Lessons from the Vine (John 15:1-8)

“Lessons from the Vine”

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.” John 15:5

Scripture Reading: John 15:1-8

A sermon preached on March 10, 2013 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.

John 15:1-8 deals with the intimate and living relationship that believers share with Christ. Believers as God’s branches are vitally connected to Christ. As a result, we draw our life from Christ. The promise of this text is that in an abiding relationship with Jesus, we bear “much fruit” (v.8) which brings glory to our Father. However, without Him (i.e., Christ) we “can do nothing.”

There are some powerful “lessons from the vine” for disciples in this passage of Scripture.

1. Jesus is the true source of life

Here we have another one of the great “I am” statements made by Jesus in the Gospel of John that clearly identifies Himself with God, the great “I am.” When Jesus used the symbolism of the Vine, his listeners knew exactly what he meant. The vine had become the symbol of the nation of Israel. It was the emblem on the coins of the Maccabees. One of the great treasures and glories of the Temple was the great golden vine upon the front of the Holy Place. When Jesus calls himself the “true vine” (v.1), he is saying, “I am the vine of God and you must be branches joined to me. It is not because you belong to Israel that you are saved, but it is faith in Me as the true source of life.” The first lesson of the vine is crystal clear, Jesus is the true source of life – He is God!

What is the significance of this truth for us? Because Jesus is the true source of life,

2. Life results from being connected to Jesus

We draw our life from Christ as Paul said, “‘For in him we live and move and have our being’” (Acts 17:28). Jesus is the true source of life. Common sense tells us that oranges do not grow on apple trees and strawberries are not produced from pear trees. Like begets like. It is terribly frustrating, in fact it is impossible, to try to live the Christian life if you are not one. The life you were created to live is impossible to see realized without Jesus, the true source of life. Because Jesus is the true source of life, it is imperative that I am connected by faith to Jesus Christ, “the true vine” (v.1). Are you connected to God through Christ?

The fact that Jesus calls Himself the “the true vine” implies that there are other ways that a person may try or depend upon but that they are false sources of life rather than true. Many of Jesus’ listeners believed that they were connected to God by being part of Israel, the vine. But Jesus says we are God’s “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (Jn. 1:13). Some people think they are saved because they were born in America, or because they joined a church, or because they do “good” deeds. But it’s faith in Christ that connects us to Him. This results in the new birth, as Jesus described it to Nicodemus in John chapter 3. “Any other way but God’s way in Christ will not lead to spiritual growth and fruit. Jesus alone is the true source of life and life results from being connected to Him.

Are you connected to God through the Vine – Jesus? Here God’s promise to you. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn. 1:12). God is calling you to receive Him, to believe in His name. When you do that, new life results from being connected to Jesus, the Vine.

A third lesson from the vine is that,   

3. Remaining in Christ produces change (fruit)

There is a relationship between our remaining in Christ and our producing fruit. Jesus refers to the importance of remaining in him at least six times in these eight verses (vv.4, 5, 6, 7). To remain in him is to see fruit produced in your life. To fail to remain in him is to remove yourself from the source of life and wither and die!

This brings up several questions. First, what does it mean for us to remain in him? Second, what kind of fruit is produced in our lives when we do remain in him? First, to remain in Jesus means that discipleship (your life in Christ) is not a passive process. Your part in the process of seeing fruit produced is to remain or abide in Christ. The language used in this word “Remain in me, and I will remain in you” means to continue in a relationship that has already been established. Jesus is talking to people who are “in Christ.” He reminds them in verse 3, “You are already clean” signifying that they are already in a living relationship to God the Father through Christ. Jesus is not saying, I want you to “keep on” establishing a relationship with Me as if our relationship with Christ is “on again” and “off again.”

God is saying continue in the relationship that has already begun (It’s an aorist, active, imperative). For example, if you are married and I say remain in that marriage, I’m not saying become married, you’re already married. I’m saying continue in that state, develop that relationship. That’s what Jesus is saying to us. Remain in me, continue following Me, develop this relationship that has begun. Jesus says to us. If we will do that, we will bear “much fruit”. Branches never “strive” to produce fruit, they simply abide in the vine. Your job is to “remain” in the vine – Jesus!

What kind of fruit can we expect to see when we remain in Christ? This is important because Jesus said in verse 8, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (v.8). It’s equally important because God’s kind of fruit makes a difference in our daily lives. If bearing fruit pleases God, I need to know what this fruit is. It is true that like begets like, meaning Christians beget other Christians, so in one sense the fruit produced through us is other Christians. But fruit is not limited to reproducing other Christians. The NT says much about the kind of spiritual fruit that results from our relationship with Christ. This spiritual fruit is most clearly described in Galatians 5:22-23, although it’s not limited to what Paul mentions.

This list of nine qualities is merely representative of the “kind” of fruit that is produced through the believer’s relationship with Christ. A fuller picture of the fruit of the Spirit is found in simply observing the life of Jesus. He is not only our substitute (to many people stop there), he’s our great example. The logical question for me to ask is, “is my life exhibiting the fruit of Christ?” Am I becoming “more” loving? Patient? Kind? Merciful? Gracious? Compassionate? At peace? Jesus demonstrated these and more in His life. This is the measure of our lives!

There’s another important aspect to this remaining in Christ. To be connected and remain in Christ is to be connected to other believers. In Christ we are connected to one another “for better or for worse.” You cannot remain in Christ and be disconnected from other believers any more than you can be married and never relate to your spouse. Why is this important to know? Because we learn to bear fruit in the context of human relationships. How else are we able to learn how to love others, how to have patience, how to serve, etc. unless we do so in the context of living in connection with others?

Jesus said what you do to others, you are doing to him! And it’s also true that what you do to others, you’re doing to yourself, for we are all members together in the body of Christ. Now if you are a branch, if you are connected to Christ the vine, you’re connected to all of Christ’s followers. So when you love others, you are loving yourself, when you are gracious to others, you are being gracious to yourself. However, when you criticize your brother or sister, when you tear them down, or speak evil of them, you are in effect “hacking” away at your own limb. You’re committing spiritual suicide. Remember, when you point one finger forward, there are three pointing back to you.

Remaining in Christ produces fruit, and fruit is the proof of our discipleship. There is a fourth lesson from the vine and it may be the most difficult for us to grasp.  

4. God prunes us in order to conform us to His character

The vine cannot produce the crop which it is capable of producing without occasional pruning. Fruitful branches are pruned, not to kill the branch, but to produce even more fruit. While our part in the process of discipleship is to remain in Christ, God’s part is the pruning away in our life of all that does not look like Jesus. God prunes us to conform us into the character of Christ.

Spiritual fruit is produced and maximized in your life over time through the process of spiritual pruning (v.2). Here is something that from a logical standpoint does not make sense. “Every branch that “does” bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful” (v.2). You would think if a branch is bearing any fruit, leave it alone, that’s great. But God is not content for us to bear a “little” fruit, he wants you bear “much fruit.”

Spiritual pruning is for your benefit. It will bring more fruitfulness in your life. The word here translated “clean” or “prune” (v.2) is related to the verb “katharizo,” – to cleanse as in the cleansing of a disease or making one pure. This word is used in the following ways: Matthew 8:3; Luke 17:14, 17 – lepers who are declared cleansed (Aorist, passive, indicative). Hebrews 9:14, 22 – of the blood of Christ that cleanses us (Future & Present act. ind.) 2 Corinthians 7:1 – Out of reverence for God, we are to purify ourselves from all contamination (Aorist, active, subjunctive).

If cleaning (spiritual pruning) means removing that which is diseased and harmful to your spiritual growth, is that not a good thing? When the surgeon cuts out the cancerous tissue from your body, is that not a good thing? Of course it’s good! So it is with spiritual pruning. In pruning, God is removing the diseased and dead wood from your life. It’s all for His glory so that you will be able to produce more fruit.

God is one determined gardener and He is committed to do the pruning in your life and mine. Anger, bitterness, impatience, unmerciful, unloving, critical judging spirit, all dead branches that ruin my relationships and have to go in my life, but all for my good! And if you’re willing to learn from the Lord, you will grow through the pruning process. But if you don’t let God work in your life and respond to his judgment (which spiritual pruning is a form of), you’re going back around the track again. How long God? God says, “until you get it!” Israel wandered for 40 years, going around that same old track. Don’t be like a mule that has dug in and won’t budge, or the horse that has to have a heavy bridle placed upon him (Ps. 32:8-9). Let God do a work in your heart and life!   

If a branch bears no fruit there is nothing else you can do except remove the branch. There’s no hope for a dead branch (Jn. 15:6). The only branches that can be improved are the branches that are producing fruit. So if you are being spiritually pruned, that’s good news. That means God is at work in your life removing all that does not look like Jesus. But if you’re not going through some occasional spiritual pruning, you’re already kindling (v.6)! No pruning means no life!

In our backyard we have tree that to me looks completely dead. I almost pulled it up the other day, but Rhonda peeled back a little of the bark and said, “It’s still green it’s just dormant, give it a little bit more time.” Maybe there’s not much fruit in your life, but there’s still a little bit of life left somewhere underneath, you’re not dead yet, but your spiritual life is dormant. Jesus says to you, it’s time to get back to remaining in me, you can still be fruitful, I’m not through with you. There’s really only two possibilities, remain in Jesus and produce fruit, or become kindling for the fire. Which will it be? “The one who remains in me . . . produces much fruit” (Jn. 15:5). 

For His Glory!

Pastor Joe