John 15:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

NIV: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

NASB: Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love.

CSB: "As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.

NLT: I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.

KJV: As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

NKJV: “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

In prior verses, Jesus used the analogy of a vine and branches to explain the difference between those who merely "appear" to be Christians, versus those who are truly connected to the True Vine (John 15:1). Those "branches" which don't bear fruit are destined to be cut off and destroyed. Their permanent barrenness proves they were never attached to the lifegiving aspects of the vine in the first place (John 15:2–6; Matthew 7:21–23). Part of that analogy is Jesus referring to those who "abide in [Him]," and in whom His Word "abides."

Both of those facets are necessary to understand the statement given in this verse. Jesus' ministry has always been according to the will of God; what Jesus does, He does in submission to the Father (John 5:19). True "life" requires a natural connection, but abundance requires cultivation. Jesus passes down the love of God the Father to us, and we ought to continue to transmit that love, much as a branch transfers the life given to it from the vine. The means by which we do that is the same as it is for Christ: obedience.

When Jesus says to "abide in my love," He doesn't only mean to rest securely in knowing He loves us (Hebrews 4:15–16). He also means we are to actively live in the love He gives to us. That requires us to obey His teachings (John 14:15; 15:10).

John 15:1–11 contains one of Jesus' most well-known metaphors: the vine and the branches. This features the seventh of seven "I Am" statements as recorded by John. Jesus lays out several nuanced ideas, touching on Christian perseverance, faith, false conversion, and spiritual effectiveness. This ends with another reference to loving obedience, which sets up the next passage of Jesus' teaching.

This passage begins with a celebrated analogy from Christ: the vine and the branches. This includes the seventh and final "I Am" statement of the gospel of John. Jesus uses this metaphor to explain how our spiritual life, as born-again believers, is drawn from His life. God's intent for our lives is to progress from barrenness to fruitfulness, to spiritual abundance. Jesus also repeats His command for believers to love each other. In this context, He goes so far as to refer to those who follow His teachings as His "friends."

Jesus is in the middle of a long discourse given to the disciples, which began during the last supper. He presents the analogy of a vine and branches, then repeats His command for believers to love each other. Jesus also warns about how the unbelieving world will hate and persecute Christians. This leads into the teachings of chapter 16, which focus on perseverance in the face of trials.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.