The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am^(A) the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes,^(B) and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. ³ You are already clean^(C) because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.^{(D) 5} I am the vine; ^(E) you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit,^(F) because you can do nothing without me. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside^(G) like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire,^(H) and they are burned.^{(I) 7} If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.^{(J) 8} My Father is glorified^(K) by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be^[a] my disciples.

Christlike Love

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.^{(L) 10} If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.^(M)

¹¹ “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.^(N)

¹² “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved^(O) you. ¹³ No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life^(P) for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master^[b](Q) is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you.^(R) I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask^(S) the Father in my name,^(T) he will give you.^(U)

¹⁷ “This is what I command you: Love one another.

Persecutions Predicted

¹⁸ “If the world hates^(V) you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen^(W) you out of it, the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^(X) If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word,^(Y) they will also keep yours. ²¹ But they will do all these things to you on account of my name,^(Z) because they don’t know^(AA) the one who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.^(AB) Now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ The one who hates me also hates my Father.^{(AC) 24} If I had not done the works^(AD) among them that no one else has done,^(AE) they would not be guilty of sin.^(AF) Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled:^(AG) They hated me for no reason.^[c](AH)

The Counselor’s Ministry

²⁶ “When the Counselor^(AI) comes, the one I will send to you from the Father^(AJ) —the Spirit of truth^(AK) who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. ²⁷ You also will testify,^(AL) because you have been with me from the beginning.

16 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. ² They will ban you from the synagogues.^(A) In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service^(B) to God. ³ They will do these things because they haven’t known^(C) the Father or me. ⁴ But I have told you these things so that when their time^[a] comes you will remember^(D) I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.