SF364 - I AM THE VINE (John 15 1-8)
JOHN 15:1-6
INTRODUCTION
Series Background
Message of the Master
Ø Reveal Himself ‑ His nature
Ø John 6, the Bread of Life ‑ God's Perfect Provision;
Ø John 8, the Light of the World ‑ God's Personal Revelation
Ø John 10, the Door to Heaven ‑ God's Passage Way
Ø John 10, the Good Shepherd ‑ God's Perfect Sacrifice
Ø John 11, The Resurrection and the Life ‑ God's Promise Fulfilled
Ø John 14, The Way and the Truth and the Life ‑ God's Pathway To Heaven
Ø John 15, The True Vine ‑ God's Purpose Revealed
Four Elements
1. The Vine - Jesus
2. The Vinedresser ‑ God
3. The Branches - Believers
4. The Fruit – evidence of God’s working
We learn here about God’s purpose for His people
The context tells us that this parable is addressed to believers only.
“The central theme is not salvation, how it is to be obtained, or the danger of losing it. Instead, the great theme here is fruit-bearing and the conditions of fertility.” (Pink, 801)
1A. Jesus is The “True Vine” (15:1a)
1B. He excludes all other vines
In the OT Israel was a type of the true vine.
Isaiah 5:1-2 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes.
Isaiah 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
Christ is the perfect fulfillment of the vine.
2B. He chooses all the branches (Romans 11:17‑21)
Paul uses the olive tree to make the same point
Ø This is an act of God's grace
Ø This is a sovereign act of God
Ø God will not tolerate unbelief
Ø God can and will judge unbelievers
2A. God is the Vinedresser (15:1b)
This figure speaks of God’s love for Christ and His people.
1B. He protects and cares for His people.
1 Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
2B. He watches over His people.
Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
3B. He disciplines His people.
Hebrews 12:6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
3A. Believers are the Branches (15:2-3)
1B. The identity of the branches (15:2a)
“In Me,” refers to believers only
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2B. The Father corrects the fruitless branches (15:2b)
These are branches that are not longer bearing fruit (2 Peter 1:5-8)
Ø We become unfruitful when we cease to do the things mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5-7.
These branches are corrected not destroyed.
Ø The verb “airo, takes away,” can and should be translated “raise up.”
John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
Ø Therefore it should read, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He raises up.”
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
3B. The Father cleanses the fruitful branches (15:2c-3)
The Father’s motive is to increase our fruitfulness (15:2c)
“Prunes, kathairo;” to cleanse
“The reference is to the washing off of the deposits of insects, of mosses and other parasites which infest the plant and will decrease its fruitfulness. (Boice, 1162.)
The Father’s method for cleansing is the Word (15:3)
Psalm 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
Ø He will often use afflictions to cause us to go to His word.
Psalm 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.
Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.
4A. The Conditions of Fruitfulness (15:4-6)
1B. The prerequisite for fruitfulness (15:4)
“Abide in Me”
Ø To abide in Him you must first be “in Him.”
“To abide in Him means to have sustained conscious communion with Him – a daily active faith in Him which maintains a dependency on Him.” (Pink, 812)
“I in you”
“The conscious recognition of His presence.” (Pink, 812)
Psalm 92:13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
2B. The promise of fruitfulness (15:5)
The branch bears the fruit but the vine produces the fruit!
John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
Ø It is Christ who produces the fruit not me.
A severed branch will be fruitless
Ø Broken fellowship results in fruitless living.
Ø Not only will known sin break fellowship but so will misplaced priorities.
“Concentration on any thing but Christ will cause a break in fellowship.” (Pink, 814)
3B. The penalty of fruitlessness (15:6)
To be “thrown away” means to loose the opportunity and ability to bear fruit.
2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
Once one is “thrown away” all he can produce is “dead works” and it is those dead works which are cast into the fire.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Lot is a perfect example.
APPLICATION
Are you “in Christ”?
Are you “abiding in Christ”?
John 15:1-6
1A. Jesus is The “_________________ Vine” (15:1a)
1B. He _______________________ all other vines
In the OT Israel was a type of the true vine. (Isaiah 5:1-2, 7)
Christ is the perfect fulfillment of the vine.
2B. He ________________ all the branches (Romans 11:17‑21)
2A. God is the _________________________ (15:1b)
1B. He ______________ and cares for His people. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
2B. He _____________________ over His people. (Proverbs 16:17)
3B. He __________________________ His people. (Hebrews 12:6)
3A. Believers are the _________________ (15:2-3)
1B. The ___________________ of the branches (15:2a; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
2B. The Father __________________ the fruitless branches (15:2b)
These are branches that are not longer bearing fruit (2 Peter 1:5-8)
These branches are corrected not ____________. (John 11:41)
Therefore it should read, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He raises up.” (Galatians 6:1)
3B. The Father ___________________ the fruitful branches (15:2c-3)
The Father’s motive is to ____________________ our fruitfulness (15:2c)
The Father’s method for cleansing is the ___________________ (15:3; Psalm 119:9, 67, 71)
4A. The _______________ of Fruitfulness (15:4-6)
1B. The prerequisite for fruitfulness (15:4)
“Abide in Me”
Ø To abide in Him you must first be “in Him.”
“I in you” (Psalm 92:13)
2B. The promise of fruitfulness (15:5)
The branch bears the fruit but the vine produces the fruit! (John 5:19)
A severed branch will be fruitless
3B. The penalty of fruitlessness (15:6)
To be “thrown away” means to loose the opportunity and ability to bear fruit. (2 John 1:8)
Once one is “thrown away” all he can produce is “dead works” and it is those dead works which are cast into the fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)