Opening Prayer:
Father God as we come to this the last of our studies of the parables of Jesus we ask that you guide our thoughts and words that we may speak nothing here tonight which is contrary to your will, and that each of us will learn that which you have purposed for our understanding from this study tonight. Be with those of our group who cannot be here tonight, we ask that you share our blessing with them, and bring them back into our midst when next we meet. And now bless this the study of the words of Jesus to our understanding. In Jesus name we pray Amen.
The Parable of The Vine And The Branches
This discourse takes place just after Jesus and his disciples have had their last supper, and after Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples. Then after Judas had been identified as his betrayer, and had left the group, Jesus is addressing only his disciples in the last things. Jesus begins to speak comforting words to them about his leaving, and then returning. He has promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, to help them continue their mission, and who will remain with them and within them. He will teach them everything and make them remember everything Jesus taught. This promise of the Holy Spirit then is followed by our scripture.
When we started this study of the parables of Jesus, we started with The parable of the Householder, one who has been prepared for almost any circumstance that may occur, wisdom from experience, and knowledge acquired throughout life’s learning and preparation for both new things which we are to encounter, and the old things with which we find some comfort.
In that study, I am reminded of my Grandmother, a woman of infinite resources, and a wealth of experience. There was no circumstance that could come upon us as a family that she was not prepared to meet, and to lead us through. To her there were no surprises, she had been through it all, including the depression, and she had the resource and determination to see her family through anything that could happen. And she was in full control at all times.
Now we come to this the last parable which Jesus will speak, and by now, having studied all the parables Jesus Spoke, and having learned that every word which proceeds from the mouth of Jesus is a learning experience We find ourselves as disciples, learning these last things about Jesus and our relationship with him. In this study, I picture sitting in the presence of Jesus clinging to every word, as if each word were a living experience to be savored, a moment in time set aside just so I might learn these last things that Jesus is teaching.
Scripture reading
Joh 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Pg.2
This parable is a perfect allegorical comparison of Jesus as the vine, God as the vinedresser, and we as the branches bearing the fruit that the vinedresser expects to harvest. In these verses we learn that those branches bearing no fruit are to be cut off, and those bearing fruit will be pruned to bear more fruit. And further we learn that we cannot do this on our own, but we must remain in perfect harmony with Jesus, the vine. And should that not be the case, we will become useless, wither and be thrown into the fire and burned.
Verse 1, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
Jesus begins his discourse identifying himself as the "true vine" and his Father as the caring gardener. The word "true" has important links with the scriptures. Israel is called the "true vine" Jeremiah 2: 21 But Jesus is in fact emphasizing that he is the reality of which the Vine of Israel is but a type, and it must remain in him to be useful and produce fruit . In light of this it is worth reflecting on Isaiah 5: 1 — 7, and Ezekiel 15: 1 — 8 God expects more from his vineyard than sticks, dry leaves and wood which is of no value except to be burned.
Q.1 Why is Jesus calling himself the true vine, what distinction is he making?
Q.2 Do we have such false representation in the church today?
Verse 2, He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
The vine is constantly watched by the caring gardener who cuts away branches which do not bear fruit. He does this for the sake of those that do bear fruit, to strengthen them and help them to be more fruitful. Jesus is stating in no uncertain terms, the displeasure of the Father towards faithless followers. The church is filled with disciples who work for a season and then quit. God will not continue to watch over those, but will continue to work with those who remain in his service, even helping them improve their own work to be more fruitful.
Q.1 What meaning is conveyed to us by the cutting off of the branches bearing no fruit?
Q.2 In Jesus’ day he was sorely disappointed with the Jews, Does this parable reflect that feeling? Q.3 Would this parable have any comparisons for our nation ?
Verse 3, You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
In Verse 3. This brief statement, "You have already been trimmed and cleaned up through the power of my word". What word? All that Jesus has taught about Israel's history and prophetic insight and through his teaching in parables, has taken root in them. They have welcomed his word, which has become part of them. This is in reference to those disciples who remain steadfast even through hard times. Remember, one of the disciples did not remain in him, and became his betrayer.
Q.1 How does this verse have any meaning for us today?
Q.2 What comparison is expressed with this verse?
Pg.3
Verse 4, Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
The branch can receive no nourishment from the vine unless there is intimate and unencumbered contact between them. The supreme condition of fruitfulness, is abiding in Jesus; as the branches draw nourishment from the vine, so believers must derive their strength, wisdom, holiness and power from their Lord.
Q.1 How is this to be best accomplished?
Q.2 What is there that could interrupt this closeness?
Verse 5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Again he says, "I am the vine", but adds the reassuring phrase "you are the branches". The early Church, looking back realized that the presence of a traitor was not allowed to weaken the rest. At a certain moment he was removed so that the other branches could grow even stronger. So the "true vine" is sending out new branches. You are those branches Jesus says. This is a very special moment to ponder. But what is the fruit Jesus is talking about? The fruit of the beatitudes: humility, true sorrow, meekness, striving for purity of heart, enduring persecution and injustice for his sake.
Q.1 What is meant by the phrase “apart from me you can do nothing”?
Q.2 How does that apply to our living in the world day by day?
Verse 6, If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
And now another warning: abide or depart! Jesus is saying this to show how strongly his Father disapproves of branches which soak up the living sap and grow fat on it without giving fruit in return. There is absolutely no place for them!
Q.1 Where in our day to day experience does this apply?
Q.2 Where in our faith life does this apply?
Verses 7, If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. Vs.8, This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
"Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." Why should Christ's words abiding in us be the ground of this particular promise? Evidently for this reason: the more the words of Christ abide in us by our receiving them in implicit faith, and appropriating them, the more the mind of Christ will be in us; for the words of Christ convey the mind of Christ, and the more we have of the mind of Christ the more we shall fall in with the will and purposes of God: and so our desires will be expressed in prayer to God for what He is most disposed to grant. The words of Christ abiding within us will inspire us to pray for what He wills, and what He wills His Father approves, and will bring about.
Q.1 What is meant by this vs. 7?
Q.1 Where in our faith life does this apply?
Scripture readings:
Jeremiah 2:21 I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?
Isaiah 5:1-5 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. 3 "Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? 5 Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.
Ezekiel 15:1-8 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? 3 Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? 4 And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? 5 If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred? 6 "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. 7 I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the LORD. 8 I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign LORD."
Meditation:
How truly rich in meaning is this image chosen by Jesus to help us understand who he is and how we are totally dependent upon Him for life eternal and fruitfulness of that life. We have heard this Gospel many times, and we are again and again taught its central truth, that life comes to us only through Christ who is the vine. He is the vine and we are his branches. How marvelous all this is we only gradually come to appreciate by much reflection and prayer.
It is clear to faith that Jesus is the supernaturally fertile vine planted by the Father in this world. Faith teaches us that we are the recreated branches who have been grafted onto Him by workers in the vineyard of the Father, the Apostles of Jesus and their successors. In the great vineyards of this world, the skilled vine tenders are often descendents of generations of skilled workers, and this pattern holds true in the Father’s vineyard as well. Skills and tools (the sacraments) are handed down. Our vinedressers too graft branches onto the one great vine who is Christ, the source of their life, and these workers assure that it gets the care that helps these new branches to take root in the vine and grow and flourish.
What modern genetic discovery confirms in terms of the parable is that the great fruit produced from the grafting of Jesus onto the root of Israel is from the vine which is Jesus Himself. He is the great vine that has been introduced by the Father into His vineyard of humanity; He is the true source of a wine that Israel could never produce, the richest of wines because it brings eternal life and joy to the heart of men.
But the next grafting is what involves us, the branch that is grafted on to the vine of Jesus who was planted in the root of Israel. The Father, indeed the Trinity, produced the first grafting, while the Apostles are privileged to graft us onto Christ. But we ourselves do not produce the genetic richness of the vine as the vine did to the root plant. All the richness of life and fruitfulness comes to us through the vine. And yet, and this is extremely important, we actually do produce the fruit, but a fruit whose richness is ultimately produced from the vine and its life flowing through us. We are the branches who produce the fruit.
And another aspect of this truth is that not all branches produce the same quantity or quality of fruit. That’s true in the natural vineyards as well. But here again the abundance really depends not on ourselves alone, but on the Father, the Master vine grower Himself who knows just what each branch needs to flourish. Jesus tells us this at the beginning of this Gospel passage: my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. God actually “prunes” us, and this pruning is inevitably painful for the branch.
And here again the modern science of winemaking is enlightening. For modern winemaking teaches us that just the proper degree of “stress” has to be produced in the vines and branches to bring out the best wine and greatest abundance. Too much stress, and the branch withers; just enough stress tolerated, and the branch explodes in fruitfulness. This too confirms a spiritual truth; that nothing truly spiritually great is ever produced in this fallen world without passing the stress test of the Cross.
How loving then is the true vine Master toward His vine and His (Christ’s) branches; and how richly this divine parable can enlighten us regarding both the true source of eternal life and the role of the Cross in enriching our lives. The next time you are suffering anything, meditate on this rich parable and trust that great stress, when transformed by God, can be a source of a richer life and richer fruit. If we just allow the Vine Master to do his work, this stress will pass and will produce much fruit for us and for the world around us. He knows what we are made of, each of us individually. He knows and He cares and He will never allows any of us to be stressed beyond the power of his grace to heal us and he will help us to produce an abundant fruit, thirty, sixty and a hundred fold. Jesus promised this, and His promises never fail.
Closing Prayer:
Dear God of our salvation, we offer our thanks for your allowing us these few minutes of study in your word, and we ask that you help us to manifest these words of Jesus into the fruit of our branches, that we may glorify You Oh God and Your Son our Lord Jesus in all that we do and say. Be with those of our acquaintance who are suffering illness and infirmity____________-
We ask that you grant your strength and comfort to those mentioned and for those who care for them, give them your blessing and Your healing touch. We pray in the name of Jesus Ame
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