Section 15:1–17 Jesus is the true vine

Jesus compared himself to a vine, his Father to a vine grower, and his followers to the vine’s branches. The Father would remove branches that did not produce fruit and prune (cut shorter) those branches that did. Jesus told his disciples to remain in him, the vine, and his love so that they could produce much fruit. Their prayers would also be answered. If they remained in his love, they would keep his commandments and Jesus and they would have joy.

Jesus’ commandment was that they should love one another as he had loved them. Then they would be his friends. Jesus already called them friends because he told them everything that the Father told him. They did not choose Jesus, but he chose them. He appointed them to produce fruit that would last so that the Father would give them whatever they asked for.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Jesus the true vine
-or-
The vine and the branches

Paragraph 15:1–4

Jesus continued to teach his followers how they should live after he went back to his Father. He used an extended metaphor of a grapevine plant (Jesus) and its branches (his followers). Jesus used the metaphor to illustrate the need to stay close to Christ and depend on him for strength and life.

15:1a–b

I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard: This is the beginning of an extended metaphor. Jesus compared himself to the central stem of a grapevine, his followers to its branches, and his Father, God, to the farmer.

Grapevines grow in a field called a vineyard. They produce grapes, a small sweet fruit common in ancient Israel. People used the grapes to make wine. The vines that grapes grow on have wood trunks (main branches) like bushes or trees. But the plant is like a vine and, without supports, both the trunk and branches grow along the ground. The vinegrower takes care of the vines, supporting them and pruning them (cutting them shorter).

Jesus’ listeners were familiar with this metaphor of grapes. Many places in the Bible speak about vineyards in literal and figurative ways. You may want to look at these other contexts as you decide how to translate these words. Other passages that refer to vineyards include Isaiah 5:1–7, Genesis 9:20, Matthew 20:1, 21:33–41, Mark 12:1–9, and Luke 20:9. And here are some passages that refer to grapes: Genesis 40:10–11, Isaiah 5:2, and Matthew 7:16.

15:1a

I am the true vine: Jesus compared himself to a plant that produces grapes from its branches. Here are some ways that Jesus is like a vine:

(a) Jesus is the source of life for his followers. In a similar way, the vine is the source of life for its branches.

(b) Jesus enables his followers to produce good things from their lives. In a similar way, the vine feeds the branches so that they can produce good fruit.

(c) God sent Jesus to achieve his purposes. In a similar way, a farmer plants a vine to achieve his purpose of producing grapes.

In some languages a literal translation of this metaphor may be difficult to understand. Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. But you will probably want to translate the adjective true outside the simile. For example:

I am like a vine—the true vine.
-or-
I am like a vine. Yes, I am the real/genuine vine.

• Indicate something of the meaning, how Jesus is like a vine. For example:

I am the true ⌊source of life⌋ ⌊for you⌋ like a vine is ⌊the source of life⌋ for its branches.

• The metaphor of a grapevine is used in many places in the Bible. So it is recommended that you not use a substitute from your own culture. Include a footnote if you need to explain what a grapevine is. Or you may also want to include an illustration.

I am: This is the last of seven “I am” statements in John. (See also 15:5. The other statements are in 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; and 14:6.) They are all metaphors that Jesus used to describe himself. Some see a reference to Jesus’ being God because “I am” is the name that God used for himself in Exodus 3:14. The Greek text emphasizes the word I. Here are some ways to show this emphasis:

I, myself, am…
-or-
It is I who am…

the true vine: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the true vine indicates that Jesus was the real or genuine vine. In the Old Testament a vine is used as a metaphor for Israel (for example, Psalm 80:8–16). This vine failed to produce good fruit for God and was destroyed. It proved to be a false vine.

Jesus is the new vine, the perfect or ideal vine, the true or real vine. He is true because he enables his followers to produce good things (fruit), not because he is really a plant. See how you translated the word true in the metaphors in 1:9 (“true light”) and 6:32 (“true bread”). Here are some of the ways that the phrase the true vine can be translated:

the real/genuine vine
-or-
God’s true vine
-or-
the good/perfect vine

vine: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as vine means “grapevine.” A grapevine is a climbing plant that produces long tendrils (growths that are like threads) from a central stem. These tendrils wrap around something nearby to support the plant. Here is another way to translate this word:

grapevine (New Living Translation (2004))

Grapevines were very common in Israel when Jesus was on earth. Everyone knew how grapes grew and how the farmers/cultivators took care of the grapevines. In some cultures grapes are not grown and there may not be a word for “grapevine.” If that is true in your language, you may want to borrow a word from another language. You may also want to add a brief description of a grapevine or add a footnote. For example:

grapevine (a plant that produces ⌊a fruit called⌋ grapes)
-or-
A grapevine is a bush on which grapes grow.

There are two important points about the grapevine for Jesus’ metaphor. First, it is a plant that produces fruit and second, people cut the branches shorter to produce more fruit. It is not so important that it grows grapes or is a vine.

15:1b

My Father is the keeper of the vineyard: The phrase My Father refers to God the Father. This clause is a metaphor. Jesus compared God to a man who cultivates grapevines. Here are some ways that God is like a vinegrower:

• (a) He is responsible for others’ welfare. In a similar way, a vinegrower is responsible for the welfare of the vine.

• (b) He causes growth and enables the production of fruit in his followers. In a similar way, a vinegrower enables the growth of the vine and the production of grapes.

• (c) He cares for Jesus as a vinegrower cares for his vines/plants. This care enables the branches to produce fruit.

Here are some ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

my Father is the gardener (New International Version)

• Translate the metaphor as a simile. For example:

my Father is like the gardener

• Make clear the way that the Father is similar to a vinegrower. For example:

my Father takes care of the vineyard (God’s Word)

the keeper of the vineyard: The word that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as the keeper of the vineyard is more literally “farmer.” Use an expression that describes someone who prunes (cuts shorter) vines and cultivates a vineyard. It is good if this expression refers to someone who could also be the owner of the vines. For example:

the gardener (New International Version)
-or-
the farmer/cultivator

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