The True Vine

Background Scripture: John 15:1-17
Lesson Scripture: John 15:1-8

Introduction

Many of Jesus’s teachings came through comparisons. Through the example of a vineyard and its husbandry, He appealed to his follower’s everyday understanding of a fruitful life fulfilled by Him. This parable explains the basic requirements of commitment and sanctification. It tells of the way to a deeper spiritual life we can have in Him, and it tells of the source through which we are blessed by God. It opens our hearts to the dismal state of our fallen nature and what we must do to be saved. Jesus invites us to trust his promises and turn to Him for help when this challenge overwhelms us. May the study of this lesson teach us more about the love of Jesus and inspire us with hope.

Key Verse

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

The week of Jesus’s crucifixion is called the Passion Week. Jesus knew how shortsighted and easily sidetracked his disciples were. He also realized that soon they would need to fend for themselves in a world where Lucifer was king and men’s hearts were hard. Were they prepared? Would they understand and endure? How He longed for them to understand the great truths of heaven and his love!

The scriptures we are studying today and the surrounding chapters (John 13-17) may be some of the greatest chapters of the Bible. The love of Jesus and his Father shows through clearly. His passion for the eternal cause, for lost mankind, and his chosen ones in particular was being poured out. The languages of man are poor tribute to the depth of his emotions and tender urgency.

One of Jesus’s teachings is found in the phrase, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” Peter was soon to find that out; immediately following his declaration, “I will die with Thee,” he denied his Lord. What a contrast when the Holy Spirit filled his heart. Then, sustained by the infilling of God, he received the power that enabled him to promote the cause of Christ on earth and to stand in the face of opposition and persecution. This power remains unchanged and is what we all must be grafted into.

Practical Truths for Today

Jesus is the only true source of spiritual life. There are no substitutes or duplicates. Peter expressed this when he preached, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Satan, the father of lies, promises many alternatives. In some cultures and nations these may present themselves as deities or prophets greater than Christ. In North America, man is choosing to worship the gods of achievement, intellect, and wealth. These are appealing because they can be served solely through human effort, but they will utterly fail on the last day.

Jesus is our only source of true sustenance. The Holy Word names Him the Bread which came down from heaven, the Living Water, the Blood of the Covenant, Hidden Manna, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. His life-giving salvation has been embodied in a single book, the Bible, which is God’s chosen avenue for the Christian’s instruction. The prophets, apostles, and fathers of faith deeply emphasized the Scriptures and committed large portions of the Bible to memory. Jesus himself left us an example, teaching us to use it for direction and to counter the temptations of Satan.

Many teachings and philosophies exist that run counter to the Word of God. They may seem harmless and even beneficial, but upon closer scrutiny they are often humanistic, fostering independence instead of reliance on God. Concerning the books we read, especially those that are religious, we can ask, Do they inspire humility within me? Do they increase my love for God’s Word? Do they unify me with my brethren, or do they polarize? Do they point to Jesus and his atoning work on Calvary? To those who have no knowledge of the origin of other pagan beliefs, some teachings and practices of other world religions may seem helpful, but they contain subtle suggestions that are deceptive and end in darkness.

As Jesus is the trunk, so are we the branches. In the beginning we are tender, new branches. Jesus said, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). We must lose our pride, ego, and self-sufficiency to get through the narrow gate. However, even as children must grow, so must these little branches mature and strengthen if abundant fruit is ever to be born by them. For this to happen there will be times of deeper pruning, laying off the works of immature Christian living. To “just submit” will no longer be enough. True conviction must take its place, enabling us to shoulder heavy burdens and bear the heat of the day. Paul said, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11).

Since we daily need nourishment from the Lord, it is imperative to be connected to Him. Are we “plugged in” to the outlet of God’s mercy and grace? Numerous instances are recorded of those who, in an attempt to cross some great desert, succumbed to dehydration. It is amazing how quickly this happens in hot, dry conditions. Hallucination often precedes death by thirst. How many Christians today are not thinking clearly for the lack of drinking at the Fount of Love?

Jesus says his Father is the husbandman. By the loving action of the Holy Spirit, He prunes and trims each branch so that it can bring forth more fruit. As the Master Vinedresser, He has the authority to do this. If we allow Him, He will prune out of our life those parts of our character, actions, and attitude which do not have godly characteristics. Conversely, we may resent and resist his purging hand until our entire being is infected so greatly that we must be severed completely. Our proud, fallen nature causes us to develop overgrowth that frequently needs to be pruned off and thrown into the fire. The redemptive purging by fire described in 1 Corinthians 3 allows faulty, failing mortals to be saved in the end, but this must occur in the day of grace. If our lives are filled with dead wood and diseased leaves on the judgment day, there will be no words of welcome from Jesus.

The results of pruning become evident at harvesttime. A vine left unchecked may grow large and lush, but most of its energy is expended on itself; little remains to bear fruit. Christians may look good and be filled with praise and missionary zeal but fail to draw others to Christ. Times of distress and adversity will expose them as imposters. They will be cast into the fire.

The Holy Word reproves us many times. The men on the road to Emmaus said, “Did not our heart burn within us?” (Luke 24:32). They were pruned of unbelief as Jesus graciously opened the Scriptures to them. Sometimes shameful failure brings us up short. Perhaps a family member or a church brother or sister is used by God to correct us. Even the world reproves us. A father once failed to buckle his child into the car seat before driving and was stopped by the local policeman. The officer personally buckled the child in and said, “Please don’t ever make me do this again.” It proved to be a valuable lesson.

How does a person become a branch of the True Vine? God is holy, and no man can be joined to Him without a miracle. Our sins must be submitted to the atoning blood of Christ. We can answer God’s call when we comprehend how sinful we are and that our only hope is in Jesus. The miracle of salvation happens when God forgives our sins; they are gone, paid in full by Jesus’s death on the cross and will never be remembered again. In this new state, though still imperfect, we are cleansed from sin and receive the Holy Spirit, which is the seal of God. By being born again, we are adopted and grafted into the Vine and are given the privilege of living in peace with our Creator.

Drawing from the Lord’s analogy, we can picture a beautiful, living vine, the joy of heaven and earth. Grafted to it are all manner of branches, every one unique and bearing its own distinctive fruit. These branches, as men, women, and youth, come from many differing nations, races, temperaments, and background. They have answered the call, “Come unto Me,” and found their rest in the Lamb of God. These are the ones who are willing to forsake all to follow Christ and have come through the one and only door, which is Jesus Christ.

God expects us to do our best for Him, and to the Christian, his commands are not grievous. Satan will hinder our fruit bearing if he can, and if he cannot, he works mercilessly to provoke discouragement. Young Christians, do not give up. Give God first place; abide in Him. As you rest in Him, the temptations and peer pressures of the world will lose their grip, and you will bear abundant fruit. You may not feel so fruitful and might wonder, as do those in Matthew 25, “When did we minister to You?” They received this answer, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these . . . ye have done it unto me” (v. 40).

Illustration

When Jesus was abroad with his disciples, He encountered a fig tree which bore no fruit; it provided no benefit to anyone. It is never stated why it was barren, but it was condemned by Jesus, likely because according to the season, there should have been fruit present. It dried up within a day, a striking verdict of unfruitfulness for us to observe.

We may purchase cut flowers as a token of love, compassion, or appreciation. Placed in a water-filled vase, they appear beautiful but soon wither. They have been removed from the life-giving nourishment supplied by their true root. When we are not nourished by the true life of God, we too may appear beautiful for a time, but soon the wilted blossom and withered foliage will appear.

Questions

1. Can we ever come to the point where we willingly submit to pruning? Is it always painful?
2. What must happen within our own hearts before we are qualified to help others prune their lives?
3. How do we as adults or youth appropriately put away childish things?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).