The Red-Letter Words of Yeshua ~ Part 159

Passion Week ~ Yeshua’s Final Discourse ~ Part 1

In our last post, we continued to examine the final days of Yeshua’s life and ministry. This post continues to explore the events that occurred on Thursday Evening (now early on Friday in the Jewish culture).

Introduction

The Last Supper is completed, and He and His talmidim are headed toward the Mount of Olives. Yochanan alone records the Final Discourse of Yeshua with His chosen talmidim (minus Y’hudah). Yeshua’s teaching occurs in the Kidron Valley, which forms the eastern border of Yerushalayim. Each word Yeshua speaks reflects His burden in leaving these men to finish the work He has begun. He encourages them in their faith and promises that in His name, they will perform great works. He calls them to mutual love to withstand the inevitable persecution which awaits them. He assures them that the Ruach HaKodesh will be with them and guide them in their mission. [1]

As modern-day Believers, we need to take these teachings to heart!

The Vine and The Branches

¹ “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.

I am the real vine. Isra’el is also God’s vine or vineyard (see Isaiah 5:1–7, 27:2–6; Jeremiah 2:21, 12:10; Ezekiel 17:5–6; Hosea 10:1; Joel 1:7; Psalm 80:8–16) and compare Yeshua’s parables at Mattityahu 21:33–43, Mark 12:1–12, Luke 20:9–19. The fact that the vine describes both the Jewish people and its Messiah reinforces the close identification of Isra’el. The Messianic Jewish remnant (Romans 9:6ff., 11:1–10) will obey Yeshua’s commands, stay attached to the genuine vine, and have the genuine vine’s power and strength to bring forth good fruit (Mattityahu 7:16–19). And so will the grafted-in Gentile Believer’s branches (Romans 11:17–24).

Fruit is what grows naturally out of a plant or situation. Galatians 5:22–23, fruit refers to character qualities given by the Ruach, at Mattityahu 13:1–23, perhaps to other people who trust Yeshua, at Romans 6:21–22 to righteousness. Prunes. The Greek word means, literally, cleans. To clean of excess foliage is to prune, but the context also calls to mind cleansing from sin.

³ Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned. ⁴ Stay united with Me, as I will with you—for just as the branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can’t bear fruit apart from Me. ⁵ “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who stay united with Me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from Me, you can’t do a thing. ⁶ Unless a person remains united with Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up. ⁷ “If you remain united with Me, and My words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you. ⁸ This is how my Father is glorified – in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be My talmidim.

Love One Another

⁹ “Just as my Father has loved Me, I too have loved you; so stay in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commands, you will stay in My love – just as I have kept My Father’s commands and stay in His love.

I have kept my father’s commands. This probably refers to Yochanan 14:31. The context gives no ground for considering it an assertion that Yeshua obeyed the Torah perfectly.

 ¹¹ I have said this to you so that My joy may be in you, and your joy be complete. ¹² “This is My command: that you keep on loving each other just as I have loved you. ¹³ No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I no longer call you slaves because a slave doesn’t know what his master is about, but I have called you friends because everything I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Yeshua’s talmidim are no longer his slaves but his friends. Later, the talmidim (nd that includes us ladies and gentlemen) are His brothers, God’s sons by adoption (Romans 8:14–17, Galatians 3:27–4:8).

¹⁶ You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in My name He may give you. ¹⁷ This is what I command you: keep loving each other!  ^[2]

Go and bear fruit. Staying (vv. 1–8) and going are consistent with each other: the Messianic lifestyle is, on one hand, passive and receptive and, on the other, active, transmissive, and productive.

In our next, we continue to follow Yeshua into Yerushalayim for His Crucifixion by the week’s end and explore Yeshua’s Final Discourse.

Click here for the PDF version.

^[1] The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order by F. LaGard Smith.
^[2] Yochanan 15:1–17.