15:1 I am. This is the seventh and last of the “I am” statements of Christ in John’s gospel, all asserting His deity and complete ability to save and reign. The others are, in order: (1) “the bread of life” (John 6:35); (2) “the light of the world” (John 8:12); (3) “the door” (John 10:9); (4) “the good shepherd” (John 10:11); (5) “the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25); (6) “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). As the seven “I am’s” affirm His deity, the seven “signs” (see John 20:30-31) confirm it.

15:1 true vine. Israel had been pictured in the Old Testament as a vine that had become unproductive (e.g., Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 2:21), but Christ here asserts that He Himself is the “true vine,” whose good fruits last forever.