Before Jesus was arrested and convicted of a false crime, he spent his last days with his disciples teaching them as much as he could to prepare them for their life without his physical presence. Their lives would forever be changed and require great patience and understanding of the reasons to remain faithful as well as the persecutions they would be subjected to. These teachings are just as important to modern day Christians as it was for them.
Let us learn from the Master how we need to be a part of the True Vine, the Body, the Kingdom of God here on earth. Let us read John 15:1-8.
John 15:1-8. 15 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.
In using parables to teach humanity to comprehend spiritual lessons, Jesus compares himself to a vine; perhaps a grape vine. In Israel, there were many people who maintained or owned vineyards. The work needed in a vineyard would be understood well. Thus, Jesus compares the leadership of a vineyard owner to God the Father and himself, the plant; The Vine.
In order for a husbandman, the owner of the vineyard, to produce a good crop, good grapes, those good for harvest and winemaking, the work done to each vine was necessary and these people well understood. Every vine was a producer with many branches on which the fruit–grape clusters–developed. Pruning, dead branch removal, and complete care was necessary to produce a fruit.
Let us break down this passage and discuss the importance of each part.
TRUE VINE
Every plant in the vineyard is a vine. Each vine is the source of nourishment and information to produce an offspring. Jesus compares himself to one plant–the true vine. It is from this vine the Father, God, is the husbandman–vineyard owner. From this plant comes the plant DNA to produce an exact offspring of the parent plant; that which is most desirable from the husbandman, God. From this plant comes the lifeline of nourishment to sustain each fruit to mature to ripeness. Without this lifeline, and constant proper nourishment for full good maturity, the fruit is not of acceptable quality. Thus, this plant, the true vine, is the life source for all reproduction acceptable by God. Jesus is that lifeline for all Christians.
THE HUSBANDMAN
Jesus says in verse 1, my father is the husbandman. God Almighty is the father of Jesus. God is a Spirit, therefore, Jesus is teaching a spiritual lesson using spiritual language in this parable to teach his disciples of the nature of the Christian. All Christians are living in a physical body living a spiritual lifestyle being directed by the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth. If a person does not live in the spirit nature, acceptable to the nurture of the vine, the husbandman prunes them to correct the production of bad fruit to create a better, more acceptable fruit.
As a husbandman prunes the branches of a grape vine for more and better fruit, so does the work of God. If a branch no longer produces fruit, the husbandman cuts that branch off and it is burned in the fire.
The best produced fruit is always accepted by the husbandman and is sold, consumed for their personal use or made into the choice wine. The not-so-acceptable fruit–clusters with blemishes–is pressed in a winepress and made into a lesser quality wine. All the unacceptable fruit is cast into a fire.
This all is the work and operational management decisions of the owner or husbandman of the vineyard. God is the great manager over all judgments within the kingdom of God.
Remember, Jesus is the vine; God is the husbandman. We shall see this concept in a moment.
DISCIPLINE AND JUDGMENT OF THE VINE AND ITS BRANCHES
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. (vs. 2)
The branches are the believers attached to the true vine, Jesus. These are Christians. To the believers is Jesus speaking using this spiritual language describing the body of Christ, the entire true vine with its branches. As with any vine, some branches bear fruit and some do not. Some branches bear good fruit and others not so good. The judgment of the husbandman is evident in this dialog; branches which bear no fruit are taken away. They are cut from the vine so as not to take away from the needed nourishment necessary to produce more branches and quality fruit.
A gardener knows about purging or pruning a vine for the greatest production of fruit and for the greatest quality of fruit. This judgment on the true vine is done by God Almighty. Notice Jesus said he taketh away and he purgeth. Jesus does not judge the vine, God does. John 12:46-48. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. Remember Jesus speaks only the words which he hears from God. Therefore, it is God who judges with the words Jesus spoke. It is God who says if a branch remains attached to the vine or not. Jesus is the provider of nourishment to supply the branches to produce fruit.
In the passage we just read, we see individuals have the choice to reject being a branch. They have a choice to produce and remain or not to produce and be cut off. However, it is God who declares to have any branch removed.
A pruned ranch produces better and more fruit. We comprehend this process when we remove succors, the branches which we know will produce no fruit. It is these branches which came from the vine which are removed. No man knows the reason they are chosen to be cast off; only God. Believers need to self examine themselves to know if they have been removed; perhaps many have been removed but they do not know it. If believers in Jesus do as the world does, they do not produce fruit as they should. First they may be pruned to do better but if they do not they may have been removed. Satan does not want you to know this. Therefore, the removal may have taken place and the branch does not readily recognize it. As time goes along, withering takes place, perhaps slowly. Associations with other branches of the vine still occur. The separation is not quickly noticed and the branch believes it is still attached. Only at judgment may they find out otherwise.
JESUS’ TEACHING CONCERNING BEING ATTACHED TO THE VINE AS A BRANCH
Vss. 3-5. 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.
Being clean is to be justified and belonging to the vine. One is clean by believing and obeying the commandments of Jesus. John 14:15. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. Remaining in the love of Jesus is to keep his commandments. Entering into his love is by remission of your sins. This puts you as a branch of the vine. Remaining on the branch is to keep in the love of Jesus doing his commandments. Therefore, Jesus says “Abide in me, and I in you.” It is the nourishment from the vine which keeps the branch alive. Any branch apart from the vine cannot produce nor receive the nourishment necessary to produce fruit as the vine; the parent fruit. Without being attached to the vine ‘ye can do nothing’. (vs. 5)
Not abiding in Christ is death–separation–from the needed nourishment–God and Jesus, AND their love. Notice again vs. 6. 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.
‘Cast forth as a branch’: the entire branch is cut off and cast away. Men gather them and burn them. In this physical world, this is exactly what happens. In the spirit world, this is what certain angels are instructed to do. In the spirit world, of which all must be judged and to face, the removed branches will be cast into hell fire. They will be forever separated from God.
THE GLORIFICATION OF GOD THROUGH JESUS THE CHRIST–THE VINE
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.
God shall be glorified by what the branches do. Branches removed cannot glorify God. Just as branches of fruit of our garden glorify the vine producing like fruit of the parent plant, so do righteous Christians who abide on the true vine. This fruit is continuing to share the name of Jesus throughout the world. It is those of this vine which shall be saved in the end.
THE HARVEST OF THE TRUE VINE
Revelation 14:14-20. 14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Vss. 14-16 is a spiritual depiction of The Judgment; the harvest of the true vine. Jesus shall come in the clouds and gather his saints–the ripe fruit of the Vine. Just as an earthly husbandman knows when to harvest, God shall know. It is when the vine is ripe. The best of the vine’s fruit is harvested. All remaining fruit on the branches shall also be harvested. Parts kept and the remaining separated. Vss. 18-19 is that harvest. Judgment of this fruit then happens. An earthly husbandman salvages what he believes is acceptable and casts the bad out to be burned.
Differing opinions here in this passage occur. I do not know which is true. The phrase ‘’without the city’ is believed to mean all which is unexceptable–all sinners. But a husbandman salvages all the accepted fruit, even though it may not be the best, to be used in the wine making process. Whether God shall do this, only God will know. Therefore, a professing Christian must examine themselves regularly to know if they are still attached to the vine properly producing proper fruit.
2 Peter 1:5-11. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Is your entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ secure? Are you attached to the true vine and producing quality fruit?
