I AM series #7
I AM the Vine
John 15
Scripture Reading: John 15:5-8
INTRODUCTION:
This summer I’ve been preaching about the I AM statements that Jesus made. There are 7, and all of them are recorded in the Gospel of John. I learned something while doing this series. (Even when you’re in your 50’s there are still things to learn.)
All of the I AM statement were connected with an event going on around Jesus. Jesus responded to the circumstances around him. He used every-day events as a jumping-off point for teachings about God. Let’s review the I AM statements, and you’ll see what I mean:
o In John 6 Jesus fed over 5,000 people. Right after that miracle --- He told them: I AM the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never Thirst. John 6:35
o Jesus and his Disciples were at the Temple to celebrate the Festival of Lights when Jesus announced, I AM the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. John 8:12
o They were looking out over hills where shepherds herded their sheep when Jesus said: I AM the gate (for the sheep); whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. John 10:9
o He went on to say, I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11
o Just before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he declared: I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies. John 11:25
o At the Last Supper, Jesus warned his apostles about his coming arrest and death. The Apostles couldn’t understand what he meant. Finally, Thomas exclaimed: We don’t know where you’re going, Jesus! How can we possibly know the way? Jesus took that opportunity to teach them: I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
It’s clear that Jesus used every-day events as a springboard for teaching eternal truths. He was setting an example of what all of us are called to do. In the Old Testament, Moses told the Israelites how they were to pass God’s truths along to each new generation. He said: Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 11:19
That’s the kind of teaching that works. We need to be ready for “teachable moments” that come while we’re going about our daily lives: sitting down to breakfast, walking (or more likely for us, driving) our children to school, putting the kids to bed at night. All of these daily events provide opportunities to teach about God. That’s the way Jesus taught. He was always alert to “teachable moments” when he could tie eternal truth to the events of the moment.
Jesus made his last recorded I AM statement after the Last Supper. It is likely that he and his men were walking from the Upper Room to the Garden where Jesus would be arrested. During that walk, they would have seen a prominent symbol that hung over the entrance of the Temple. The symbol was made of gold wire and beads, delicately twisted to look like a huge golden grape vine. Jesus may have pointed to that golden vine when he told his Apostles, I AM the true vine. John 15:1
Jesus was using a word-picture that was very familiar to his men. For one thing, grapes were central to Israel’s economy. The climate of Israel is ideal for growing healthy grapes. For another thing, the grapevine had always been a symbol of the nation of Israel. In fact, the symbol of the grapevine was on Israeli coins up until the time they were conquered by Rome.
In scripture, grapevines are used as three types of symbols, representing the past, present, and future.
· The Past Vine symbolizes Israel as a choice vine that disappointed the vinedresser by producing only wild grapes. (Ps.80: 8-19, Isaiah 5:1-7, Jer.2:21, Ezek.19:10-14, Hosea 10:1)
· The Future Vine symbolizes the earth in the last days … ripe for God’s judgment of wrath. (Rev.14:14-20)
· The Present Vine is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
1. ABIDE John 15:1-9
The operative word here is ABIDE. This word is used 11 times in 11 verses. We can see that Abiding is necessary to produce any fruit. WE can also see that NOT abiding means the branch will be useless. So, what does it mean to ABIDE in Christ? Jesus made it a little more specific when He said: If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. John 15:7
To ABIDE in Christ means we spend time focusing on Him and His words. In practical terms, it means we spend time reading, studying, and meditating on the Bible. When God’s word abides in you, you are abiding in Christ.
I know that certain theologies demand that God alone is the active one when it comes to salvation. Some people see humans as passive receivers who have no part to play at all. But I find a different kind of emphasis here: the picture of the vine and the branch is one of partnership with God through connection to Christ.
George Whitfield conducted outdoor evangelistic campaigns in the 1700’s during a period of revival called the “Great Awakening.” Thousands responded to his Gospel message. After one of his sermons, someone asked Whitfield how many people were converted. He replied: “We’ll know in five years.” In other words, the passing of time would show which decisions were superficial and which were genuine. Some would ABIDE, others would not.
We are told to ABIDE because it is something we can do … or not do. We have a part to play. In practical terms, we have a daily choice to make. Will we spend time in prayer? Will we open the Bible and read? Will we focus on Christ? Will we spend time with other believers? If we fail to see that ABIDING is our job, we miss the message of this whole chapter.
The one who fails to abide is in a dangerous state. Jesus gives us reassuring promises for those who stay connected, but chilling warnings for those who turn loose.
o The unfruitful branch is taken away (vs.2)
o A branch cannot bear fruit and, in fact, can do absolutely nothing apart from the vine (vs.4-5)
o In the end, the one who does not abide is thrown away, cast into the fire, and burned (vs.6)
If we don’t abide in Christ, the consequences are terrible. But when we do ABIDE in Christ, we will have a wonderful outcome. It’s called Fruit-bearing! The purpose of the branch is to bear fruit, (otherwise why bother). Fruit bearing doesn’t require effort on our part. (When was the last time you saw a vine grunting and groaning, trying to pop those grapes out?) Fruit is the natural result of abiding.
While fruit comes from abiding, a good harvest DOES require effort on the part of the vinedresser. Jesus said, I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. John 15:1 The vine provides life, and the vinedresser provides what is needed for a good harvest.
I visited my folks in Phoenix a few weeks back during the North American Christian Convention. While there, Dad took me into the back yard to show me a grape vine he planted. The grapes were white grapes. They were rather tasty, but small and skinny … good enough to eat but definitely not good enough for making into grape juice or wine. The vine was healthy, but the fruit was small and sparse. It would take a vinedresser to improve the quality of the fruit on this vine. Greater fruit bearing was going to require more expertise than dad had, and more work than he wanted to spend on one lone vine.
God is willing to provide the expertise and the effort to cultivate and prune his Vineyard. Last time I preached from this passage, we took time to look at all the ways God prunes us for fruitfulness. Today I want to focus on the two things John 15 commands US to do. This passage lets us know that we are branches connected to the vine, and that we are friends of Christ rather than just slaves of Christ. Those two connections imply to actions on our part: branches ABIDE, and friends OBEY.
2. Obey John 15:10-17
Jesus said to his disciples, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for a slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:14-15 This passage, adds an exciting dimension to our connection with Christ. Vines and branches have an organic or biological connection in which the vine does all the giving and the branch all the receiving. But friendship is another matter. Friendship is personal, and friendship is reciprocal.
So what does it mean to be Christ’s friend? Well, for one thing, obeying Christ as his friend is more a matter of choice than it would be for a slave. After all, a slave could be executed for disobedience against the master. But a friend has the freedom to obey willingly and gladly. Also, Jesus mentions that he wants to share his plans with his friends. Friends care about what is important to their friend. Jesus told his men that together they possessed a shared ministry and a shared destiny. That gives us every reason to abide with and to obey our truest friend. What does it mean to abide and obey? Well, each one helps out with the other. The one who abides finds it easier to obey, and the obedient one is more comfortable abiding. On the other hand, the one who fails to abide is more likely to disobey, and the one who disobeys doesn’t feel comfortable abiding.
From my youth ministry days I remember a high-school girl who was a real asset to the youth group. She was very close to Susan and I as her mentors. She took a real interest in getting to know the Lord, and we were excited about her future ministry. But during her Senior year of high school, we saw less and less of her until for about 6 months she didn’t come to church at all.
You see, she had started dating a boy who was not a Christian. She told us enough about him that we knew he had a temper and a drinking problem. She knew that if she kept coming around us, we would keep trying to talk her out of seeing him. So she stayed away. By the time she connected with us again, they were engaged. Sadly, she married a violent drinker and drug user. We were heart-broken at the turmoil he brought to her world.
But the real sadness was that during the time we could have advised her, she failed to abide with us. Because she didn’t want to obey, she stopped wanting to abide. And because she didn’t abide, she went further and further into disobedience.
Years later, she told us how foolish her choices and been and how many regrets she had. You see, the saddest person of all is the Christian who does not abide and obey.
But on the other hand, the happiest person in the world is the Christian who is abiding and obeying. Jesus explained this when he said, These things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:11 The outcome for the obedient abider is joy to the full. That is a terrific reason to obey and abide.
CONCLUSION:
The final I AM of Jesus to his men on the night he was arrested gave both a promise and a command. As the vine, Jesus provides all the nourishment we need for life. As the vinedresser, God does all that is needed to give us fruitful lives. As the branches, our part is to ABIDE and to OBEY. If we abide in his love we can experience his joy to the full. If we obey him, we are his friends and share in His life and ministry.
How would you describe your connection with Christ today? Jesus is the vine. Is he your vine? Are you an abiding branch thoroughly connected to him and hanging tight to the only source of life itself?
