- Mar 26, 2017
- 5,561
- 10,524
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
Jesus Is The True Vine From Which All Fruit Grows
Jesus made seven "I AM" declarations in the Gospel of John. "I am the True Vine" (John 15:1) is the last of the seven. Jesus was a master story teller of real life situations through His use of parables—teaching up his flock to preach of His coming Kingdom. Jesus wanted everyone to know that He will never desert us. He left us His living energy—His Holy Spirit—to nourish and sustain us as the roots and trunk of a grape vine. His Holy Spirit produces the energy to sustain and nourish the branches while they develop their fruit.
Jesus said no branch can live alone or produce leaves and fruit by itself—cut off from the trunk, a branch is dead. We need the trunk and branches connected to bear fruit. The fruit we produce is that of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23).
"Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Jesus Christ is our source of life and spiritual fruit. We are connected to Jesus through our relationship of faith and love; and we live to serve the LORD. No one can serve God effectively until they are connected by faith with Jesus Christ. Jesus is our only connection with the Father. It is God who gave life and who produces in us a fruitful life of righteousness and service.
All true branches bear fruit. "By their fruit you will know them" (Matthew 7:16-20). Those who do not produce good fruit are cut away and burned. Fruitless branches, like apostates who claim to know Christ but whose relationship to Him is insincere, are identified as not belonging to the Vine and are removed for the sake of truth and the benefit of the other branches.
John 15:1-12
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
