduction
posted by Jesse on Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 5:27 pm
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Unfortunately when we read the Bible, we sometimes tend to look at each verse or each chapter as a separate and unrelated thought, principle, or event. However, when the Bible was originally written it did not contain chapters or verses and therefore was likely read in more of a contextual fashion. This is the case with John chapter 15. Many people will quickly identify this as the chapter of “abiding in Christ,” but what I did not fully realize until recently was that it is part of a much larger context.
Starting in chapter 13, Jesus sits down with his 12 disciples for the feast of the passover and afterwards begins a lengthy time of instruction, teaching, and prayer. This was all one continuous event which continued through the end of chapter 17. Some of the notable highlights are:
- Jesus washes the disciples feet, a demonstration of service and humility
- The revealing of Judas as Jesus’ betrayer
- The giving of a new commandment, for Jesus’ followers to love one another (13:34-35)
- Jesus tells the disciples that He will soon be gone, but gives them the assurance that the Holy Spirit will soon be with them
- He gives His followers the promise of a place in Heaven, answer to prayer, and peace of heart
- The metaphor/allegory of the vine and branches (15:1-17)
- Instruction as to how the world will view and treat followers of Christ
- The great prayer of Jesus for all of His followers; past, present, and future.
From this perspective, it’s easy to see that chapter 15 is only one part of a large discourse. If you are interested in studying this chapter along with me, I would challenge you to read at least chapters 13-17 at one time, uninterrupted.
So before we get started with the first verse, I think it’s important that we put ourselves in the context, in the place of those 11 disciples (minus Judas at this point). Can you imagine the fear, the worry, the uncertainty, and possibly even the disappointment they were feeling? They had followed Jesus everywhere for three years, and now He was telling them that He’d be leaving, and even hinting at the fact that He would be killed. What would you be thinking at that moment? Jesus gives them this powerful illustration of the Christian life at just the right time, right when they needed it. It still functions today as one of the most vivid explanations of the relationship between God, Jesus, and His believers.
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Category: John 15
