Of Vines And Branches - Part One Series

Of Vines and Branches (Part One)

Text: John 15:1-8, Psalm 80:8,

Ok… we’re in John 15, and today I want to talk to you about fruitfulness. We’re going to spend a couple of Sundays, maybe even three on this passage, so that we can really get it down and understand what Jesus is saying here. Remember, these are some of the very last words that Jesus is going to say to the disciples while He’s still, physically on earth.

But before we get to our text in John 15 this morning, we’re going to have to back up a little bit and look at a few other passages.

First – Psalm 80:8-9, “You brought a vine out of Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.”

Hosea 10:1-2… “Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars (now just for reference, a pillar was an obelisk type stone that represented a false god). Hosea goes on, “Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The Lord will break down their altars and destroy their pillars.”

Jeremiah 2:21, “Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?”

Church, the Bible is full of imagery. And throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was often referred to as a “vine” or as “God’s vineyard”. And we need to know that and understand that in order to have a clear picture of what Jesus says in our text this morning.

So let’s turn to John 15:1-8 (READ)

If you were to jump into your car today after church, and head towards Enid, you’d eventually pass the Fairview turn – the town, not our church… Then you’d go past The Curve, a little gas station, and then the Cleo Springs turn off, and you’d next go past a winery. It’s actually a pretty nice place. I got to do a wedding ceremony there once… well a renewing of vows ceremony actually. But the place itself is nice. It’s an actual vineyard, they grow grapes and make wine. And if you went there during the growing and harvesting season you’d see a bunch of luscious vines and branches growing up lattices full of grape clusters.

But if you went after the harvest season, you’d see a whole bunch of vines with branches that have been pruned drastically. Cut way back. The way I understand it, is that is what you have to do this with grape vines. You have to work them before the harvest in order to remove dead branches, and then you prune them at the end of the season in order to make them much more fruitful.

And these disciples who are with Jesus, most likely would’ve known all of this… and they would’ve known that throughout the Old Testament, God’s people Israel were called the “vine”.

And so when Jesus says to them, “I am the TRUE VINE, and My Father is the Vinedresser” It would have shocked them to the core. I mean… I probably lack the vocabulary to describe how shocking of a statement this was to them.

Now what Jesus was saying here is that ALL of those things you read about in the Old Testament, all of God’s promises, all of God’s works and plans, and purposes was leading up to, and pointing to Jesus. Jesus was saying what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “All the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ.”

He’s saying, what Paul says in Galatians 3:29, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, and heirs according to the promise.”

He’s saying, what Paul was saying in Romans chapters 9, 10, and 11 – specifically Romans 11:17-20, let me just read that… “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grated in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.”

So if you go to that winery near Cleo Springs, on the way to Enid, during the winter, you’ll see all the branches pruned back – some of them drastically… but you know what you won’t see? You won’t see the vine itself cut back. The vine is the source, the branches are attached to the vine. If the branches aren’t attached to the vine, they don’t produce any fruit. In-fact; they can’t produce fruit. So the root isn’t pruned, the vine itself isn’t pruned, the branches that shoot out of the vine are pruned.