The Christ
The Father
Each branch referred to in this passage are apart of ‘the’ vine. Notice in John 15:2a, “every branch in me.” Christ is speaking, these are apart of the “true vine.” Observe the following verse, “Now ye are clean...” The greek term translated now here is ἤδη, phonetically: ay-day, meaning: even now, already, or by this time (John 15:3, Strong’s). These were branches already made clean by the “word.”
There are numerous verses in the Bible which contradict the doctrine of ‘once saved, always saved.’ The truth set fort in this passage is undeniable. Those branches that “beareth not fruit” are taken away (John 15:2a). As long as the branches bear fruit, they are purged, “that they may bring forth more fruit.”
The Christians
John 15:5a, “ye are the branches;” we, as disciples of Christ, as New Testament Christians, are the branches. Christ reiterates for emphasis that the branches are to abide in the vine. We cannot bear fruit without Christ!
Verse 6 reveals the end of Christians who do not bear fruit.
-They are “cast forth as a branch,” separated from the Christ.
-They are “withered,” spiritually.
-They are “gathered by men,” led astray by the doctrines of men.
-They are “cast… into the fire,” led to condemnation by these men.
-Lastly, “they are burned,” by the Father, the Husbandman, as punishment.
The gravity and greatness of this lesson given by Christ is culminated in verses 7 and 8. If we abide in Christ and His words abide in us… Give this some thought. To abide means to obey, to comply with, to conform to (Apple Oxford English Dictionary). This is a conditional statement, a prerequisite of the following: “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” If my goal is to fulfill my purpose in life, to glorify God, then I can accomplish that goal through Christ, for “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8).
Christ is our vine, the life of the branches. As fruitful Christians, the Father, our husbandman, purges us by providing us with more opportunities to bear fruit. Without Christ: we cannot bear fruit, we cannot glorify God, we cannot fulfill our purpose in life.