Mike continues his series on the “I am…” statements made by Jesus with this final two-part lesson regarding his statement, “I am the Vine.”
The grape vine or olive vine provided Jesus with the perfect analogy to illustrate his relationship to His people. In John 15, Jesus says (perhaps in comparison to a representation of a vine at the temple), “I am the true vine.” He sustains the branches (his people), causing those branches provide much fruit (the good works of our lives).
God’s people will not “die” when they remain connected to that which is alive.
“Remain in me…”
“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, as I also 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 you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are 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 done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 15:1-8
I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard:
My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines.
He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
7 The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel,
and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in.
Isaiah 5:1-2, 7
0 Comments