Read the Gospels in 40 Days

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am^(A) the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes,^(B) and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. ³ You are already clean^(C) because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.^{(D) 5} I am the vine; ^(E) you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit,^(F) because you can do nothing without me. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside^(G) like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire,^(H) and they are burned.^{(I) 7} If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.^{(J) 8} My Father is glorified^(K) by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be^[a] my disciples.

Christlike Love

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.^{(L) 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.^(M)

¹¹ “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.^(N)

¹² “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved^(O) you. ¹³ No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life^(P) for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master^[b](Q) is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you.^(R) I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask^(S) the Father in my name,^(T) he will give you.^(U)

¹⁷ “This is what I command you: Love one another.

Persecutions Predicted

¹⁸ “If the world hates^(V) you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen^(W) you out of it, the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^(X) If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word,^(Y) they will also keep yours. ²¹ But they will do all these things to you on account of my name,^(Z) because they don’t know^(AA) the one who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.^(AB) Now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ The one who hates me also hates my Father.^{(AC) 24} If I had not done the works^(AD) among them that no one else has done,^(AE) they would not be guilty of sin.^(AF) Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled:^(AG) They hated me for no reason.^[c](AH)

The Counselor’s Ministry

²⁶ “When the Counselor^(AI) comes, the one I will send to you from the Father^(AJ) —the Spirit of truth^(AK) who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. ²⁷ You also will testify,^(AL) because you have been with me from the beginning.

16 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. ² They will ban you from the synagogues.^(AM) In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service^(AN) to God. ³ They will do these things because they haven’t known^(AO) the Father or me. ⁴ But I have told you these things so that when their time^[d] comes you will remember^(AP) I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going away^(AQ) to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’^{(AR) 6} Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.^(AS) It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.^{(AT) 8} When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: ⁹ About sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father^(AU) and you will no longer see me; ¹¹ and about judgment,^(AV) because the ruler of this world^(AW) has been judged.^(AX)

¹² “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.^{(AY) 13} When the Spirit of truth^(AZ) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.^(BA) For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ Everything the Father^(BB) has is mine.^(BC) This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.^(BD)

Sorrow Turned to Joy

¹⁶ “In a little while,^(BE) you will no longer see me; ^(BF) again in a little while, you will see me.”^[e]

¹⁷ Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this he’s telling us: ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’^(BG)?” ¹⁸ They said, “What is this he is saying,^[f] ‘In a little while’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.”

¹⁹ Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, and so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me’? ²⁰ Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn,^(BH) but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful,^(BI) but your sorrow will turn to joy. ²¹ When a woman is in labor, she has pain^(BJ) because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child,^(BK) she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. ²² So you also have sorrow^[g] now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice,^(BL) and no one will take away your joy from you.^(BM)

²³ “In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.^{(BN) 24} Until now you have asked for nothing in my name.^(BO) Ask and you will receive,^(BP) so that your joy may be complete.^(BQ)

Jesus the Victor

²⁵ “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. ²⁶ On that day you will ask^(BR) in my name, and^(BS) I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved^(BT) me and have believed that I came from God.^{[h](BU) 28} I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”^(BV)

²⁹ His disciples said, “Look, now you’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. ³⁰ Now we know that you know everything^(BW) and don’t need anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”^(BX)

³¹ Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? ³² Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come,^(BY) when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.^{(BZ) 33} I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”