• Man, without the grace of God, through Christ, empowering him, can no morebring forth action pleasing to God than the dry and withered branch canput forth the rich and ruddy cluster. 

- D.D. Whedon, Commentary, p. 366
• We have as necessary and constant a dependence upon the grace of the Mediatorfor all the actions of the spiritual and divine life as we have upon theprovidence of the Creator for all the actions of the natural life; for, as to both, it is in the divine power that we live, move, and haveour being.

- Matthew Henry, Commentary, p. 1124
• The true believers are pruned through the Word and their experience ofunion with the vine.

- A.J. Macleod, New Bible Commentary,p. 890
• [This great assertion of Jesus] needs to be considered against the OT conceptof Israel as a vine or vineyard (cf. Isaiah 5:1-7;  Ezekiel 15:1-6& 19:10-14;  Psalm 80:8-16).

- Donald Guthrie, New Bible Commentary:Revised, p. 959
• Jesus is the true Israel, in whose stem are incorporated the branches ofthe people of God, who find their fulfillment and life in him.

- Massey H. Shepherd, Jr.,  Interpreter'sOne-Volume Commentary, p. 724
• Our Lord in this whole passage speaks of no branches but such as are, orat least were once, united to him by living faith.

- John Wesley, Notes Upon the New Testament
• The equation of Christ with the vine was doubtless suggested by the languageof the Eucharist, such as "I am the bread of life," while the extensionof the allegory to include the disciples as branches is reminiscent ofthe Pauline doctrine of the Church as the body of Christ.

- Reginald H. Fuller, Preaching the Lectionary,p. 267
• He speaks not of the power of God, but of the responsibility of man-a responsibilitywhich man will certainly not be able to meet without grace; but which hasnevertheless that character of personal responsibility here. 

- John Darby,Synopsis of  the NewTestament
• The branch, he says, beareth not fruit of itself; and, therefore, he notonly extols the aid of his co-operating

grace, but deprives us entirely of all power but what he imparts tous. 
- John Calvin, Commentary
• In order that we may live and be fruitful, we must first be grafted intoChrist, as it were into a vine, by the Father's hand: and then be dailymoulded with a continual meditation of the word, and the cross.

- Geneva Study Bible
• The spiritual oneness of Christ and His people, and His relation to themas the Source of all their spiritual life and fruitfulness, are here beautifullyset forth by a figure familiar to Jewish ears (Isaiah 5:1, &c.). 

- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
• The same bringeth forth much fruit; in the exercise of grace, and performanceof good works; and continues to do so as long as he lives, not by virtueof his own free will, power, and strength, but by grace continually receivedfrom Christ. 

- John Gill,  Exposition of the Bible
• Observe that, not denominations, but church members, are the branches.

- Johnson, B.W., People's New Testament

Hymns
BobVanWyk, Lectionary Hymn Reviewer
 
 

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See also:  220.7- Bible Commentaries; 251- Homiletics;  252- Sermon Texts

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