John 15:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

NIV: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

NASB: If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

CSB: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.

NLT: But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

KJV: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

NKJV: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Context for Jesus' statement not only comes from the immediate passage, but also from His other comments about prayer. Jesus has referred to the idea of "abiding in" Him, referring to those who are truly connected to the True Vine, and who bear spiritual fruit as a result (John 15:1–6). Surrounding context for this implies those who are truly born-again believers.

At the same time, Jesus refers to those in whom His words "abide." That implies the same deeply rooted, intimate, life-giving relationship as between the vine and branches. In other places, Jesus clearly connected fulfilled prayer to the will of God the Father (Matthew 6:10; 26:39). When a person's prayer is wholly, entirely aligned with the Word and will of God, that person is legitimately praying "in the name" of Christ (John 14:13–14).

This is not, then, a license for believers to treat God like a cosmic robot, or a vending machine. Bearing spiritual fruit only comes when we "abide" in the power of Christ, and answered prayer only happens when what we pray is part of the will of God.

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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 4/28/2024 6:16:45 PM