Who He Is: In John 13, Christ is shown as the true Bond Servant (Lord and Master). In John 14, He is revealed as the True Father to the world through Christ. In John 15, He is the True Vine. In John 16, He is the True Teacher. What He Does: In John 13, He washes the disciples’ feet. There can be no communion without cleansing. In John 14, He comforts their hearts. “Mansion/abode”; faith in Him takes us to heaven. Faith, love, and obedience bring heaven to the soul. In John 15, He opens the lips. He desires this “Abiding” and “witnessing” from His disciples. Occupation with Christ always comes before occupation for Christ. John 15 is not about salvation or losing it. It isn’t about good works for mankind but about what is true before God. It relates to the believer’s walk, not just service. Serving might never cause persecution, but living for God will, because it sets us apart from worldly pursuits and draws us into heavenly things. Living in the vine is a testimony in itself. Those focused on living in the vine, rather than just their testimony, will give the best testimony. Our testimony shows how we live; God’s testimony is what He gives us to speak.
Israel was once seen as the vine; now, it’s the fig tree, and in the future, it will be the olive tree. In the past, it was seen as a symbol of the Jewish nation (Ps. 80:8). In Hosea 10:1, Israel is described as a lush vine producing its own fruit, not God’s. Isaiah 5:1-7 shows that God expected fruit from the vine, but only sour, rotten, wild grapes were produced. Isaiah 27:2 offers hope for Israel's future. Jeremiah 2:21 states that despite a good start and God’s guidance, Israel turned into a corrupt people far from God’s will. Ezekiel 15 discusses the uselessness of a fruitless vine, and Ezekiel 19 depicts that vine being uprooted and planted in the wilderness. During the Maccabean period, the vine became a symbol of Israel’s national identity because of these references in Psalms and the prophets.
Shortly after Jesus delivered His public teaching in Matthew 21 about Israel as the vineyard under corrupt leadership, He stood among His followers and said, “I am the true Vine,” literally, “I am the Vine, the True.” Through Israel, servants were sent to warn them of their sinful path, but they were beaten and killed. Israel rejected the Son, who was sent, cast out, and killed. As a result, Israel was excommunicated: “taken away and the vineyard given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” His disciples heard His serious message, and now, amid the ruins of the vine, as far as Israel was concerned, He makes it clear that God, who created the vine to produce fruit to bless the world, has not abandoned His plans and purposes. He is not defeated because Jesus Himself is “The Vine, the True.”
He has transferred the privileges and responsibilities from Israel to Himself and those connected with Him. In John 15:5, it is not “the True Vine,” but “The Vine, ye are the branches,” emphasizing their relationship to Himself. The Vine through which God’s love and mercy reach the world is not the Jewish nation but Christ and those who have His life in them. There are four representative images of believers in John 15: branches, v.5 – illustrating their union, the union of life in Christ. We live in Him and bear fruit because of Him. He spiritually renews us. Am I truly connected to Christ?
This relates to my relationship with Christ [v. 1-8] regarding fruit-bearing. A branch makes no noise. A branch doesn’t move around; it has its own area of service and can’t leave it. A branch has a passive role; it depends on another. It has no life of its own. A branch works in season and out of season. To a branch, winter is as important as summer. A branch has several jobs: feeding, protecting, and producing basic fruit, as well as providing shelter for the fruit and those beneath it, and generating carbon dioxide.
The origin of fruit is deeply connected to the Lord because life, which produces fruit in a person’s hand, comes from Him. The nature of new life, as clearly explained in the Word of God, is to bless others—since God uses people. From the Vine comes what is needed to create something new, but each branch has its own role. The Vine supplies all the fruit necessary for growth, and the branches are responsible for maintaining and holding onto it.
A branch doesn’t make much noise as it holds precious fruit; its connection to the Vine forms the pathway to the fruit. When external forces detach the branch from the Vine, the branch's purpose ends. As servants to the Lord, we are like branches on the Vine; disciples are meant to help the fruit mature and bless others. Love for God and one another is the role of the servants, as through us, the Lord brings the ripened fruit to its full purpose.
“The Vine, the True; the Husbandman [land-worker]" refers to those through whom fruit is produced. The Father owns and cares for the vineyard, so His goodness flows to His people. The Father will prune, restrain, train, and support the tender branches. He will do everything necessary to produce fruit for His glory. The care of the vineyard is no longer entrusted to “wicked husbandmen.” The Father judges those who bear no spiritual fruit. Spiritual fruit is the product of a spiritual union. Fruit is the natural outcome of a living organism. “Takes away” [airo], as in John 1:29, means “bears away” and can also refer to physical death. In John 8:59, the same word means “lifts up,” which can mean lifting the fruitless branch away from contact with the earth.
The branch is cleansed from insects, fungi, and mildew like believers are cleansed by the Word of God. When it is exposed to light and air, hopefully, it will then bear fruit. “Purgeth” [pruned] is done by removing or cutting back any useless parts of the branch. Originally, this happened at conversion. Practically, it continues when we commit ourselves to be set apart through the obedience of faith. We all have notions, passions, and ideas that need purging. Discipline is meant to strengthen our character and faith. The Word of God is the cleansing agent. The word sanctifies us.
“Abide” means staying where you are, drawing nourishment from the Vine through the Word, prayer, fellowship, and awareness of our union with Him. All we do in our lives must be done in the strength of our union with Christ. “Bear fruit” - Christ-like character can only be ours by staying in continual contact with Christ. “Abiding”: We keep His commandments to abide. The vine's life flows through the branches to produce fruit; the branches are channels. Without an abiding relationship, there is nothing. Abiding in Christ involves [1] believing He is God’s Son (1Jn.4:15), [2] receiving Him as Savior and Lord (Jn.1:12), [3] doing what God says (1Jn.3:24), [4] continuing to believe the Gospel (1Jn.2:24), and [5] relating in love to the saints (Jn.15:12).
Not abiding in Christ has serious consequences. Fellowship with God is lost, and spiritual vitality withers the soul of someone out of fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. There will be a loss of reward in the future when a Christian’s works are judged by fire (1 Cor. 3:12-15). “Men gather” means what people see and scoff at in a Christian who has lost his testimony. The branches that are burned likely refer to those who are not true believers in Christ. They may seem to be at first, but when no spiritual fruit appears from them, they are recognized as lacking spiritual life.
The vibrant pulse of life is felt; from this, evidence of the life principle appears where there was none before. What started as a delicate twig begins to grow and expand until the branch is firmly attached and life is evident in it. When the branch becomes strong enough to carry the weight of fruit from the Vine-Source, everything needed for life in the branch and its attached fruit flows continuously. The union grows stronger, weight can be supported, and fruit can now be shaded, while the Vine keeps providing what is necessary; all the branch must do is "abide." Soon, the evidence of fruit is visibly growing strongly from within, even though it remains connected to the branch.
There is a vital connection between the True Vine and the branch. This connection is intentionally maintained by the Life Source, not by accident. The union of the Vine and branch is meant to stay so that the fruit needed to bless those around it through this union is preserved. To be "crucified with Christ" is not just a lightweight phrase. Death is involved in the crucifixion; even then, the union remains. The "death of the cross" signifies that both the Vine and the branch have truly died, yet in the resurrection, that union persists - both are now alive.
There is a new life that surpasses what is normal for mortal man. Immortality in the branch is now part of God's plan. Our life is now "hidden with Christ in God," and there we will remain, not just for the years this life has remaining, but forever through endless ages of eternity. The cross has been passed, but the effects of the cross continue forever. The union of the branch with the Vine is based on a life that is eternally strong. We will look back on that cross-work and will forever praise His name, knowing that the life of the Vine and the branch is truly one and the same.