Gospel of John 09.vp

158

The Gospe l of John

5. My time is short: The ruler of this world is coming , but he has no claim on me, 14.30.

6. In the face of torture and Calvary: I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father, 14.31.

7. Jesus at the end of this chapter invites the disciples to leave the upper room: Jesus begins his journey to Gethsemane , 14.31b.

V. I Am the True Vine, 15.1-17

The power of Jesus’ prophetic orientation and apocalyptic imagination is fully displayed in his upper room discourse with his disciples, and shown in his numerous allusions and images he makes of his relationship to the Father, his disciples, the world, the devil, and to those who are coming to arrest and kill him. Jesus makes it plain in chapter 15 that he is utterly aware of what is about to happen, and understands why it is important. He seeks to instruct the disciples, as best he can in the time available, of all the things they will need to know as the horrible events of his crucifixion are about to transpire. The Old Testament and Jewish literature sometimes portrayed Israel as a vineyard (e.g., Isa. 5.7), or less frequently as a vine (e.g., Psa. 80.8; Hos. 10.1), and God as the vinegrower. A golden vine in the temple symbolized Israel’s power, and Jesus may here portray the disciples as the remnant of Israel . . . The most basic point of the imagery is the obvious dependence of branches on the vine for their continued life.

~ Keener. IVP Bible Background Commentary . p. 301.

A. The True Vine, the Vinedresser, and the Branches, 15.1-5

1. Jesus is the True Vine, and the Father is the Gardener (Vinedresser), 15.1.