Of Branches, Disciples, and Friends

James 15 

Throughout Jesus’ teaching on the vine and branches, He used these titles: branches, disciples and friends for specific reasons.  They were not simply used by our Lord to tell a story, they serve to illustrate in graphic detail the relationship we have with Him.  The branch speaks of abiding in the Lord, being a disciple tells of following the Lord, and being His friend speaks of fellowship with Him.  These three names or titles, then, are suggestive of three experiences.

1.  As branches, we receive, verse 5

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.

Receiving the fullness of Christ is not only the process but also the privilege of all believers.  This cannot happen until we, as branches, have been broken off the old and fruitless Adam stock and engrafted into Christ, who is the Second Adam, the true and genuine vine.  Once this happens, the sap of this Vine, that is, the Holy Spirit, can have access to the branch.  But until one is part of the Vine, they have NO part of the Vine whatsoever.  I do not believe Jesus is referring to other kinds of fruit here-like soul winning, for example.  There are some commentators who say this, but I believe that things like soul winning are the result of the fruit, not the fruit itself.  Notice what Paul says in Galatians 5:22-23,

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

This is the fruit in the life of the believer; as we abide in Christ, we will produce continual prayer (as in verse 7), continual fruit (verse 8) and continual joy (verse 11).  What wonderful benefits are ours for abiding in the vine!  But apart from the vine, the branch cannot  live, and neither can we.  To live apart from Christ is to dead while we live.  Jesus said this-

Because I live, you also will live. (John 14:19).

The life of the branch, then, is a life of continual receiving, or appropriating, what Christ has for us.  Again, the invitation from our Lord is clear-

If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (John 7:37)

As we receive the sap of the Spirit, it will be manifest in the fruit we bear; no fruit, no Spirit.  To be filled with the Spirit is to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit.  Tenney, in his commentary on John, writes, “The proof of discipleship is fruitbearing.  Just as Jesus glorified God by His life, so the disciples would glorify Jesus by their lives.”

Now, consider this.  Just as it is possible to grow apples of differing quality on the same tree, so, by the same Spirit there may be different manifestations of gifts in the same person, according to the character of the branch, so to speak.  While our life with Christ spells death to our sin nature, it is not death to our individuality.  Every single believer should be manifesting all the fruit of the Spirit, but generally, certain of them will be more obvious on some than on others.  We’re all different, created with different temperaments and personalities, and the Spirit works with He has to work with.

2.  As disciples, we follow, verse 8

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

In continuing the metaphor of the vine and the branches, the idea is that the branch truly follows the vine, when it abides in it, and when by the power imparted to it, it faithfully carries out the purpose for which the vine had been given.  So, by living in obedience to the will of Christ, and by bringing forth the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, we are declaring ourselves to be His followers; His disciples.  Jesus said,

If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. (John 8:31)

Being a disciple of Christ carries with it the idea that one is every ready to learn from Him; to sit at His feet and be taught.  Like Mary, we who would call ourselves “followers of Jesus,” have to be eager students.  It not only also suggests a readiness to learn and a willingness to be taught, it also implies a willingness to believe every word He says.  How can His words abide in us if they are not received by faith?

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. (verse 7)

How can we follow His example if we do not live and walk by faith in the Word of God as He did?

Another mark of the disciple is love one for another.  The powerful bond of love is what draws us together and unites us to the common purpose.  But this love for one another serves another purpose, as our Lord indicated in John 13:35,

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

3.  As Friends, we have fellowship, verses 14 and 15

Notice carefully the word Jesus uses here:  He says “friends,” not “patients.”  He doesn’t  view us in that light.  A friend is able to come closer to the heart than a servant.

[T]he servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (John 15:15, KJV)

What a humbling and sacred privilege to be called a friend of Jesus Christ.  As His friends, we become-

• Sharers of His secrets.  Psalm 25:14 tells us that-The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.  Imagine knowing the deep purposes of God the Father.  They are revealed to those who live in fellowship with the Son.  Of the one who was called “the friend of God,” God asked this question, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” (Genesis 18:17).  It is in the light of His magnificent presence that things become clear.  In the dark gloom of the world, we walk among the shadows, with the secrets of life, peace, and eternal glory in our souls.
• Sharers of His sympathies.  As we come closer and closer to Him, we begin to think as He thinks, His likes become our likes, and His dislikes become ours as well.  In this holy union, we are imbued with His thoughts and feelings.  We love all that He loves and we hate what He hates.
• Sharers of His sufferings.  Jesus told His disciples in John 15:18, If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  The world hated Christ because He was so unlike those around Him.  His true followers will fare little better.  Christ suffered in His daily life because He was one with His Father, and He was separated from this world of sin and corruption.  The more we become  like Him, the more we shall feel the power of those forces in the world that are opposed to Him.
• Sharers of His comfort.  Paul wrote this, For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2 Corinthians 1:5).  To be made a part of His sufferings is to become an heir of His comfort.  And His comfort is not small or meaningless, but plentiful, of good measure, pressed down, and running over.  What the Father was to the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter is to us an ever present, all sufficient compensation for all the sorrows and sufferings we may experience as a result of our relationship to and service for Christ.

If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him.  And that is a comfort, indeed.