I Am the Vine and You Are the Branches

Jesus uses the beautiful imagery of a vine and its branches to illustrate our relationship with Him. He is the true Vine, we are the branches, and our Heavenly Father is the vinedresser who prunes us so that we may bear more fruit.

Jesus also says that any branch that does not bear fruit is gathered and thrown into the fire.    (JUDAS) (Matt 7)

John 15:1-8 “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 every branch that bears fruit He prunes, 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, 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, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ 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. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

When we abide in Jesus, connect to Jesus, and are nourished and fed by Jesus, he says we will bear much fruit. This fruit is evidence of our love for Jesus and our relationship with Jesus. It’s the proof that we are His disciples.

When Jesus says, “Abide in me,” He is talking about our will, about the choices, the decisions we make. We make a conscious decision to do the things that keep us in contact with him. This is what it means to abide in him.

Bearing fruit requires patience and perseverance. Just as a vinedresser prunes the branches of a vine to make them more fruitful, so our Heavenly Father prunes us to make us more fruitful. He’s pruning, shaping, and making us more like Jesus.

This process of pruning can be painful. It can be not easy. It can be challenging. But it’s necessary for our spiritual growth. It’s necessary for our fruitfulness. (Heb. 12:6 God disciplines and chastens the ones He loves)

So, what God is doing in this spiritual pruning process is cutting off the dead parts in our lives, those things that are hindering our growth, those things that are preventing us from bearing more fruit. All of this is done so that we can be more productive for His kingdom.

The branch is not separate from the vine; it’s an extension of the vine. It shares the same life source, the same nutrients, and the same purpose.            In the same way, as believers, we are not separate from Jesus; we are extensions of Him. We share His life, His love, and His purpose.

A branch’s primary function is to bear fruit. Jesus says a fruitless branch has no value because it doesn’t fulfill its purpose and doesn’t reflect the life and vitality of the vine. So, as believers, our primary function is to bear spiritual fruit, and when we do that, we display the beauty of Jesus, and the Father is glorified.

A branch does not become fruitful overnight. As believers, our spiritual growth is a process. It requires time spent in prayer and the Word and, most importantly, a heart that is open and receptive to God’s word and work.

We’re not alone in this journey of faith. We’re connected to the source of all life, all love, and all truth. And just as a branch draws its life from the vine, we draw our life from Jesus. He is our strength when we’re weak, our hope when we’re discouraged, and our peace in every storm or circumstance.

Vs3” You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” Vs7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,,..” (Psalm 119:11)  The word of God is a cleansing agent.

It convicts us through the Holy Spirit and condemns the sin in our lives. It inspires holiness, promotes growth, and reveals to us the power we have and the path for every victory.

Jesus continues to wash His people through the word.

John 15:9-17 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹² This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you (WHY?) that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, that you love one another.

Here we have a profound declaration from Jesus. He says, “As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you.” What a powerful statement. Jesus’s love for us mirrors (is the same as) the love between the Father and the Son, a love that is absolute, unchanging, and eternal.     (never doubt Jesus’ love for you)

 Vs13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  And Jesus proved His love for us by choosing to leave the glory of heaven, deciding to become a man and live among us, choosing to be tempted in every way we are, choosing to suffer and die a horrible, torturous death on the cross for us.

(I Understand) Jesus’s choices were not based on my worthiness or goodness. They weren’t because I deserved them. These choices were His choices, and they were choices motivated by love.

We are loved by Jesus, chosen by Jesus, and have a special place in His heart. This is a place of security, belonging, and acceptance.

Jesus chose us for a purpose. He says, Vs16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain,..”  We are called/chosen to bear fruit, to live lives that reflect His love, and to make a difference in the world around us.

Jesus says, “Whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give you.” Because we are loved and chosen, Jesus gives us access to the resources of heaven. We can ask in His name, and the Father will give it to us. This is not a blank check for our selfish desires, but a promise (as we abide in Him) to provide for our needs as we seek to fulfill our chosen purpose.

Jesus is not saying that we earn His love by keeping His commands. But as we remain in His love, we find ourselves spiritually desiring to keep His commands. We don’t see them as a duty or a burden, but something that brings us joy.

Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”  This is the ultimate goal of our consistency in our connection with Jesus- that His joy may be in us and that our joy may be complete.

So, let us make a conscious decision to abide in Jesus. Let’s stay connected to Him through prayer, reading His Word, and fellowship with other believers. Let us ask Him to help us bear much fruit for His glory. And let us trust that because we abide in Him and bear fruit for Him, He hears our prayers and will answer them according to His perfect will and His perfect timing.