Jesus - The True Vine (2)

I became a Christian about 45 years ago, and looking back I can see God working in my life, helping me to become the person He wants me to be. There have been many ups and downs, times when I wasn’t listening or more concerned with what I thought I wanted. Through it all, God continued the process of transforming me, drawing me closer and deepening my relationship with Him. Jesus uses the image of God as a gardener, with Jesus being the vine and people as the branches.

John 15:1–8

John 15:1–8 NIV84

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

In the OT, the image of the vine is applied to the nation of Israel representing God’s people. There God complains that after all He did for them they produced only bad fruit:

Isaiah 5:4

Isaiah 5:4 NIV84

What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?

The vine

Jesus is saying that He is the true vine, the true source of God’s people represented by the branches. The vine brings life to the branches.

Dead wood

Apart from Christ people cannot bear fruit, can do nothing. Branches that do not bear fruit are taken away, so that they will drain away none of the plant’s strength.

Unbelief

Empty profession – give lip-service

Falling away – parable of the sower. Those who start to grow but turn back in the face of temptations or opposition.

Wither and die – a branch does not stay alive if it is not attached to the vine

Thrown into the fire – vine branches are too soft to be used for any other purpose. The only thing that could be done with the wood pruned out of a vine was to make a bonfire of it and destroy it.

Fruit Bearing

Because Christ lives in us, his Spirit produces the fruit of his character in our lives.

Because we are His people we produce the fruit of good works.

Because we are His people we produce the fruit of converts.

The ultimate goal of all this, of our very lives, is to glorify God.

Abiding in Christ

The difference between these two types of branches is abiding in Christ. To abide means to be closely connected to, to remain in union with, to dwell. This relationship is established by believing in Christ, genuine faith, and is the result of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. It is lived out by obedience to His word.

This is a two-way relationship where we not only abide in Christ but He abides in us as His word abides in us. He maintains fellowship with us as the Spirit works in our lives.

Jesus says that those who abide in Him will bear fruit. It is a natural result of our close relationship with Him.

We maintain and strengthen our relationship with Christ by

Prayer

Study

Worship

Obedience

Pruning

Just as pruning is necessary for a vine to produce more fruit, so pruning is needed in our lives.

We have a rose bush in front of our house, and for quite a while it only produced 1 or 2 roses each year. Then, a couple of years ago, I pruned it during the winter and the following spring we had 3 or 4. I pruned it again last winter and this year we had 6 or 7 roses.

Also means to cleanse or purify. This cleaning can be the result of the word of Christ by teaching, exhortation, or rebuke.

Removes those things which hold back our growth.

Purpose

Ask what we will and it will be given – when we abide in Christ we will ask only what is according to His will.

Prove we are disciples – by their fruit you shall know them

Bring glory to God

The questions before us this morning:

Are we producing the fruit that God desires?

Are we abiding in Christ and letting His word abide in us