I am the true vine

I am the true vine Psalm 97, John 15: 1-17 I don't know if any of you have or have ever had a grape vine in your greenhouse or poly-tunnel perhaps. If so you'll know that they aren't that easy to grow ... they can be sensitive to changing temperatures, and they need a good deal of care in their cultivation. The common grapevine is actually mentioned many times throughout the Scriptures ... firstly in Genesis chapter 9 verse 20 where we're told that: "Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard." And it was also obviously cultivated in the land of Canaan before the Israelites moved to Egypt, because in Genesis chapter 49 verse 22 we find Jacob blessing Joseph by referring to him as: "a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall." It was grown too in ancient Egypt and, before the Israelites returned to the Promised Land, the cultivation of the vine was still widely practised there. We're told for instance in numbers chapter 13 that the spies who were sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan returned carrying clusters of grapes that they'd cut off from vines in the Valley of Eshcol. And in fact the idea of the vine, and of owning a vine, became extremely important for the people of Israel because it underlined the fact that they were at last settled and able to live a sedentary lifestyle rather than wandering around from place to place, so that we read in 1 Kings chapter 4 verse 25 that: "During Solomon's lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig-tree" Vineyards where therefore an important part of the cultural life of the people of God, and so when, in John chapter 15, Jesus began speaking of the vine, his hearers would've immediately been able to relate to what he was saying. Not only that but they'd have recognised that he was speaking symbolically of the vineyard because it'd often been used in that way throughout the Old Testament. In particular it's used as a symbol of God's chosen people the Jews. Psalm 80: 8-14, for instance, describes them as being a vine that God brought out of Egypt and replanted in a particularly choice land; telling us, along with Isaiah chapter 5 verses 1-5, how they'd been given all the attention necessary to allow them to produce outstanding fruit. Israel then is pictured as being those who God chose and loved as his own; like the vine existing with the purpose of baring good fruit, and carefully nurtured so that they would help fulfil his long term plan for mankind ... they were to be the "light to the Gentiles" that Isaiah 49 verse 6 tells us of, given the task of bringing God's "salvation to the ends of the earth." However the fact was that they'd yielded only bad fruit because instead of declaring the one true God to those around them they were attracted by their gods and, as a result, they were abandoned by the Lord, left to be plundered by their enemies as God cried out over them in verse 4 of Isaiah chapter 5 saying: "What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?". Which is reminiscent, surely, of Christ's agony as he wept over the disobedience of God's people before the gates of Jerusalem, in Luke 19 verse 41 when he cried out: "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes". So God's vineyard Israel, that which he'd so lovingly cared for, had failed to respond by growing in the way that it should have ... and yet amazingly he hadn't rejected them forever, instead he provided a better way for them, replacing the failed vine with the true vine. So that in our passage from John's gospel Jesus comes to them, telling them: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener". What hasn't been possible for the vine Israel because of their fallen nature, their natural inclination to rebel against God rather than to obediently follow him, will now be possible for those grafted onto the true vine, the one whose root system is Divine, who is God himself. Although the people of Israel have in effect rejected God's original agreement with them, Christ Jesus is now taking upon himself the task of fulfilling the Lord's purpose for humanity. The old vine destroyed itself by its disobedience. However he is the true vine, the obedient Son through whose sacrifice and future mission the original purpose of Israel will find fulfilment. Through Him the nations will be reached, through Him all peoples on earth will be blessed, just as the Lord promised Abram. So we come to our passage where Jesus is announcing a new covenant with his chosen people, a covenant of grace, made possible by his death, whereby now his people are to be spiritually joined to him God the Son, as well as to God the Father. Now they are in effect to be branches on the vine which is Jesus, in close and intimate communion with him as well as with each other. Now they're no longer to be striving to keep God's law in order to please him. Instead, as Jeremiah prophesied in Jeremiah chapter 31, God puts his law within them, writing it upon their hearts such that, just as the sap containing the water and nutrients necessary for the vine to grow and flourish flows up from the its roots through the main plant and into the branches where the grapes grow, so, now, those who are Christ's, have their lives ruled, directed and empowered, by God's Holy Spirit within them. As a result, what becomes clear immediately is that it's impossible to be a self-sufficient Christian, a follower of Jesus out on our own. Because, just as the branches of the vine have no source of life within themselves, such that if they're separated from the vine they die and are fit only to be burned, so the Christian character only grows in a person because they are attached to Christ, because they've experienced salvation and now have a relationship with God. In other words the fruits of the Christian life, which are a growing likeness to Christ in our lives and in our conduct, can only begin to develop when we know Christ to be our saviour, and can only continue to develop as they should as we strive to strengthen our union with him. It follows then that we each must be careful to get to know the Lord better through studying and meditating on his word, through praying constantly on our own and with others, through worshipping him together, and through fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, so that we don't become worried about our actual position as branches of the True Vine which is Christ, we should note that Jesus' talk of branches being thrown away and burned must be balanced against such passages as John chapter 6 verse 39 where Jesus says that it is the will of him who sent him, that he lose none of all that he has been given, but raise them up at the last day. Or again John 10 verses 28 and 29 where Jesus says that no one can snatch his sheep out of his hand. It would seem, then, that talk of destroying branches doesn't refer to true believers but to those who try to climb in by some other way. No for the one who is in Christ there is, without fear, so much to anticipate, so many benefits of being a part of the vine. Firstly we see in verse 2 of John Chapter 15 that, like a good gardener, God the Father prunes the branches of the vine in order to produce more fruit. Those who are gardeners amongst us will know that for many plants unless the old wood is cut out at the end of the flowering season next year's crop of fruit or flowers will be likely to be much diminished, energy having being wasted on unproductive growth. And for the Christian this vital pruning is necessary too and is achieved by our heavenly Father himself, he who is the vine dresser and who prunes us primarily by his Word as it reveals to us those aspects of our lives, and conduct, which need to change. The fact is that we can spend too much time and energy on areas of our lives that are no longer worthy of those who claim an allegiance to Christ and, as we grow as Christians, God will make these things clear to us and will enable us to cut them out of our lives. If we're willing to allow him that is. Because where our lives, or natural views, don't agree with the demands of scripture then there's the strong temptation not to listen to it. But then when we give into that temptation we're only fooling ourselves, we're not allowing ourselves to be pruned, and as such we won't bear the fruit that God intends us to; and in the extreme scenario, where this is evidence that we were never actually part of the vine, we may find that we're finally discarded as rubbish and burned. The difficulty is though that pruning can be painful, and this is especially the case where the Lord uses hard circumstances and trials as his pruning tools ... which at times will be the situation for all of us. And yet it's a truth, in horticulture as well as in Christian experience, that the harder the pruning, the greater the fragrance and beauty which will later be released. And although our heavenly Father may in his pruning cut deeper than we ourselves would choose in order to obtain the fruit that he so desires, we mustn't forget that in all things he works for the good of those who love him. Then secondly, we see the promise in verse 5 that the person who remains in Christ, and he in them will indeed bear much fruit. The clear implication being that if we continue to depend on him, forsaking all others, seeking only after the ways of God, then we should expect results. We should for instance expect a closer sense of his presence, as well as a growing concern for others who previously we may well have ignored. We may also find that we're being challenged to do new things for Christ, and that those around us are seeing the changes in our lives, and are being convicted of their own need by what they see. Whatever, the promise is there: if we remain actively in Christ then he, who chose us for that purpose, will bless us. But how do we know that we do remain in him? Well verse 10 tells us: It says that we will remain in him if we obey him. Our relationship with Christ Jesus is a moral one and just as he remained in the Fathers love by his obedience to his commands, so we will remain in Christ by our obedience to his. And so it follows that the measure of our remaining in Christ isn't simply a matter of how we might feel about it. No, as one commentator has said: "The mark of an abiding heart is not only, or even principally, a state of inward serenity, but a conscience clear before God and man" That's not to say that this obedience is something that's onerous, or that we should fear ... no, true submission to God is actually the road to freedom and joy. As verse 11 of our passage tells us: "I have told you this (the need for obedience) so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." Which is surely both a challenge and encouragement for us all, both as individuals and as the Church. If we wish to see Christ acting in power amongst us, which is what he desires, then here's the answer ... we're to make sure that we remain in him. Thirdly we read in verses 7 and 16 of John chapter 15 that if we do remain in him and his words remain in us then whatever we ask in his name will be done for us. Of course this doesn't mean that for the Christian God is some sort of wish fulfilment machine. Rather, what Jesus is saying is that when we remain in Him we're in effect in such harmony with God's purposes, that the yearning of our hearts will agree with his plans so that our prayers are answered "according to his will" (1 John 5:14). As such, as Christians who are remaining in him, we're given the immense privilege of sharing with God in his work of salvation here on earth ... in effect we become co-workers with our creator. A truth which brings us to the fourth benefit that we find of being a branch on the true vine because in verse 15 of our passage Jesus says: "I no longer call you servants". After all, he tells us, a servant doesn't know his masters' business. However everything that I've heard from my Father, he says, I've passed on to you and as such you're now my friends. Now being thought of as the servant of God is no disgrace at all, far from it. Moses in Deut 34: 5 is called the servant of the Lord, as is Joshua in Josh 24:29 and also King David. So 'the servant of the Lord', in other words, is a title of great honour. And yet it isn't sufficient honour for the person who now is in Christ. Rather we are called friends of the Lord. The type of relationship that we're here considering was that once found at the courts of Roman Emperors and eastern kings; where you'd have found a select group of particularly privileged people who were called the friends of the Emperor or, the friends of the king. These people would've been allowed access to their leader at any time of the day, being privy to his most intimate thoughts and being consulted before he made even the most important decisions of State. And such is the privilege of the person grafted into Christ. As JC Ryle has said: "There is nobody so rich, so strong, so independent, so well off, so thoroughly provided for, as the person of whom Christ says, 'This is my friend'" And then, finally, when we're a remaining part of the vine we're marked by our love for our fellow disciples, a love which is a Christ-like love. It's a fact that, although only Christ can draw others to Christ, he is revealed when his people love one another; and of course it follows that he is hidden where they don't. We are to love, Jesus says, "As I have loved you". For him this was to be by laying down his life for his friends; and we also ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16), being prepared to give our all for them. So then, Jesus "the true vine" who makes us clean as we experience the reality of his words of salvation, and makes us a branch intimately connected to himself and therefore to God the three in one, says to each of us today: "Remain in me, and I will remain in you". As a result, if we truly know Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour, then let us indeed determine to be his faithful branches. Let us strive to receive all the spiritual nourishment that he would give us so that we will indeed bear fruit. But what of those who don't yet know him in this way? Well to such he continues to say: I am the true vine, come to me, the one who offers you so much, acknowledge your need of the true vine, and begin to receive all the benefits which await you. Amen