Intercession–Jesus’ prayer for His disciples (Chapter 17:1-26) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Intercession–Jesus’ prayer for His disciples (Chapter 17:1-26)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce   

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts &Gospel music ministry

 

Scriptures reading John 17:1-26

 

            After Jesus said this, looked toward heaven and prayed,

“Father the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John17:1-5)

 

I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the Words you gave me and they accepted them, they knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. (vv.6-8)

I prayed for them, I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world. And I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name – the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. (v.11) While I was with them, I protect them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. (vv 9.-12) 

 

I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (vv.13-19)

 

My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be ONE. Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me .

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be ONE as we are ONE: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete UNITY to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me . (vv.20-23)

 Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am., and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. (V.24)

Righteous Father, though the world you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. (v.25-26)

 

 In chapter 17 Jesus’ prayer also called “high priestly” prayer the Lord prays for (1) His own glorification (vv.1,5) (2) believers’ protection (v.11); (3) believers' sanctification (v.17); (4) the unity of the believers (vv.12-23) ;(5) the ultimate glorification of believers (v.24). It is essentially an intercession for those who will form the church (vv.6-26).

He was God incarnated in the flesh, and His flesh was a tabernacle in which God could dwell on earth (1:14). His divine element was confined in His humanity, just as God’s shekinah glory had been concealed within the tabernacle. Once, on the mountain of transfiguration, His divine element was released from within His flesh and expressed in glory, being seen by the three disciples (Matt.17:1-4; John1:14). But then it was concealed again in His flesh. Before this prayer He predicted that He would be glorified and the Father would be glorified in Him. Now He was about to pass through death so that the concealing shell of His humanity might be broken and His divine element, His divine life, might be released. Also, He would resurrect that He might uplift His humanity into the divine element and that His divine element might be expressed, with the result that His entire being, His divinity and His humanity, would be glorified.

The Lord’s  prayer concerning the divine mystery is fulfilled in three stages as follows,

First, it was fulfilled in His resurrection in that His divine element, His divine life, was released from within His humanity into His many believers (12:23-24), and His whole being, including His humanity, was brought into glory (Luke24:26), and in that the Father’s divine element was expressed in His resurrection and glorification. In His resurrection God answered and fulfilled His prayer (Acts.3:13-15).

Second, it has been fulfilled in the church, in that as His resurrection life has been expressed through His many members. He has been glorified in them, and the Father has been glorified in Him through the church (Eph.3:21; 1 Tim.3:15-16).

Third, it will ultimately be fulfilled in the New Jerusalem in that He will be fully expressed in glory, and God will be glorified in Him through the Holy City for eternity (Rev.21:11,23-24). In praying in this way, the Lord unveiled His person, His deity; He is the same as the Father in the divine glory.

Verse 2 This indicates the Lord’s work. The Lord has the Father’s authority over all mankind that He may give eternal life, not to all mankind but only to those whom the Father has given Him-the Father’s chosen onces.

Verse 3 This is Christ’s definition of salvation, especially if we add what is clearly understood : sent to be the Savior of the world (3:16;4:42;6:33;1John 4:14;5:20). Eternal life is the divine life with a special function, that is, to know God and Christ are divine. To know the divine person, we need the divine life. Since the believers are born of the divine life, they know God and Christ (Heb.8:11;Phil.3:10).

Verse 4 This mean that while He was living on earth, the Lord manifested and expressed the Father.

Verse 5 This word strengthens the deity of the Lord’s person. He had the divine glory along with the Father before the world was, in eternity past; hence,He should be glorified now with that glory along with the Father. The Lord participlates in the divine glory not by Himself but along with the Father, for He and the Father are one (10:30).

Verse 6 your name and v.26 means the very name Father. The name God and the name Jehovah were adequately revealed to man in the Old Testament, but the name Father was not, though it was mentioned briefly in Isa.9:6;63:16; 64:8. The Son came and worked in the Father’s name (5:43;10:25) to manifest the Father to the men whom the Father gave Him and to make the Father’s name known to them (v.26). That name reveals the Father as the source of life (5:26) for the propagation and multiplication of life. Many sons would be born of the Father (1:12-13) to express the Father. Hence, the Father’s name is very much related to the divine life. The Father’s words are of two kinds: the constant word (v.6) and the instant words(v.8).Both are used by the Lord to impart eternal life to the belivers who receive both kinds of words.

Verse 10 Since the disciples expressed the Lord, He was glorified in them.

Verse 11 Holy Father keep them in Your name which You have given to Me. The Son’s believers are still in the world. They need to be kept that they may be one even as the Divine Trinity is one, that is, that they may be one in the Divine Trinity. The Son prayed that the holy Father would so keep them. To be kept in the Father’s name is to be kept by His life, because only those who are born of the Father and have the Father’s life can participate in the Father’s name. The Son has given the Father’s life to those whom the Father has given Him(v.2); hence, they share the Father’s name by being kept in it, and they are one in it. The first aspect of oneness, the first aspect of the building up of the believers, is the oneness in the Father’s name and by His divine life. In this aspect of oneness the believers, born of the Father’s life, enjoy the Father’s name, that is, the Father Himself, as the factor of their oneness.

Verse 15 keep them out of the hands of the evil one. The whole world lies in the evil one (1John5:19). Hence, the believers need to be kept out of the hands of the evil one, and they need always to be watchful in prayer that they may be delivered from the evil one (Matt.6:13). The word can be neuter (from evil) or masculine (from the evil one, Satan). It should be noted that Christ does not teach withdrawal from the world but that Christians should be in the world but not of it (vv.14-16).

Verse 17 Jesus prayed for the sanctification, sanctify means to set apart for God and His holy purposes. To be sanctified also is to be separated from the world and its usurpation unto God and His purposes. Not only positionally (Matt.23:17,19) but also dispositionally (Rom.6:19,22). God’s living word works in the believers to separate them from anything worldly. This is to be sanctified in God’s word, which is the truth, the reality.

In the truth, Reality is the Triune God (1:14,17;14:6; 1 John5:6) Since the Triune God is contained and concealed in His word, His word is reality. We are sanctified in the reality of this word. The Father’s word carries the reality of the Father with it. When God’s word says, “ God is light,: it carries God as light in it. Hence, God’s word is reality, the truth, unlike Satan’s word, which is vanity , a lie.(8:44)

Verse 18 The Father sent the Son into the world with Himself as life and everything to the Son. In the same way, the Son sends His believers into the world with Himself as life and everything to the believers.

Verse 19 The Son is absolutely holy in Himself. Yet, to set an example of sanctification for His disciples, He still sancifified Himself in His way of living while He was on earth.

Verse 21 That all of them may be one . All believers belong to the one Body of Christ (1Cor.12:13) and to the same household of God (Eph.2:19). This spiritual unity should be visibly expressed in the exercise of spiritual gift (Eph4:3-16), pray, and exhortation.(2 Cor.1:11;Heb.10:25). This is second aspect of the believers’ oneness, the oneness in the Triune God through sanctification, separation from the world by the word of God. In this aspect of oneness the believers, separated from the world unto God, enjoy the Triune God as the factor of their oneness.

Verse 22 The glory that the Father gave to the Son is the sonship with the Father’s life and divine nature(5:26). The sonship was given so that the Son sould express the Father in His fullness (1:18;14:9;Col.2:9;Heb.1:3). The Son has given this glory to His believers that they too may have the sonship with the Father’s life and divine nature (v.2;2Pet.1:4) to express the Father in the Son in the Son’s fullness (1:16).

Verse 22 is the third aspect of the believers’ oneness, the oneness in the divine glory for the corporate expression of God. In this aspect of oneness the believers, their self-having been fully denied, enjoy the glory of the Father as the factor of their perfected oneness and thus express God in a corporate, built-up way. This is the oneness of the divine commission; it fulfills the Son’s prayer that He be fully expressed, that is, glorified, in the building up of the believers; and that the Father be fully expressed, glorified, in the Son’s glorification. Hence, the ultimate oneness of the believers is 1) in the eternal life of God (in the Father’s name), 2) by the holy WORD of God, and 3) in the divine glory to express the Triune God for eternity. That the Son might accomplish this oneness, the Father gave Him six things: 1. the authority (v.2); 2. The believers (vv.2,6,9,24); c). 3. The work (v.4); 4.The words (v.8); 5. The Father’s name (vv.11-12);  6. The Father’s glory (v.24).That the believers may participate in this oneness, the Son gave them three things: eternal life (v.2), the holy WORD OF GOD (vv.8,14), and the divine glory (v.22).

Verse 23 The Father loved the Son by giving the Son His life, His nature, His fullness, and His glory that the Son might express Him. In the same way, the Father loved the Son’s believers by giving them His life, His nature, His fullness, and His glory that they might express Him in the Son. This is a story of love as well as glory.

Verse 24 The Son is in the divine glory of the Father’s expression. Therefore, for the Son’s believers to be with Him where He is means that they are with Him in the divine glory to express the Father. The fulfillment of this matter began with the Son’s resurrection, when He brought His believers into participation in His resurrection life, and will consummate in the New Jerusalem, when His believers will be brought fully into the divine glory for the ultimate corporate expression of the Triune God in eternal.

 

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

Jesus unveiled his return (2) (John 16: 16-33) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Jesus unveiled his return (2) (John 16: 16-33)                                   

 By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce   Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts &Gospel music

Scripture reading John 16: 16-33

 

 “In a little while you will see me on more, and then after a little while you will see me.”(v.16) Some of his disciples said to one another, What does he mean by saying, “ In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me, and then after a little while you will see me,” and “Because I am going to the Father?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by “a little while?” We don’t understand what he is saying.” (vv.17-18)

 

Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me?”  I tell you the truth; you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So, with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (vv.19-24)

  

 

Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (vv.25-28)

 

The Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” (vv.29-30)

“You believe at last!” Jesus answered. But a time is coming and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet, I am not alone, for my Father is with me. (vv.31-32) I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John16:33)

         

  The Spirit, through apostles, evangelists, and preachers, will convict the world. To convict means to set forth the truth of the gospel in such a clear light that men are able to accept or reject it intelligently, i.e., to convince men of the truthfulness of the gospel. The Spirit will help break down the indifference of the typical pagan who has no conviction of sin, who holds a low regard for righteousness, and who pays no heed to warnings of the coming judgment.

Verse 9 because men do not believe in me. The greatest, and basic, sin is unbelief. Jesus’ return to the Father will vindicate His righteous life and the truthfulness of all He said (v.10).

Verse 11 the prince of this world now stands condemned. At the cross, Christ triumphed over Satan, serving notice on unbelievers of their judgment to come.

Verse 12 more than you can now bear. These things would become clear after the resurrection.

Verse 13 He will tell you what is yet to come. These things include the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection (Which the disciples did not fully understand) as well as things yet in the future concerning the return of Christ.

Verse 15 The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit has guided the church since the Spirit’s coming. Doctrine, therefore, does not have to be traced back to the earthly ministry of Jesus to be authoritative, because the Spirit will take from what is mine (Christ’s), and make it know to you (the apostles). These truths were then recorded in the New Testament His body

Verse 21 the bringing forth here is the begetting in Acts 13:33. The incarnated Christ, including all His believers, was begotten in His resurrection to be the Son of God (1Pet.1:3). Thus, He has become the first-born Son of God, and all His believers have become God's many sons as His brothers to constitute His church (Rom.8:29; John20:17; Heb.2:10-12) as His multiplication (12:24). His increase (3:29- 30), and His Body, which is His fullness, His expression (Eph.1:23).

Verse 22 after being born in resurrection, the Lord came to see the disciples in the evening of the day of His resurrection, and the disciples rejoiced at His presence. (20:20)

           Verse 23 in that day. I.e., after His ascension. Vese 26 ask in my name. To address the Father through the Son has been the normal Christian practice ever since. 

 Verse 33 In this world you will have trouble. There are three aspects of this (1) general trial s that come simply because we live in a sinful world (Rom.8:35-36); (2) afflictions that God allows to come into our lives (2Cor.12:7); and (3) chastisement that comes more directly from God (Heb.12:6).

 

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

Jesus unveiled His return (1) (John 16:1-15) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Jesus unveiled His return (1) (John 16:1-15)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; pastoral ministry & counseling

 

 Jesus unveiled His return - Concerning the Holy Spirit (16:7-33)

 Scriptures reading 

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John16:7). When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.

 In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (John16:7-11)

 I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. (v.12) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (v,13) He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (John16:14-15)

        

 

Verse 2 In this gospel religion is revealed as the enemy of life. In the Gospels, Judaism opposed and persecuted the Lord Jesus. In the Acts it continued by opposing and persecuting the apostles and the disciples (Acts 4:1-3;5:17-18,40; 6:11-14;7:57-59; 26:9-12). In subsequent history the Catholic Church persecuted the Lord’s followers. All organized religions, of whatever kind, persecute those who seek the Lord in life.All these religions consider their persecuting of the Lord’s seekers a service offered to God.

Vesse 7 This “going” was ultimately fulfilled by His ascension in 20:17

Verse 8 to convict means to convince, to condemn, to cause people to rebuke themselves. Sin entered through Adam (Rom.5:12), righteousness is the resurrected Christ (v.10; 1 Cor.1:30), and judgment is for Satan (v.11), who is the author and source of sin (8:44). In Adam we were born of sin. The only way to be freed from sin is to believe into Christ, the Son of God (v.9). If we believe into Him, He is righteousness to us, and we are justified in Him (Rom.3:24;4:25). If we do not repent of the sin that is in Adam and believe into Christ, the Son of God, we will remain in sin and share the judgment of Satan for eternity (Matt.25:41). There are the main points of the gospel. The Spirit uses these points to convict the world.

Verse 13 the work of the Spirit is, first, to convict the world. Second, as the Spirit of truth He guides the believers into all the reality; that is, He makes all that the Son is and has real to the believers. All that the Father is and has is embodied in the Son (Col.2:9), and all that the Son is and has is declared as reality to the believers through the Spirit (vv.14-15). This declaring is the glorifying of the Son with the Father. Hence, it is a matter of the Triune God being wrought into and mingled with the believers. Third, the Spirit declares the things that are to come, which are revealed mainly in Revelation (Rev.1:1,19). The three aspects of the Spirit’s work correspond with the three sections of John’s writings: his Gospel, his Epistles, and his Revelation.

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

  

Comforter (Counselor)- Spirit of Truth (John 15:18-27) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Comforter (Counselor)- Spirit of Truth (John 15:18-27) 

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce  

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & counseling   

The vine and the branches, being hated and persecuted and separated from the World 

 Scriptures reading (John15:18-27)

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world. But I have chosen you out of the world. This is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: “No servant is greater than his master.” if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obey my teaching, they will obey yours also. They treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: “They hated me without reason.” When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. (vv.1-27) 

 

John 15 verse 25 The reference is to Ps.35:19; 69:4. In this section Christ states (1) the world hates Me (v.18)  (2) My followers are aliens in the world (v.19); (3) the world will persecute you because you are My followers (v.20); (4) the persecutors do not know God (v.21); (5) My words (v.22) and My works (v.24) rebuke them. These arguments are found in many early Christian writings, as instruction to the faithful and as warning to pagans and Jews.  

Verse 26 Counselor. Who goes out from the Father. The mission of the Spirit is from the Father; the Spirit’s witness, therefore, is also that of the Father Himself. The Spirit of reality, who is sent by the Son from the Father, comes not only from the Father but also with the Father. The Father is the source. When this Spirit comes from the source, He does not leave the source but comes with the source. This Spirit, sent by the Son and coming with the Father, testifies concerning the Son. Therefore, His testimony concerning the Son is a matter of the Triune God.

 

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

The vine (Son) and the branches (believers) (John 15:1-17) By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

The vine (Son) and the branches (believers) (John 15:1-17)

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; pastoral ministry & counseling

  

Scripture reading John 15:1-7

 

      

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. (v.1) He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful.(v.2) You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.(v.3) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (v.4) 

             

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, He will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (v.5). If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.(v.6) If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.(v.7)

 

           Chapter 15 and 16 contain the second Fare will Discourse. In 15 are the themes of fruit bearing and the hatred of the world for Christ’s disciples. The theme of persecution is continued in chapter 16 along with teaching concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Father is the gardener, the source, the author, the planner, the planter, and everything to the vine. The Son as the vine is the center of God’s economy and embodiment of all the riches of the Father. The Father, by cultivating the Son, works Himself with all His riches into the vine, and eventually the vine expresses the Father in a corporate way through its branches.

Verse 2 cut off. The word may mean this literally as “take away” in 11:39. And would therefore be a reference to the physical death of fruitless Christians (1Cor.11:30); or it may mean lift up as “picked up” in 8:59, which would indicate that the vinedresser encourages and makes it easier for the fruitless believer, hoping he will respond and begin to bear fruit. Prunes. This is done through the Word of God, which cleans the life (same root word as clean in v.3).

Verse 4 remain (or abide) in me. John explains what this means when he uses the same word in 1 John3:24. (Abiding depends on keeping Christ’s commandments (15:10).

Verse 6 burned. This refers to the works of the believer. The Christian who does not abide in Christ cannot do what pleases God; therefore, his works will be burned at the judgment seat of Christ, though he himself will be saved. (1 Cor.3:11-15). For a branch to be cast out means that it is cut off from participation in the riches of the life of the vine.

Verse 7 when we abide in the Lord and let His words abide in us, we actually are one with Him, and He works within us. Then, when we ask in prayer for whatever we will, it is not only we who are praying; He too is praying. This kind of prayer is related to fruit-bearing. (v. 8 ) and will surely be answered.

 Scriptures reading John 15 :8-17

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.(vv.8-9). If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. (v.10) I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (v.11) My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.(v.12) 

Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know His master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.(vv.13-15) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.(v.16) Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. (v.17)

               

 

 

  Verse 8 This . I.e., by answered prayer. Note the progression: the step from fruit to more fruit involves pruning (cleansing) through the Word of God (v.2), and the step from more fruit to much fruit involves a life of answered prayer. In fruit –bearing the Father’s divine life is expressed; hence, He is glorified. 

Verse 10 when we abide in the Lord, He speaks His instant words within us. These words are His commandments to us. If we keep those commands to us. If we keep those commandments, it shows that we love Him; it is thus that we will abide in His love.

 Verse 11 being branches of the divine vine and bearing fruit to express the divine life are matters of joy, and they also issue in a joyful life.

Verse 13 the highest expression of love is a self-sacrifice that spares not life itself (1 John 3:16). The Greek word here “life” means soul, soul-life. Jesus lay down his soul-life for His friends.

Verse 16 we were wild branches, and through faith we have been grafted into Christ. Here the Lord said that He set us. This fits the thought of grafting. The Greek word for go forth means to depart, implying to leave for another place; hence, it is rendered go forth. It is the same Greek word as that for go in 14:4 and 16:5. The fruit borne by going forth in this way does not denote the virtues of the fruit-bearer’s character, such as the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s living, mentioned in Gal.5:22-23, but it denotes the believers produced by the fruit-bearer. This corresponds with the subject of this section,12: 20-17:26, which is Christ’ multiplication. The virtues we possess through our abiding in the Lord cannot be counted as Christ’s multiplication. Only the believers that we produce in the Lord are the tangible multiplication of Christ. The Father’s house in ch.14, the true vine in this chapter, and the man-child in ch.16 are all related to the multiplication of Christ.

Verse 16 Bear fruit (v.16) after we go forth to produce believers in the Lord, we need to care for them. The best way is to set up meetings in their homes to cover and protect them that they may be cared for by being nourished and taught, and may become the remaining fruit, living in the branches of the true vine, that is, in the Body or Christ, to be Christ’s increase. The same Greek word “remains” used for abiding in this chapter 15. To ask in my name (v.16), to ask in the Lord’s name requires us to abide in the Lord and allow Him and His words to abide in us that we may actually be one with Him. Then when we ask, He asks in our asking. This kind of asking is related to fruit-bearing and will surely be answered by the Father.

Verse 17 “love one another” This is to love one another in the Lord’s life, the divine life, in the Lord’s love, and in His commission of fruit-bearing. Life is the source, love is the condition, and fruit-bearing is the goal. If we all live by the Lord’s life as the source, in the Lord’s love as the condition and for fruit-bearing as the goal, we surely will love one another. Having different sources of life, different conditions, or different goals will separate us and prevent us from loving one another.

           

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.