The union of Christ and his members shown under the parable of a vine, 1-17. The hatred of the world, 18-25. The office of the Holy Spirit, 26, 27.
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he cleans it so that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, no more can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. 6 If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered, and men gather them, cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you may ask what you wish and it shall be done to you. 8 In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so you shall be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Continue in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full.
12 "This is my commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you. 13 No man has greater love than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. 15 From now on I do not call you servants, because the servant does not know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you so that you love one another.
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: 'The servant is not greater than his lord.' If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for my name's sake because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin. But now they have no cloak for their sin. 23 He who hates me, hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no other man has done, they would not have had sin. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this comes to pass so that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.'
26 "But when the Comforter has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify concerning me. 27 And you shall also bear testimony because you have been with me from the beginning."
Matthew Henry Commentary - John, Chapter 15[➚]
[v.25a] - "written in their law" - The quote to follow was not from the books of the law, but rather, as John Calvin states in his commentary, "By the word Law, he means the Psalms; for the whole doctrine of the Prophets was nothing else than an appendage to the Law; and we know that the ministry of Moses lasted till the time of Christ. He calls it their Law, not as an expression of respect for them, but to wound them more deeply by a designation which was well known among them; as if he had said, 'They have a Law transmitted to them by hereditary right, in which they see their morals painted to the life.'"
[v.25b] - Quoting Psalm 35:19. See also, Psalm 69:4.