04/15/2014
Written by Matthew Thompson
John 15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and everybranch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for
you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
Once again Jesus uses the illustration of a vine to teach His disciples a final lesson about God before He was to be crucified. Unlike the parable used earlier to describe the judgment that was coming against the Jewish Church, He now uses a metaphor to show the disciples what is required for them to be His followers. Anyone who has ever bought flowers knows already that a branch cannot live once it has been removed from a vine. Even with that powdered stuff the florist gives you, it will inevitably wither and die. Likewise, if you clipped a grape blossom and stuck it in a vase, it would never turn into a bunch of grape. The branch MUST have the nutrients of the vine to bear fruit. Remain in Him and He will remain in you.