I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHESJohn 15:5
Some churches have very interesting names. Search the internet and you will find names like these.. The Vine Church.. The Living Vine Church.. The Fruitful Vine Church. The past two Sundays we have looked at two ways the New Testament describes the Church.. as God’s temple.. and as the body of Christ. Today we are thinking about these words.. words of Jesus.. John 15:5.. I am the vine, you are the branches.. The teaching of Jesus in John 15.. especially verses 1-17.. is very important. Here He shows us how we can live fruitful lives as His followers.. and also shows us what a fruitful life looks like.
The first thing He teaches is that.. · HE IS THE TRUE VINE. He says in John 15:1.. I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. In the Old Testament, Israel, the people God chose to be His people, are described as both a vineyard and a vine. In Isaiah 5:7 we read.. The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. And then in Psalm 80:8,9 the Psalmist says to God.. You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. In Isaiah 5, Isaiah makes it plain that God was very disappointed with Israel. He looked for justice but saw bloodshed.. looked for righteousness but heard cries of distress. Israel was God’s vine.. but a failed and flawed vine. Against this background Jesus says, I am the true vine.. the vine with which God will not be disappointed.. the vine that will live up to its high calling.. a fruitful vine. Where Israel failed, I will not fail.
The next thing He teaches is that.. · HIS PEOPLE ARE THE BRANCHES. In John 15:5 He says.. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.. He says to His people.. His disciples.. to you and me if we are His disciples.. You are the branches.. and speaks of us remaining in Him.. and He in us.. In vs 2 He speaks of the branches being in Him.. He is speaking of a very close link between Him and His people. His people are in Him.. He is in them. Is this just a picture or is it more than just a picture? It is more! Far more! In the New Testament we often find believers described as.. ‘in Christ’.. ‘in union with Christ’.. and also find it said that Christ is in them.. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the Apostle Paul says.. if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!. To understand what he is saying.. we need to read some of the other things he says. Galatians 2:20.. I have been crucified with Christ.. Romans 6:4.. We were.. buried with him through baptism into death.. Ephesians 2:4-6.. God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ.. and raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.. Colossians 3:3,4.. You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Let’s sum that up. Paul is saying that.. he was crucified with Christ.. buried with Christ.. raised with Christ.. exalted to heaven with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms. And his life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ appears he will appear with Him! Wow! Let’s say that of ourselves… But that is not all. Paul also says that Christ lives in him! In Galatians 2:20 he says.. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. In Colossians 1:26 he speaks of a mystery and says this is the mystery.. Christ in you, the hope of glory. And in Ephesians 3:17 he prays.. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. This was not a mere picture for Paul.. this was reality! A spiritual reality. He was in Christ.. and Christ was in him. Here in John 15 Jesus teaches this amazing.. life-changing truth.. in a very vivid way. He is the vine.. His people are the branches.. they are in Him.. He is in them.
Jesus teaches this.. and then He makes it clear that.. · THE BRANCHES ARE THERE TO BEAR FRUIT. Jesus says.. John 15:1,2.. 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. John 15:16.. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. The purpose of branches is to bear fruit! And the branches can expect to be pruned so that they will bear more fruit. I do not like the sound of that, do you? But this is how it is. God the Father loves His people and disciplines His people to make them more fruitful! Look at those difficult circumstances.. that illness.. that criticism.. the challenges.. in the light of this truth. We can bemoan our lot.. or we can say.. Thank you, Father.. that You love me.. want me to be more fruitful.. have Your way in me. And then there is this dreadful possibility.. that a branch that bears no fruit at all.. will be cut off.. and thrown away. What a warning! What an incentive to stay joined to the vine and bear fruit!
I was preaching this on one occasion.. when someone in the congregation spoke up.. Excuse me.. but what is this fruit that Jesus wants us to bear? Jesus answers that question here in these verses. In one breath He speaks of bearing fruit.. then in another breath.. of prayer.. love.. joy.
He wants us to bear the fruit of effective prayer. John 15:7.. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. What a promise that is! Remain in Christ.. listen to Him.. hang on to His words.. remember them.. live by them.. and we will pray in line with His will and purpose.. and what we ask for will be granted!
He wants us to bear the fruit of love – love for Him and for each other. John 15:8-10,12.. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. He wants us to love Him like He loved the Father. He loved the Father and obeyed Him. When we love like He loved.. we will love Him and obey Him. And that will mean we will love each other. In John 13:35 He says.. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
And He wants us to bear the fruit of joy. John 15:11.. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. His joy.. in us.. The joy that comes from living in the reality of this truth.. We are in Christ.. crucified with Him.. buried with Him.. raised with Him.. exalted with Him.. seated in heaven with Him.. our life is now hidden with Him in God.. but when He appears.. we will appear with Him! The joy that comes from.. thinking like He thinks.. and praying effectively.. The joy that comes from loving Him.. and doing as He says!
Effective prayer.. love for Him and each other.. joy! But what about leading others to faith? Bear the fruit of effective prayer.. love.. and joy.. and people will take note.. and will want what we have.. will seek Christ.. and we will have the joy of leading them to faith in Him.
Can we bear fruit like that? Yes. One thing is needed.. · WE NEED TO STAY IN VITAL CONTACT WITH CHRIST. Jesus says.. John 15:4.. 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. Here is the challenge for you and me this morning. See ourselves as in Christ.. as branches joined to Him.. and do what is necessary to stay joined.. to stay in vital contact with Him.. The Apostle Paul puts is like this in.. Colossians 2:6,7.. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. How did we become believers… followers of Jesus? We believed in our heart that He died in our place on the cross.. and had risen.. was alive.. Lord of all.. and we put our lives at His feet.. we surrendered to Him. Now.. says, Paul.. keep on doing that.. day by day!
What does that mean in practice? It means making time to be alone with the Risen Jesus! It means listening to Him.. reading the Scriptures.. reflecting on them.. It means doing as Jesus says! Responding to Him, obeying Him. An old song by George Stebbins and William Longstaff puts it like this.. I have updated it a little..
Take time
to be holy
Take time
to be holy
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