Love, Fruitfulness and Hatred

In John 15 Jesus instructs His disciples regarding the kind of relationships He has given, and how to navigate them. He addresses their position and connection with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, using the graphic imagery of the vine, the vinedresser and our relationship with the unfruitful branches which are taken away. He explains their relationship with their Father in prayer, and their relationships with one another in love, and their relation to the world and its hatred. Over and over again, Jesus reminds His disciples of the central nature of obedience, abiding in the Word of God and love - all of which are inextricably connected. In the verses before us, Jesus instructs His disciples further in the kind of behavior He will help them to perform in the church they are building.