Jesus, The True Vine

John 15:1-17
Key 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.”

(Introduction)
Jesus wants to teach his disciples and he emphasizes “remain in me”. He teaches us that he is our true vine, and we have been chosen to be his fruitful branches.

May the Lord help us to have insight to see through the precious relationship between Jesus, our true vine and us and to pick up desire to be more fruitful.



1. Read verses 1-3. Why does Jesus declare himself as the true vine? (1a) Who is the gardener? (1b) Describe the two kinds of branches (2). What does he do to make them more fruitful?(2) How can we be clean (3)?

*Read verses 1-3.
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.

*Why does Jesus declare himself as the true vine? (1a)
Answer)
In the Old Testament (Isa 5:1-2), Israel is portrayed as the vineyard of God.

"I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 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."

God planted his chosen people as choice vines that would overflow with good fruit. The good fruit God sought was obedient holy people by maintaining righteous relationship with God.

However they did not produce such good fruit. But God did not give up. God sent his son Jesus Christ as the true vine and help us to bear good fruit again.

Why did the author of this passage, Jesus choose a vine tree rather than california orange tree or apple tree?

I want to give the credit to this tree in that the first fruit bearing time is exactly the third year just as Jesus endeavored himself to bring up his 12 disciples so far to bring them up as qualified branches to bear fruit for God’s glory. Time is imminent for them to hear fruit despite sorrow and anxiety behind the scene!!

Jesus compares himself to the trunk and the root of a vine by saying, “I am”. Basically Jesus is the creator and be with God from the beginning based on Genesis and John.

John 1:3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. he was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

As the true vine, Jesus is the source of each person’s life. It is very important to know where our life comes from. People are always seeking to know what the root of our life lies.

Jesus Christ is the true root and vine of all people. We are all branches of the true vine, Jesus.

*Who is the gardener? (1b)
answer) the heavenly Father  
It would be Jesus Christ himself because he was the creator and the direct stakeholder with His Father.

*Describe the two kinds of branches(2).
answer)the branch that does not bear fruit, the other that does bear fruit



*What does he do to make them more fruitful?(2)
answer) Cutting and pruning(clean)
“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 Father is working to carry out his sovereign will of producing good fruit from our lives.

God the Father does his work in two aspects, cutting and pruning (or cleaning).

First, cutting. Anyone who comes into a relationship with Jesus Christ receives God’s one-sided grace continually. He is a new creation (2 Co 5:17). What a blessing!

We can’t imagine that God would ever cut off such a person, and God’s word promises that he won’t. It is God’s one-sided grace that works continually, even invisibly to human eyes.

But there is also the truth of cutting. One who does not bear the fruit of God’s grace really doesn’t belong in Jesus, the vine. It’s really strange for someone in Christ Jesus to not be affected by his relationship with Jesus.

Pruning is very similar to cutting – in fact, it is cutting. But pruning is different a bit. Someone in Jesus who is pruned becomes fruitful. The footnote says that it  means “cleans”.

Everyone is a sinner who can not bear fruit. But thank God who begins to work. God works to clean us to the point to almost be stripped bare.(People who know gardening can testify that pruning looks severe. Or we can to visit Temelula to observe it.)

Yet the pruning of a wise gardener is always beneficial. It is God’s divine wisdom.

In reality there are things in our lives we are quite attached to. It’s not easy to give them up. But  when we belong to Jesus, we are at the same time blessed to have a most wise and loving gardener.

He knows exactly what we need, and what we don’t need in our lives. God is willing to do the hard work of pruning away the things we really don’t need. On our part we can meditate on His living words one by one.
Through them, we are going through conviction and pick up desire to repent. At first we mourn and take  our loss. Then something begins to happen.

We long for God, and deeply sense our need for his grace. Lo and behold! at last a pruned branch begins to draw more nourishing sap from the tree efficiently.

When we bear the painful pruning of useless things in our lives, we realize how much we need Jesus instead of these things, and rely on our true vine more than ever for our life.

Sometimes our difficult times or suffering are chances to come near to Jesus, and his word in the Bible became their life source.

In short the times of pruning are times of God’s spiritual love and best blessing.

*How can we be clean(3)?
Answer) the word of Jesus
In verse 3. “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”

It is the word of God, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that makes us clean, not our own righteous way or brilliant way.

This is why Studying the Bible as our primary(first and foremost) duty regardless of any ministry. May we share or teach Jesus’ word to many young disciple candidates in this generation, that they may be clean and bear fruit for God.


2. Read verses 4-8. How many times is the word “remain” repeated? Why is it essential to remain in the vine? (4b-6, Col 2:6,7) How can we remain in Jesus, the vine? (Jn 6:56) What does Jesus promise? (7) What is the purpose of bearing fruit? (8)


*Read verses 4-8.
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. 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. 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. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

*How many times is the word “remain” repeated?
11 times
remain in me - five times

*Why is it essential to remain in the vine? (4b-6, Col 2:6,7)
answer)
It is because there is no other way in order to produce fruit.
After we accepted Jesus as the Lord(King, Master, or Messiah), it is not merely one time transaction but continue to live in him and rooted, and built up in him according Col. 2:6,7.

After 3 years of intensive personal love and care from Jesus, they were about to be physically separated by Jesus’ suffering and death. It was shocking to them. They would feel lost. They would find themselves drawn back into the world of just surviving each day. So Jesus tells them in advance what they must do.

What exactly does Jesus mean by “remain”?

Are we to simply cling to our identity as Christians in a dying world? If we look at other versions, it meant “abide in me” or “live in me”.

In other words, we aren’t merely attached to Jesus – we are inseparably a living part of him. It’s our vital relationship with Jesus.

Jesus appeals to each of us by saying, “Can a branch live on its own?”

No, it must remain in the vine. We must remain in the grace of Jesus. We must remain in the love of Jesus. Most importantly we must remain in the word(gospel) of Jesus Christ.

There is one prerequisite to being his branches. We must remain living and growing in him. This also implies that he remains living in us.

*How can we remain in Jesus, the vine?(Jn 6:56)
Answer)
“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.” The subject is Jesus, “I am”.

So the way to be a fruitful life is not found in this world, but in Jesus. So the best way to make a difference is to deeply know Jesus in person .

John 6:56, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
- this verse shows that we are able to remain in Jesus by eating his flesh and his drink.
It is not based on out ceremonial ritual but intimate fellowship an relationship.

Verse 6 also talks about the same, even though we may do our best on our own in our lifetime, Without knowing Jesus, we can only wither and die.

Ex)Paul worked very hard to know Jesus more and more. He did this to the point of being chained in a Roman prison.

He wrote in Philippians 3:10-11: “I want to know  Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

This is how Paul was changed from a persecutor of the church into a fruitful man.


*What does Jesus promise?(7)

In verses 7, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

A vital relationship with Jesus the vine comes when we struggle to live according to Jesus’ teachings in the Bible through prayer. We must rely on Jesus our vine for all our needs, trusting him 100 percent.

Also whenever we cry out for his grace again in prayer, he always answers. Jesus urges us to ask him whatever we wish. Anyone who wants to live a fruitful life should ask God to
help him obey one word of God. We must ask God’s help without ceasing.

*What is the purpose of bearing fruit? (8)
answer)
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” For the glory of God, not our own selfish end!


3. Read verses 9-11. How much has Jesus loved us? (9, Ro 5:8) How ought we, therefore, to remain in Jesus’ love? (9,10a) What is Jesus’ example (10b)? What is the consequence of remaining in Jesus’ love and obeying his commands? (11)

*Read verses 9-11.
   9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

*How much has Jesus loved us? (9, Ro 5:8)
answer)
In verse 9. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” This deeply poetic picture was given so that we may see our relationship of love with God through Jesus. Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we are still sinners, Christ died for us.”

**How ought we, therefore, to remain in Jesus’ love? (9,10a)
answer)
Love is inseparably intertwined with obedience. In verse 10. “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”

*What is Jesus’ example(10b)?
answer)
God sent Jesus on a mission in this world. When you think of the nature of the command of God from the beginning, it was not beneficial or merited to Jesus himself at all due to hard suffering and self denial.

Jesus had to give up his position as the prince of heavenly kingdom. He had to be born in manger. He had to suffer endlessly with sinful human beings. God commanded His son to be outcast, showing only love to his enemies, and being constantly misunderstood, pouring out his life to serve those who could never repay him.

Then God asked his Son to lay down his life, to be arrested, tried, convicted and crucified, for those people who misunderstood him.

But above all Jesus himself knew personally this as his Father’s deep down love. Jesus maintained his love relationship with God by obeying his Father. Jesus remained in the Father’s love to the very end, nailed on the cross.

As the Father loved his Son Jesus, so Jesus loved his disciples and us. To remain in Jesus’ love, we need to obey him. Clearly, remaining in Jesus’ love is to yield my will to Jesus’ will, just as Jesus to his Father’s.

*What is the consequence of remaining in Jesus’ love and obeying his commands? (11)
answer)
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Jesus will give us his complete joy.

Complete joy is not joy that our emotions Jesus will give us his complete joy. Complete joy is not joy that our emotions give. It is joy that Jesus gives.

4. Read verses 12-17. What is Jesus’ command (12, 17)? How ought we to love each other (13)? What is the result of obeying of this command? (14, 15)? Why is it important to know that Jesus chose us? (16,17) What fruit does Jesus want us to bear?

*Read verses 12-17.
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.


* What is Jesus’ command(12, 17)?
answer)
In verse 12. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

Jesus taught it over and over during his precious last moments with the disciples. It is because literally it was the summary of all Jesus’ commands.

*How ought we to love each other(13)?
answer)
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Perhaps nothing is more beautiful than this. We are moved by his self- sacrificial love.

But it was from the divine love of God for sinners

*What is the result of obeying of this command?(14, 15)?
answer)
Jesus has made us his friends, though we have not even been worthy to be servants.

In verses 14-15, “You are my friends, if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Friendship with Jesus is a profound privilege that comes with responsibility. We have become stakeholders in God’s work of saving mankind from sin into his kingdom.


*Why is it important to know that Jesus chose us? (16,17)
answer)
In verse 16. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”

Jesus called us to his purpose. During our lives we will go out into this world and establish relationships with those Jesus longs to reach. As we go out, we will bear Christ to them.

Jesus’ purpose for us(His calling) has eternal significance. In other words, our mission is far greater than our own lives. It is quite different view point to our temporary lives.  

*What fruit does Jesus want us to bear?
answer)
It’s fruit lasts into eternal life. May all my short-sighted, small vision be pruned away. Jesus chose me not to struggle to figure out what my mission is, but so that I may go and bear fruit for him.

Fruit is that which God desires and wills to produce in each one of us. As we go out in our
lives, we must obey Jesus. What is the fruit God wants you to bear? God knows. I personally think that it is to obey Jesus and His desire rather than mine.

(In conclusion)
Jesus knows that there are undeniable deep down desires of our hearts to bear much fruit and the best(everlasting) fruit. This is a God-given authentic desire according to Genesis 1:28. A fruitless life makes us miserable.

But many make the mistake of trying to bear fruit in their life apart from Jesus.Jesus is the true vine and the true source of making it truly. May the Lord help us to remain in his living words and his love to bear the fruit that last for good.
One word: I am the true vine!

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