John 15-16
I Am the True Vine
“I am the atrue vine, and my Father is bthe vinedresser. 2 aEvery branch in me that does not bear fruit bhe takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, cthat it may bear more fruit. 3 Already ayou are clean bbecause of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 aAbide bin me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; ayou are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bbears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me, ahe is thrown away like a branch and withers; band the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If ayou abide in me, and my words abide in you, bask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 aBy this my Father is glorified, that you bbear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 aAs the Father has loved me, bso have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 aIf you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as bI have kept cmy Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, athat my joy may be in you, and that byour joy may be full.
12 a“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 aGreater love has no one than this, bthat someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are amy friends bif you do what I command you. 15 aNo longer do I call you servants, for the servant bdoes not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for call that I have heard from my Father dI have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but aI chose you and appointed you that you should go and bbear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that cwhatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, aso that you will love one another.
The Hatred of the World
18 a“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 aIf you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because byou are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: a‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, bthey will also persecute you. cIf they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But aall these things they will do to you bon account of my name, cbecause they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, athey would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 aWhoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 aIf I had not done among them the works that no one else did, bthey would not be guilty of sin, but now they have cseen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But athe word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: b‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But awhen the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, bhe will bear witness about me. 27 And ayou also will bear witness, bbecause you have been with me cfrom the beginning. “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 aThey will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, bthe hour is coming when cwhoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things abecause they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But aI have said these things to you, that when btheir hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, cbecause I was with you.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
5 But now aI am going to him who sent me, and bnone of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, asorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for aif I do not go away, bthe Helper will not come to you. But cif dI go, eI will send him to you. 8 aAnd when he comes, he will bconvict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, abecause they do not believe in me; 10 aconcerning righteousness, bbecause I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 aconcerning judgment, because the ruler of this world bis judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When athe Spirit of truth comes, bhe will cguide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but dwhatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will aglorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 aAll that the Father has is mine; btherefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy
16 a“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and bagain a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So asome of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, b‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, c‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? aWe do not know what he is talking about.” 19 aJesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, ayou will weep and lament, but bthe world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but cyour sorrow will turn into joy. 21 aWhen a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 aSo also you have sorrow now, but bI will see you again, and cyour hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 aIn that day you will bask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, cwhatever you ask of the Father in my name, dhe will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. aAsk, and you will receive, bthat your joy may be full.
I Have Overcome the World
25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. aThe hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 afor the Father himself loves you, because byou have loved me and chave believed that I came from God. 28 aI came from the Father and have come into the world, and now bI am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not ausing figurative speech! 30 Now we know that ayou know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that byou came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, athe hour is coming, indeed it has come, when byou will be scattered, each to his own home, and cwill leave me alone. dYet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that ain me you may have peace. bIn the world you will have ctribulation. But dtake heart; eI have overcome the world.”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.