Jesus the True Vine
John 15: 1-9
Introduction:
* Jesus Christ in his offices, for a relation to his people, most fitly resembles a vine.
As a vine is week, lean, and small, in outward appearance, not like a cedar for its great height, or a oak for its strength, so was Christ in his state of humility.
* As the vine is a fruitful plant, though it has little shine, yet it has plenty of fruit, and is only useful for fruit bearing, and brings forth plenty, and a verity of sweet fruit to make glad the heart of men.
* Which means the fruits of Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession are many and great to the believer.
* The vine is the root from which all the branches get there nourishment.
In the same manner, Christ, the stock into which all his members are engrafted, the root in which they all exist, and the fountain from where spiritual life flows.
Vs. 1 I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman.
The word true here is used to show he is the real vine, or genuine one.
A- Meaning this a vine yields proper juice & nourishment to all the branches, no matter there
size.
B- All the nourishment for the branches passes through the main stalk.i.e.Jesus does the same
C- Jesus is the strength and source to all the saints, his is our leader and guide and imparts to
them as they need grace and strength to bear the fruits of true holiness.
D- The Father as the husbandman is the source, author, planner, planter, life, substance, soil,
water, air, sunshine, and everything to the vine.
E- The Son, as the vine is the center of Gods resource and the embodiment of all the riches of
The Father.
Vs. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it,
A- That it may bring forth more fruit.
B- There are 2 sorts of branches in this vine, some fruitful, some not.
C- Some have visibility that they are branches, but no reality that they are equals no fruit!
D- The fruitless vine, the vine dresser takes them away, and burns them.
E- There must be a vital connection between the branch and the stock to bear fruit
F- A process that is often painful but is so needful and beneficial to the vine, pruning is done
G- The true way to tell one branch from another is not by the fare leaves the show, but by the
substantial proofs of a holy and righteous conversion, some may confess to be branches, but
few show the conversion.
H- The most fruitful branches, in the best and holiest of Christians, there remains much
corruption to be purged out, in order for future growth of the branch.
I- Notice that the Father is dressing the vine ’he’ not man. So stop trying to be God!!
J- The phrase “taketh away”: means he cuts them off!
K- ’He purgeth it’ He does it by taking away what opposes growth, no matter how much they may
be attached to it.
L- However painful; as a vine dresser will often feel himself compelled to cut off a branch that is
large, apparently thrifty, and handsome, but bears no fruit. It is shading and injuring those
which are. (excommunicating them)
M- God removes objects that bind there affections, things like, people, friends, loved ones,
property, etc; all for the benefit of growth.
Vs. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
A- Now that the pruning has taken place and you are clean.
B- It does mean right now, not later we are clean.
C- In this case it is the Word which makes us clean;
Eph 5:26 says…
That he may sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.
Vs. 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.
A-Remain united to me ... live a life dependence of me, obey my doctrines, imitate my example,
and exercise faith in me.
B- Otherwise you cannot bear fruit....
C-Abiding: Abide in me that I may abide in you. Christ abiding in us is dependent on our
abiding in him, are you in Him?
D- To help us further in our relationships in church and Christ we must
#1 Look toward the Father- which is the Husbandman and the Vine
#2 towards man-- which is Vines & Branches
#3 towards good works -- bearing good fruit
E- The negative side of not abiding in Him is the lack of relationship with Him, which results in
being cast in to the fire.
F- We are dead fruitless branches with out Christ.
Vs. 5 I am the vine and ye are the branches: he that abideth in me and I in him bringeth forth much fruit: for with out me you can do nothing.
A-If separate from Christ, the parent stock, we could produce no fruit, but we would
immediately begin wither and start to die.
B- Vs.5 is strongly expressing the dependence in the Son and abiding in Him...
C- The reason other branches don’t make it, is they get entangled with other things and do not
stay connected to the vine...
D- The phrase ’without me’ means severed from me!
Vs. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth, as a branch and is withered, and men gather them,
and they cast them into the fire and they are burned.
A- Eight times in this passage it is noted “if’” telling us that if we will make it, we must abide...
B- For a branch to be cast out, means that it is cut off from participation in the riches of the life
of the vine..
C- After all the husbandman’s care and cost for the vine, some vines remain unfruitful, no matter
what He does to them they just don’t grow.
D- The cut off branches are used to be burned off as means of heat or fuel for fire, good for
nothing else.
Pastor Stepp
7/11/08
