2011 Mar 05 (星期日）Vine, Branches and Love

Sermon Title: Vine, Branches and Love

Place & Date: TRC Mandarin, March 6, 2011

Responsive Reading: 32, Isaiah 11

Hymn: 168, 152

Scriptures: John 15: 1-17

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a^] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

1 我是真葡萄樹，我父是栽培的人。

2 凡屬我不結果子的枝子，他就剪去；凡結果子的，他就修理乾淨， 使枝子結果子更多。

3 現在你們因我講給你們的道，已經乾淨了。

4 你們要常在我裡面，我也常在你們裡面。枝子若不常在葡萄樹上， 自己就不能結果子；你們若不常在我裡面，也是這樣。

5 我是葡萄樹，你們是枝子。常在我裡面的，我也常在他裡面， 這人就多結果子；因為離了我，你們就不能做甚麼。

6 人若不常在我裡面，就像枝子丟在外面枯乾，人拾起來， 扔在火裡燒了。

7 你們若常在我裡面，我的話也常在你們裡面，凡你們所願意的， 祈求，就給你們成就。

8 你們多結果子，我父就因此得榮耀，你們也就是我的門徒了。

9 我愛你們，正如父愛我一樣；你們要常在我的愛裡。

10 你們若遵守我的命令，就常在我的愛裡，正如我遵守了我父的 命令，常在他的愛裡。

11 這些事我已經對你們說了，是要叫我的喜樂存在你們心裡， 並叫你們的喜樂可以滿足。

12 你們要彼此相愛，像我愛你們一樣；這就是我的命令。

13 人為朋友捨命，人的愛心沒有比這個大的。

14 你們若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。

15 以後我不再稱你們為僕人，因僕人不知道主人所做的事。 我乃稱你們為朋友；因我從我父所聽見的，已經都告訴你們了。

16 不是你們揀選了我，是我揀選了你們，並且分派你們去結果子， 叫你們的果子常存，使你們奉我的名，無論向父求甚麼，他就賜給你們。

17 我這樣吩咐你們，是要叫你們彼此相愛。

Sermon Outline:

講道大綱:

· A branch that does not bear fruit is “cuts off” – this can mean to “lift up” as well as to “take away,” and it is sometimes argued that here it is a reference to the gardener “lifting up” (i.e., propping up) a weak branch so that it bears fruit again. (v.2)

不結果子的枝子被「修剪」—這意謂著「上支架」，也是「取走」之意，有一個爭議是說，這裡是指園丁用架子把一個脆弱的枝子「撐起來」，好使它能再結果子。(2節)

· The imagery of the vine underscores the importance of fruitfulness in the Christian life and the truth that this results not from human achievement, but from one’s position in Christ. (v.4)

· 這葡萄樹的比喻指出了基督徒生命結果子的重要性，並指出一個真理，這不是來自人的成就而是從一個人在基督裏的身分而來。(4節)

· The commandment to ‘love one another’ expressed through self-sacrifice for one another, sacrifice up to the point of death, which is what Jesus himself did on the cross. (v.9-10)

「彼此相愛」這個誡命，表現在彼此的自我犧牲，甚至犧牲至死

的程度，也就是耶穌在十字架上所做的。(9-10節)

· If the disciples are elevated in status from slaves to friends, they are friends who have been chosen by Jesus, rather than the opposite way around. (v.16)

門徒從奴隸的身分晉升為朋友，是因耶穌的揀選，不是他們自己的

選擇。(16節)

· Jesus has chosen all to love, not just some narrower category of believers, because Jesus’ sacrificial death, which is his act of love toward his friends applies to all equally. (v.13)

耶穌選擇愛所有的人，不是只有少部份的信徒，耶穌犧牲至死是祂愛朋友的行動，這朋友是指所有的人。

Questions for Reflection:

1. If you get to choose, who would you want to be your neighbours?

如果你可以選擇，你會要誰當你的鄰居？

2. If you get to choose, which brothers and sisters in church would you prune?

如果你可以選擇，教會中哪些弟兄姊妹是你想修剪的?

3. If you get to choose, what kinds of friends deserve your love?

如果你可以選擇，哪種朋友值得你去愛?