I Am - The True Vine

I am Statements of John  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Who is John?
John, an Apostle of Jesus
Why did John write his book?

24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

What does he mean in verse 25?
Jesus accomplished a lot. Not only salvation for us but other works on earth as well.
John did his best to document as much as possible.
What have we studied the last 6 weeks?
The last 6 weeks have shown us different way in which Jesus was God.
I am statements in John
The bread of life. (John 6:35)
The light of the world. (John 8:12)
The door. (John 10:7-9)
The good shepherd. (John 10:11)
The resurrection and the life. (John 11:25)
The way, the truth, and the life. (John14:6)
The true vine. (John 15:1-5)
Abide in Me
When we get to this point, Jesus is giving some of his last words to his disciples before he is arrested and ultimately crucified.

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

PRAY
Has anyone taken a horticulture class? Science class?
What do plants need to survive?
How do plants send the things they need (answers from above) to their leaves/fruit/whatever they’re growing?
So if you cut a branch off of a plant, what happens to the branch?
Dies
What happens to the plant?
Keeps living. Why?
The branch isn’t the source of life, the vine/plant is.
What is Jesus trying to tell us when he says that he is the vine and we are the branches?
He is the source of life. We are dead without him.
James/Romans
Why does the Father cut the branches that do not bear fruit?

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away,

@Maryanna Why do you cut branches that don’t bear fruit?
They end up taking roots from the branches that are living.
If Jesus is our source of life, and the father cuts away the dead branches, how do we become the branches that receive life? What does this passage tell us to do?
How many times is the word (or a version of the word) ‘abide’ used?
10
Why did John (and other biblical authors repeat themselves?
No caps lock, underlining, italicizing, bold lettering. Emphasis comes from repetition.
Abide - If he uses it 10 times, its important. So does that mean?
to remain; continue; stay: - Dictionary.com
When I say the following words or phrases, tell me what they all have in common.
McDonald’s
Pacific Coast
Walmart
Ranch Dressing
Bald Eagle
Atlantic Coast
Football
Spray on Cheese
Red, White, and Blue
Mount Rushmore
All of these things are in America, why do we know that?
Being a part of American culture and being involved in the things of America, we are familiar with the things in America.
Because we live in America, we abide in America.
‘bear much fruit’ echoes a different passage we see in the Old Testament.

15 And the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? 3 Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? 4 Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything!

Ezekiel is talking about Israel and how they are living wickedly and not producing fruit. He says that the branches who aren’t producing should be thrown into the fire and burned.

6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

John says this same thing in verse 6.
What are they talking about when they are talking about being thrown into the fire?
Fire was a common jewish symbol for divine judgement. If the branches who aren’t producing fruit are burned in the fire, we believe that those branches represent unbelievers who will spend eternity in hell.
If the peoples who don’t produce fruit and don’t abide in Jesus are cut off and thrown into the fire, what happens to those who do abide in him?

2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

What is pruning? Why is it good? (Forged in fire?)
“to cut or lop off (twigs, branches, or roots).”
Thats doesn’t sound like a good thing.
Pruned branches grow back stronger.
Apart from me you can do nothing.
Obviously we see people who aren’t believers doing things.
Only God can do things of eternal value.
At some point, everything we have ever done will waste away and be gone.
Our clothes, our jobs, our schools, our k/d on COD, even our bodies.
That you love one another.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Now that we’ve talked about what Jesus commanded about the vine, he says he commanded it ‘that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.’
The disciples.
As we established, John was one of Jesus disciples…meaning they spent a lot of time together. Earlier on John calls himself

23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side,

Jesus loved these men, they were his friends.
Jesus is referencing the time he lays down his life for his friends and for so many more through time: the crucifixion.
He even says

14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

What is the difference between a servant and a friend?
Table
Servants make up the table and put food on the table.
Friends sit at the table and dine with the master.
Bed
The servants make the master’s bed.
Friends sleep in a bed made by the servants.
Errands
Servants run errand, go and get things for the house.
Friends stay at the house and enjoy fellowship with the master.
What changes our relationship from servant to friends?

14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

How do we abide in/be in Jesus?
When Jesus talks about laying down his life for his friends, he isn’t just providing us a metaphor for live, he’s telling us why he’s going to do what he is going to do.
Jesus laid down his life at the crucifixion because he loved us.

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

He chose you because he loved you.
Jesus uses the fruit illustration elsewhere.

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

What are some fruits? (things that can be seen/outward expressions of faithfulness)
Trust, prayer, obedience, and joy.
What happens when we abide in Jesus?

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

v16 ‘Whatever you ask in the Father’s name he will give you.’
v8 ‘We will prove to be his disciples.’
Let’s abide in this week and this Christmas as we remember why Jesus said and commanded this.

17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

PRAY
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