Johannes 15

Jesus is die ware wingerdstok

1 Jesus het ook vir sy tdissipels gesê: “Ek is die ware twingerdstok. My Vader is die druiweboer. 2 Daar is party tlote wat uit My groei maar wat niks vrugte dra nie. My Vader knip daardie lote af. Maar die lote wat vrugte dra, knip Hy net skoon sodat hulle nog meer vrugte kan dra. 3 Julle is klaar skoon. Wat Ek vir julle gesê het, het julle skoongemaak. 4 Julle moet by My bly soos Ek by julle bly. Julle moet onthou ’n loot alleen kan nie vrugte dra nie, dit moet aan die wingerdstok vas bly. Julle kan ook nie vrugte dra as julle nie by My bly nie. 5 Ek is die wingerdstok. Julle is die lote. As julle by My bly en as Ek by julle bly, dan sal julle baie vrugte dra. As Ek nie by julle is nie, dan kan julle niks doen nie. 6 As mense nie by My bly nie, dan sal met hulle gebeur wat met lote gebeur wat nie vrugte dra nie. Die mense gooi daardie lote weg, en dit word droog. Later vat hulle dit en gooi dit in die vuur, en dit verbrand. 7 Julle moet by My bly, en die dinge wat Ek vir julle sê, moet in julle harte bly. Dan kan julle vir My vra wat julle wil hê en Ek sal dit vir julle gee.

8 As julle baie vrugte dra, en as julle my dissipels is, dan sal die mense weet my Vader is God.
9 “Die Vader is lief vir My. So is Ek ook lief vir julle. Julle moet vashou aan my liefde, my liefde moet vir julle baie belangrik wees. 10 Ek het vasgehou aan my Vader se liefde, want Ek het gedoen wat Hy gesê het. Julle moet dieselfde doen. As julle wil doen wat Ek sê, dan moet julle vashou aan my liefde. 11 Ek sê dit vir julle, want Ek wil hê julle moet so bly wees soos Ek. Dan sal julle regtig baie bly wees. 12 Ek het vir julle gewys hoe lief Ek vir julle is. Nou gee Ek vir julle ’n wet: Julle moet ook so lief wees vir mekaar. 13 Die beste bewys van liefde is wanneer iemand vir sy vriende sterf sodat sy vriende kan lewe. 14 Julle is my vriende as julle doen wat Ek sê. 15 Ek noem julle nie meer tslawe nie, want ’n slaaf weet nie wat sy eienaar doen nie. Ek noem julle vriende, want Ek het vir julle alles vertel wat Ek by my Vader gehoor het. 16 Julle het My nie gekies nie, Ek het julle gekies. Ja, Ek het julle gekies en aangestel om vrugte te dra, vrugte wat nie sleg word nie. Dan sal die Vader vir julle alles gee as julle dit vra omdat julle aan My behoort.

17 Ek sê vir julle: Julle moet lief wees vir mekaar.”

Die wêreld sal die dissipels haat

25 Dit gebeur sodat dit waar kan word wat in die Ou Testament geskryf is:
“tHulle het My gehaat,
maar Ek het niks verkeerd
gedoen nie.
26 “Ek sal vir julle ’n Helper stuur wat van die Vader kom. Die Helper is die Heilige Gees wat vir julle sal wys wat die waarheid is. Die Helper kom van die Vader. Hy sal vir julle vertel van My. 27 Julle moet ook vir die mense vertel van My, want julle was van die begin af saam met My.

John 15

The Vine and the Branches

1 "I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener.2 He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit.
3 "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.4 Remain joined to me, and I will remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can't bear fruit unless you remain joined to me.
5 "I am the vine. You are the branches. If anyone remains joined to me, and I to him, he will bear a lot of fruit. You can't do anything without me.6 If anyone does not remain joined to me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned.
7 "If you remain joined to me and my words remain in you, ask for anything you wish. And it will be given to you.8 When you bear a lot of fruit, it brings glory to my Father. It shows that you are my disciples.
9 "Just as the Father has loved me, I have loved you. Now remain in my love.10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. In the same way, I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.11 I have told you this so that my joy will be in you. I also want your joy to be complete.
12 "Here is my command. Love each other, just as I have loved you.13 No one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his friends.14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 "I do not call you servants anymore. Servants do not know their master's business. Instead, I have called you friends. I have told you everything I learned from my Father.
16 "You did not choose me. Instead, I chose you. I appointed you to go and bear fruit. It is fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.
17 "Here is my command. Love each other.

The World Hates the Disciples

18 "Does the world hate you? Remember that it hated me first.19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you like one of its own. But you do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
20 "Remember the words I spoke to you. I said, 'A servant is not more important than his master.' (John 13:16) If people hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.21 They will treat you like that because of my name. They do not know the One who sent me.
22 "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.23 Those who hate me hate my Father also.
24 "I did miracles among them that no one else did. If I hadn't, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen those miracles. And still they have hated both me and my Father.25 This has happened so that what is written in their Law would come true. It says, 'They hated me without any reason.' (Psalms 35:19; 69:4)
26 "I will send the Friend to you from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father. When the Friend comes to help you, he will give witness about me.
27 "You also must give witness. This is because you have been with me from the beginning.