The Vine And True Branches

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.