The Vine and it’s branches
John 15:5
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.
We’re talking about a vine and branches today. In light of that.
Ancient viticultural practices provide background information. Two processes were involved, the training of the vines and the pruning of the branches. Vines were trained in one of two ways:
(1) they were allowed to trail along the ground and then the fruit-bearing branches were lifted up by placing rocks or poles under them to allow aeration in order to ensure better grapes, or
(2) they were trained from the outset on to poles or trellises, the branches being lifted on to these to improve their fruit-bearing potential.
Pruning was also an essential part of first-century viticultural practice, as it is today. The first pruning occurred in spring when vines were in the flowering stage. This involved four operations:
(1) the removal of the growing tips of vigorous shoots so that they would not grow too rapidly,
(2) cutting off one or two feet from the end of growing shoots to prevent entire shoots being snapped off by the wind;
(3) the removal of some flower or grape clusters so that those left could produce more and better-quality fruit; and
(4) the removal of suckers that arose from below the ground or from the trunk and main branches so that the strength of the vine was not tapped by the suckers. Spring pruning did not involve the removal of wooden branches or their subsequent burning.
The second pruning occurred in autumn after the grapes were harvested and the vines were dormant. This involved the removal of unwanted branches, those that had produced fruit in the previous season but would not produce fruit in the ensuing season. It also involved cutting back the desired branches the shoots from the year-old branches that would produce fruit in the coming year) to ensure maximum fruit production. After the autumn pruning the cuttings, including many wooden branches, were gathered up and burned.”
————————-
John 15:1-17
[1] “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.
[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.
——————
“In the time of Jesus a great golden vine hung over the entrance to the Jerusalem temple. Josephus describes it: The gate opening into the building was, as I said, completely overlaid with gold, as was the whole wall around it. It had, moreover, above it those golden vines, from which depended grape-clusters as tall as a man’. If the second part of Jesus’ farewell discourse was given en route from the Last Supper venue to the Garden where he was betrayed, his teaching on the true vine may have been given in the Temple courtyard with the great golden vine glinting in the light of the Passover Moon.” – Colin Kruse
——————-
What is Jesus teaching here?
Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. He next taught the Eleven the importance of abiding in Him with the result that they would produce much spiritual fruit. He dealt with their relationships to Himself, one another, and the world around them. Their responsibilities were to abide, to love, and to testify.
This is the last of the 7 “I Am” claims in John.
When Jesus says vine…
John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
……the Jews will know what he is talking about.
Isaiah 5:3-7
[3] And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
[4] What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?
[5] And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
[6] I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
[7] For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry!
Psalm 80:8-11
[8] You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
[9] You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
[10] The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
[11] It sent out its branches to the sea
and its shoots to the River.
Jesus is saying that Israel is guilty, it has not held up it’s end of the bargain, they have been unfaithful, but thankfully a good vine has come, one that won’t fail or wither. Jesus and His branches will be throughout the Kingdom.
Who is the Vine?
Who are the Branches?
Who is doing the pruning?
Branches that go it on their own (move too far away from the vine) soon wither and will eventually die if they keep moving to far away.
So does this mean we have to be perfect to keep from being thrown into the fire?
No…..not if you are a Christian….however; if you are a Christian in name only then you have a problem. This is not about working your way to heaven, nor is it about losing your salvation. This is about being saved and what the Christian life looks like or what it looks like not to be a Christian.
Here’s where we have to take into account all of scripture and all of the New Testament or we will get ourselves twisted up and confused.
“The phrase ‘in Me’ is used 16 times in John’s Gospel (6:56; 10:38; 14:10 [twice], 11, 20, 30; 15:2, 4 [twice], 5-7; 16:33; 17:21, 23). In each case it refers to fellowship with Christ.
The other word here to see is clean v3. Jesus tells his disciples that they are clean or pure. If we are clean/pure and in Me we are Christians….this is security for the believer.
However; Jesus taught that some believers in Him do not bear fruit or as much fruit as mature believers (cf. Luke 8:14). So how should we think of them? Look down?
Luke 8:14
[14] And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
In contrast
Luke 8:15
[15] As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Fruit-bearing is the normal but not the inevitable consequence of having divine life. This is true of grapevines too. Grapevines have branches that bear fruit, but they must also have branches that presently bear no fruit but are growing stronger so they will bear fruit in the future. The New Testament teaches that God affects many changes in the life of every person who trusts in Jesus for salvation.
However these are all invisible changes. Fruit is what a plant produces on the outside that other people can see and benefit from. It is the visible evidence of an inner working power.
Thus a true believer who experiences salvation may not necessarily give external testimony to that transformation by his or her character or conduct immediately. But, it would be very rare for a Christian to resist the Spirit’s promptings so consistently and thoroughly that he or she would never bear any fruit. The mature believer is to be patient with those who aren’t mature yet, and help them get there…….
What happens to the believer who bears no fruit or very little? The Greek word airo can mean “to take away” or “to lift up.”
So we can look here and see if you aren’t a believer you are thrown into the fire, or you are an immature believer and you aren’t bearing fruit and will lose rewards or blessings or some theologians think possibly even his or her life.
However; we’re not all at the same point in our walk with Jesus, so before you wring your hands and worry….. Jesus was teaching that the Father gives special support to believers who are not yet bearing fruit. In viticulture this involves lifting the branch off the ground so it will not send secondary roots down into the ground that will prove unhealthful. Lifting the branch off the ground onto a pole or trellis also enables air to dry the branch and prevent it from getting moldy and becoming diseased.
The Father also prunes (Gr. kathairo) or cuts back the branches that bear fruit so they will produce even more fruit. This apparently corresponds to the disciplining process that God has consistently used to make His people more spiritually productive (Num. 14:22-24; Heb. 12:4-11; et al.). It does not involve removing the believer’s life but his or her sinful habits and purifying his or her character and conduct, often through trials (James 1:2-4). No fruit-bearing branch is exempt from this important though uncomfortable process. The Father’s purpose is loving, but the process may be painful.
Grapevines, in contrast to other types of wood, do not have many uses. Their total value is that they can produce fruit, specifically grapes. Vines do not yield timber from which people can make other things (Ezek. 15). They are “good for either bearing or burning, but not for building.”Similarly the only reason believers exist on the earth is to bear spiritual fruit.
——————————
Have you ever moved away from the vine a bit? Or a lot? Have you ever been pruned? What was that like? It hurts.
What does it look like to abide or remain in Him? What does a Christian life look like that is close to the Vine? Close to Jesus? It produces much fruit. What is that fruit?
Galatians 5:22-23
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Does your life have this?
- Does the Bible promise everything goes your way if you live close to the vine? No…
John 16:33
[33] I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
- Does the Bible promise it will ultimately work out for your best if you live close to the vine? Yes
Romans 8:28
[28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Have you never made a decision to be part of the vine? Come forward
Are you too far from the Vine today? Come back
Are you being pruned? God chastises those whom He loves…. Draw close to the vine, so you can bear much fruit.
