Abide

John 12–21 (1) The Mashal of the Vine and the Branches: A Portrait of Discipleship (15:1–11)

Jesus, the Vine, appears to stand between the vineyard keeper/gardener and the branches as a kind of “mediator” of life and sustenance.

The vine in the OT was Israel

symbolized by a cluster of golden grapes

they were to be a source of life and nourishment for the world

in the OT, the vine would be cut off and thrown in the fire

Jesus as the vine:

the source for nourishment, life, and purpose

the mediator of all good things from the gardener

defines the boundaries of who would call themselves Christians (fruit-bearers)

Believers as fruit-bearers:

further the reach of the vine

accentuate the beauty of the vine

flavor for those not connected to the vine

The Gospel according to John a. The Extended Metaphor (15:1–8)

this fruit is the consequence of prayer in Jesus’ name, and is to the Father’s glory (vv. 7, 8, 16). This suggests that the ‘fruit’ in the vine imagery represents everything that is the product of effective prayer in Jesus’ name, including obedience to Jesus’ commands (v. 10), experience of Jesus’ joy (v. 11–as earlier his peace, 14:27), love for one another (v. 12), and witness to the world (vv. 16, 27).