“A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF JOHN”

St. John 15:1-6

Christ – Our True Vine

The passage of St. John 15:1-6, the focus of our study, is a very familiar one.  As we continue in the study of the Upper Room Discourse, we must remember that Christ is entering into this discourse with His eleven disciples.  In this section of John’s masterpiece, Jesus will use the vine and branch imagery to illustrate the ultimate relationship between Him and His people.  He made it vitally clear that branches must be dependent upon Him (Vine) for productivity (fruit-bearing).  In this lofty section, Christ will give vital instructions manifesting to His disciples their relationship to Him (St. John 15:1-8); their relationship to one another (St. John 15:9-17); and their relationship to the world (St. John 15:18-16:4).  As disciples of Christ, we have three important responsibilities as seen in the text before us:  we need to abide (remain in Him) (vs. 1-8); we need to love each other (vs. 9-17); and we need to testify (vs.15:18-16:4).

In verse 1, we come to the last of Christ’s lofty “I am” statements (St. John 6:35; 8:12; 10:9; 10:11; 14:6; 15:1).  In this imagery, Christ is depicted as the True (genuine) Vine, in contrast to Israel, God’s unproductive and fruitless vine, who fell short of meeting God’s expectations (Isaiah 5:1-7; Hosea 10:1).  In addition, Jesus likened His Father to the “Husbandman.”  The Father is depicted as the gardener who works to produce a harvest from His Vine and its branches.  The Father is the great Cultivator and Protector of the Vine.  As the great Cultivator and Protector of the Vine, the Father expects fruit (v. 2).  An observation from verse 2 is that the emphasis is definitely on fruit bearing, for verse 2 not only says “fruit” but it also mentions “more fruit”, and verses 5 and 8 mention “much fruit.”  Obviously, the prime responsibility of the branch (believer) is to bear fruit, for a branch that is unproductive is indeed dead!

In ancient Palestine, the gardener would sever the lifeless wood from the vine and cultivate the living branches so as to have a maximum yield.  From verse 2 alone, one apparent thought is conveyed: “true branches of Christ will produce fruit; and mere professors of Christ will be severed from the Vine.”  In verse 3, Jesus had assured the eleven disciples that they had been cleansed through the word.  Now that the disciples had been cleansed by Jesus’ teaching, they were urged to maintain fellowship with Him (v. 4).

It was important that His disciples heed His command in order to be fruitful.  Any disruption in the flow of nutrients from the Vine to the branches would stop the fruit-bearing process!  Furthermore, in verse 5, Christ assured His disciples that whoever would abide in Him would bear “much fruit.”   Abundant fruitfulness is contingent upon a believer’s continual drawing from His strength.  An abiding Christian is one who obeys Christ’s command; and thus, he is a productive Christian!  Finally, in verse 6, lifeless and burned branches, those who are professing Christians, will be judged.  Judas Iscariot is a prime example of one who was with Christ, but was not a believer.  May God Bless!