Jesus proceeded to expound further on some of the themes that He had introduced in His teaching on the vine and the branches (vv. 1-8). The subject moves generally from the believing disciple's relationship with God to his or her relationship with other believers.
15:9-10 Jesus proceeded to explain that obedience is the key to abiding (cf. v. 7). The relationship between the Father and the Son is again the paradigm for the relationship between the Son and the believer. The idea is not that we can withdraw from the circle of God's love by being disobedient. God does not stop loving His disobedient children (cf. Luke 15:11-24). It is rather that we can withdraw from the enjoyment and blessings of His love. John stressed Jesus' obedience to His Father in this Gospel (4:34; 5:19; 6:38; 8:29, 55; 10:17-18; 12:27-28; 14:31). Now Jesus called His disciples to follow His example.
15:11 Loving obedience is the cause of the disciple's fruitfulness, but joy is its result. The fullness of believers' joy was John's purpose for writing his first epistle, as it was Jesus' purpose in giving this discourse (1 John 1:4). Specifically Jesus had told His disciples that joy would follow their obedience to His teachings (v. 10). He intended His teachings to produce freedom and joy, not bondage and grief (cf. 10:10; Matt. 11:30).
"How can we tell when we are abiding in Christ'? Is there a special feeling? No, but there are special evidences that appear and they are unmistakably clear. For one thing, when you are abiding in Christ, you produce fruit (John 15:2). . . . Also, you experience the Father's pruning' so that you will bear more fruit (John 15:2). The believer who is abiding in Christ has his prayers answered (John 15:7) and experiences a deepening love for Christ and for other believers (John 15:9, 12-13). He also experiences joy (John 15:11)."496
15:12 Jesus summarized His teaching with the command to love one another as He had loved them (cf. 13:34-35; 1 John 3:16). This was specially relevant because of the disciples' earlier arguments about who of them was the greatest and their unwillingness to wash each other's feet.
15:13 Love for a friend reaches its zenith when one willingly sacrifices his or her life for that friend. Jesus had spoken of His love for His disciples (v. 12). He would shortly show them how great it was by making the supreme sacrifice for them. After that, they would not only have His command but also His example to follow.
Really Jesus did more than lay down His life for His friends. He died for His enemies (cf. Matt. 5:43-47; Rom. 5:8-10). However in the context of this audience His statement was true as it stands. The most a person can do for a friend is to die for him or her.
15:14-15 "Friend"is another relative term such as "abiding"or "fellowship."A person can be a casual friend, a close friend, or an intimate friend depending on his or her love and loyalty. Likewise all believers are God's friends in one sense, but abiding believers are His friends on a deeper level because they seek to obey Him consistently (cf. Ps. 25:14).
A good servant (Gr. doulos, lit. slave) also obeys his master. What then is the difference between a servant of God and an intimate friend of God? Jesus proved to His disciples that they were His friends as well as His servants but pointing out that a master shares his plans with his friends but not with his slaves. He had told them what was coming thereby treating them as His friends. Abraham and Moses, the only Old Testament characters whom God called His friends, also received revelations of God's plans from Him (cf. Gen. 18:17; Exod. 33:11; 2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; James 2:23).
Slaves customarily receive orders but no explanations or reasons for their orders. One of the differences between friends and slaves is the degree of intimacy they share with the Master. Jesus raised His disciples from the level of tools to being partners with Him in His work (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20-6:1).
Jesus said that He no longer called His disciples slaves implying that He had done so in the past. One of the common titles God used for the prophets in the Old Testament was "my servants the prophets"(e.g., Jer. 7:25; 25:4; 29:19; et al.). In former times God had not revealed His mind fully to His people (cf. 1 Pet. 1:10-12). However with the coming of Jesus He revealed His plans as to friends rather than as to servants. This is another indication that Jesus viewed His Incarnation as the culmination of divine revelation. The revelation that Jesus gave through the apostles following His ascension was a continuation of that revelation (cf. Acts 1:1-2).
15:16 Again Jesus stressed that the initiative in the relationship between Him and His disciples lay with Himself, not them (cf. 1:39, 42-43; 6:70; 10:27). He probably did this because of their tendency to think too highly of themselves and since in their culture it was common for disciples to choose their rabbi. Even today students love to seek out the teacher of their choice and attach themselves to him or her.
He had chosen them to be His friends, but He had also appointed them to a specific task. They had a job to do as His servants, a mission to fulfill. Part of His purpose for them was that they bear fruit and that their fruit would have lasting effects. Evidently the fruit of their missionary outreach was particularly in Jesus' mind since He linked going with bearing fruit. In this case new converts are the fruits in view (cf. 20:21).
Asking the Father in prayer in Jesus' name was necessary for fruit-bearing to happen. Jesus linked prayer and fruit-bearing in a cause and effect relationship. Prayer plays an essential role in the believer's fruitfulness.
The NIV translation is misleading. It implies that answers to prayer will be the disciples' reward for effective fruit-bearing. In the Greek text there are two purpose clauses each introduced by hina: "that you should go and bear fruit,"and "that whatever you ask the Father . . . He may give you."These purposes are coordinate, but logically praying precedes fruit-bearing (cf. 14:12-14; 15:7-8).
