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I Am The Vine - John 15
I Am The Vine - John 15
Another ‘I am’ statement from Jesus - I am the true vine. We as disciples are branches. Our purpose is to bear fruit and thus to glorify the Father (vs. 8). Jesus gives a very dire warning that only those that abide in Him will bear fruit AND that anyone not abiding in Him is ‘thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned’ (vs. 6).
Abiding in Jesus is in effect another way of talking about discipleship. Jesus' words (His teaching) must abide in us. We follow Him by knowing and doing His commands.
The bearing of fruit here is not so much the doing of personal work as it is the production of character. Such fruit is the fruit of repentance that must come with faith (Matt. 3:8-10). It is developing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Gal. 5:22-23). It is allowing Christ to be formed in us (Gal. 4:19). It is being ‘renewed into the image of Christ’ (Col. 3:10). It is having His word dwell in us richly” so that all we do is by His authority (Col. 3:16-17).
The branch is part and parcel of the vine. It is to be of the same stock. How much do we look like Jesus?
Hugh DeLong
