I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
Jesus has a tough job. No, not just dying for our sins on the cross, but also trying to convey the truth about what we cannot see. Heaven is a place that we talk about, but only one man has actually come from there and knows what it is like. That man is Jesus.
In trying to explain how things work Jesus resorts to allegory. Again and again, he tries to explain by using earthly things to describe spiritual realities. In today’s passage, Jesus describes himself as a grapevine, and God as the gardener. If you are blessed with an interest in growing things, you might understand this allegory. If you don’t know about green things, this might not make any sense.
Jesus is the vine, the source of life.
The Father is the gardener, the one who judges who will remain attached to the vine and who is cut off.
Why does Jesus tell us this?
The answer, I think, is that somehow spiritual life only comes from being connected to Jesus. That is actually how we reconnect with God and are “born again” to use Jesus’ phrase from Chapter 3. How do we connect with Jesus? Well, the first step is believing in Him. Then we need to allow Him to enter into our inner self, to welcome Him into our life. Then we can be transformed by Jesus.
Let’s Discuss: What are the functions of the vine that are important to the life of the branch?
Everything about the vine is essential to the branches. There is no life apart from the vine and the branches cannot accomplish there purpose of bearing fruit apart from the vine (John 15: 5).
Rich,
You are right about there being “no life” apart from the vine. The world looks at physical life and says, “What do you mean? I’m alive!” when they are in fact dead to God. The believer, connected to the vine, Jesus, has real life, even as the physical life sours and fades.
The vine is the source and that which sustains the branches, without the vine the branches are only good for kindling. The purpose of the branches is to produce fruit but they are necessarily dependent on the vine. Humanity, Israel, and me personally cannot fulfill our ultimate purpose if we are not connected to Jesus. He is the creator and sustainer.
Nathan,
I like your point about kindling. Isn’t it interesting that God’s point of view values the connection with Himself through Jesus so much? Without that connection, the physical life has no value in the spiritual realm.
The lesson I’m learning is if I’m connected to the vine then I should produce fruit. I can’t be a limb not growing or doing anything. I need to grow big enough spiritually to provide fruit or to help others grow.