THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES

JOHN 15:5

A. "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"
  1. Our Lord's discourse on the True Vine was spoken immediately after the Lord's supper:
    1. The last words of the preceding chapter, "Arise, let us go hence" would seem to indicate that the disciples arose and left the table and left the upper room
    2. It has been suggested that the discourse about the True Vine was given on the way to Gethsemane
  2. There is a connection and relationship between our Lord's words:
    1. "I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6
    2. And His discourse on "I am the vine, ye are the branches" B. IT IS NOTEWORTHY HOW OUR LORD LAYS HOLD ON THE SIMPLEST THINGS, THE THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO LIFE AND MAKES THEM THE EMBLEM OF HIMSELF:
  3. Note carefully:
    1. "I am the bread of life" - John 6:48
    2. "I am the light of the world" - John 8:12
    3. "I am the way, the truth and the life" - John 14:6
  4. The true Vine:
    1. In using all these claims He expresses His claims to be absolutely indispensable to the world and vital to the life of man
    2. Said He to the Jews, "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him" - John 6:56
    3. "For without Me, ye can do nothing" - John 15:5
  5. It must be noted that no other man ever made such a sweeping claim:
    1. John the Baptist said, "I am a voice crying in the wilderness" - John 1:23
    2. Others pointed forward to the Messiah for to come
    3. But the Son of God identifies all Messianic predictions with His person
  6. The claims of our Lord to be the true vine is indicative:
    1. That He is our Creator - John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17
    2. And our Redeemer - Jer. 50:34; Is. 41:14
    3. Should He withdraw His hand from creation life would cease to be - Heb. 1:1-3 C. IMPORTANT FOR US IS OUR SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST AND ITS EFFECTS
  7. "I am the Vine, ye are the branches"
    1. This relationship shows that true life apart from Jesus Christ is impossible of hopeless
    2. Writes John, "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men" - John 1:4
    3. This is true physically and spiritually for there is no light or life outside of Him
  8. "Ye are the branches"
    1. The branches are utterly dependent on the vine - if they are severed from the vine they wither and die
    2. "For without Me, ye can do nothing" - Notice - the Lord does not say, that without Him our work will be inferior, no, "without Me, ye can do nothing"
    3. This shows that our spiritual life depends upon our living connection with the Vine - Jesus Christ our Lord
  9. Pruning and severing:
    1. For the vine to bear fruit it has to undergo pruning - vines that would not bring forth fruit will have to be severed; this is known by every vineyardist
    2. Because that is why a vine is planted - to bring forth fruit
  10. We have here a positive affirmation:
    1. That God designs that our relationship with Jesus Christ is to bear fruit - to bring forth results for the kingdom of God
    2. We are to influence men to accept the plan of salvation
  11. This then is the vital lesson of the true Vine and its branches:
    1. To bring forth fruit
    2. And for us to bring forth fruit, we must have and keep a living connection with the source of fruit-bearing - Jesus Christ our Lord
    3. Also, God designs that our fruit remain; That means that He wants to see the results of our labors to show up in the world to come


Design © John Bryant 2011