John 15 series...verse 3

Today we will be looking at verse four of John 15.

 

Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you.

John 15:3

 

 

The red letters in my red letter Bible tell me that these are words spoken by Christ. Hew as talking to His disciples.

 

A wonderful book that I just finished reading has a wonderful quote speaking of this very verse. I'd like to share it with you today:

 

"Just a short time before, these disciples had been bickering and arguing- unwilling to humble themselves and wash one another's feet. But in ministering to them Jesus humbled Himself, and their hearts had been touched. Now He could say to them, Ye are clean. They didn't have a very good track record, yet they didn't have to put in several weeks of good behavior before they could be forgiven. He said, Now ye are clean. Don't you like the sound of those words? We are cleansed as soon as we come to Him.

 

Not only that, but these disciples were not yet perfect and mature, never to sin or fall or fail again. In just a few hours they forsook Jesus and fled. one of them denied Him. All of them were ashamed of their connection with Him. Their faith failed so miserably in the difficult time of trial.

 

But Jesus, even though He warned them of what was going to happen, still could say to them, "Now ye are clean." They could be accepted by Him and be branches in the Vine. They didn't have to bring forth the fruit first- but rather, through the continued connection with Him, the fruit resulted."

 

 Quote from this book by Morris Venden: 

 

Sometimes in order to better understand a verse, it is a good idea to read the verse in different translations. Because this verse was a bit challenging to me - that is what I did. This time I was best able to understand this verse by looking at a paraphrase version:

 

"Your characters have been shaped already because I shared the Word of God with you and you accepted it as such."

John 15:3 from "The Clear Word Bible"

 

Another great verse that goes right along with this verse and its message is 2 Corinthians 3:18

 

"But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

2 Corinthians 3:18