“I AM THE TRUE VINE” – JESUS – JUNE 13, 2021

JOHN 15:1-8 – ¹ I AM THE TRUE VINE, and my Father is the husbandman. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“I AM THE TRUE VINE” (V1)

• The vine is the living Lord who speaks, gives, and works all that He has for us.
• He is the crucified One, who won perfect righteousness and divine life for us through His death.
• He is the glorified One, who from the throne gives His Spirit to make His presence real and true.
• All the Vine can ever be to its branch – Jesus is to us!

MY FATHER IS THE HUSBANDMAN/VINEDRESSER (V1)

• A vine must have a husbandman/vinedresser to plant and watch over it to receive and rejoice in its fruit!
• As dependent as a vine is on a husbandman for the place where it is to grow, for its fencing in and watering and pruning,…
• Jesus was entirely dependent upon the Father to do the Father’s will.
• JOHN 14:10 – The words that I say unto you, I speak not from Myself; but the Father abiding in Me doeth His works.
• As He trusted God, let us trust God that everything we ought to be and have, as those who belong to the Vine, will be given us from above.

BRANCH

• A Vine needs branches
• The branch is dependent upon the Vine
• The Vine provides all
• WHAT IS A BRANCH? – Is simply a bit of wood, brought forth by the vine, for the one purpose of serving it in bearing its fruit.
• The branch is exactly like the Vine in every aspect – the same nature, the same life, the same place, the same work.
• They are inseparably one.
• Believers need to know that he is the partaker of the divine nature, and has the very nature and spirit of Christ in him and that his one calling is to yield himself to perfect conformity to Christ!
• The Branch is a perfect likeness of the vine; the only difference is:
• The one is great and strong, and the source of strength;
• The other little and feeble, ever needing and receiving strength.
• Even so, the BELIEVER is and is to be, the perfect likeness of Christ.

The Branches are and have nothing but what the vine provides and imparts! (V5)

• Believers are called to a life of entire and unceasing dependence upon Christ.
• Day and night, every moment, Christ is to work in him all he needs.
• The Vine and branch picture emphasizes complete dependence and the need for constant connection. 

FRUIT

• The fruit is the one thing that branch is for.
• The Vine is the glory of the husbandman; the branch is the glory of the Vine; the FRUIT is the glory of the branch
• Every Branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away.
• The branches that are taken away were never properly abiding in the vine
• Every branch that bears fruit He prunes: 
• The vinedresser cleans up the fruit-bearing vine so it will bear more fruit.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you: there is an initial cleansing, and then a continuing cleansing (John 13:10)

EPHESIANS 5:26 – that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

• The word of God is a cleansing agent. It condemns sin, it inspires holiness, it promotes growth, and it reveals power for victory. Jesus continues to wash His people through the word

JOHN 17:17 – Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.

THE VITAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BRANCH AND THE VINE

• “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
• Abide in Me, and I in You!
• STAY CONNECTED TO THE VINE!
• COLOSSIANS 2:6 – So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
• As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine: It is impossible for the branch to bear grapes if it isn’t connected to the vine. 
• He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit: Fruit bearing is inevitable with abiding. The quality and quantity of the fruit may differ, but the presence of fruit will be inevitable.

The price of not abiding and the promise to those who do abide

• “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
• If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered
• A branch only has life as it is connected to the stock of the vine; a disciple only spiritually lives as they are connected to the Master.
• They gather them and throw them into the fire
• This reference to burning and fire raises the association of punishment in the life to come and warns of the great consequences of failing to abide.
• 2 JOHN 1:9 – Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son
• If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you My words abide in you –
• Jesus connected abiding to the idea of faithfulness to His words, (John 14:23-24)
• You will ask what you desire
• Jesus connected abiding to the idea of answered prayer, (John 14:13-14)
• Abiding in Jesus means abiding in His words, and having His words live in the disciple. “We should not overlook the importance of the reference to ‘my words’. The teaching of Christ is important and is not lightly to be passed over in the interests of promoting religious feeling.” (Morris)
• “The connection is maintained by obedience and prayer. To remain in Christ and to allow his words to remain in oneself means a conscious acceptance of the authority of his word and a constant contact with him by prayer.” (Tenney)

By this, my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.

• The purpose of fruit-bearing is to bring glory to God, not to the disciple. A branch that bears much fruit brings honor to one who cares for the vine, and a disciple who bears much fruit in a spiritual sense brings honor to God.
• Husbandman will do all that is needed to make us bear more fruit.
• All He asks is, that we set our heart’s desire on it, entrust ourselves to His working and care, and joyfully look to Him to do His perfect work in us;
• LET US JOYFULLY LOOK UP TO OUR DIVINE HUSBANDMAN AND OUR HEAVENLY VINE, TO ENSURE OUR BEARING MORE FRUIT… MUCH FRUIT!!!
• JOHN 8:31 – Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of mine
• COLOSSIANS 2:6 – Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
• COLOSSIANS 3:1-3 – Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God
• 1 JOHN 2:6 – the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
• 1 JOHN 3:6 – No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.