15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches”. This is such a vital element of understanding. We are completely dependent upon Jesus. Man thinks he can exist without God, he says there is no God and sees no need for God, but he is utterly deluded. If we look around us we see the outcome of a society that rejects God and it is definitely not heaven on earth. As Christians we need to have this basic understanding as well, as churches and and as individuals. If we seek to do things in our own strength we will get nowhere, if we start basing things on our own understanding rather than God’s understanding we will quickly veer off in the wrong direction (Prov 3:5,6).
So there is a stark choice before us. If we remain in Christ we will bear much fruit, there is no question about it. If we do not remain in Him we will produce nothing good.
15:6
The consequences of not remaining in Christ are made all the clearer here. In the natural, if a branch is cut off from the tree or vine that it is part of it will look okay for a short while, but then it will wither and shrivel up. The same will happen to us. But that is not the end of the story. That shrivelled branch will be thrown on the fire. Judgement will come upon those who cut themselves off from Christ. So we see a passive and active judgement. There is no direct mention of hell in John’s gospel (he makes up for this in Revelation!).
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