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The True Vine
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 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. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also 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 so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. — John 15:1-11, NASB
The illustration of the True Vine, given by Jesus to His closest disciples the night before the crucifixion, explains that He is humanity’s crucial connection to God and the only means through which man is spiritually sustained, fulfilled, and redeemed. The last of the seven “I AMs” of the gospel of John, it is proclaimed after Jesus has departed the upper room with His disciples; Judas Iscariot has been dismissed to carry out his treachery and the Lord has just comforted the eleven remaining, true disciples with the promises of His eventual return and the sending of the Holy Spirit.
The vine metaphor and the distinction of a “true” vine, as opposed to one that is false, are scripturally significant. In Isaiah 5 the nation of Israel was portrayed as "the choicest vine" planted and tended by God Himself. But despite its favored variety, fertile ground and careful cultivation, the vine produced only worthless grapes, leading the Vinedresser to remove its protective hedge and lay it waste. Likewise, the Jewish people were God's own chosen, receiving every blessing and spiritual instruction so that He might be glorified through them. However they routinely turned degenerate and disobedient, and the Almighty would in turn lay them waste in judgment, an example of which is described and lamented in Psalm 80:4-16. It was through Israel that God determined to bring salvation to the world, but repeatedly throughout its history the nation would prove to be a false vine.
There is a True Vine however through which man is redeemed. Historically the Jews had placed much faith in their ancestry as their primary connection to God, taking for granted that being found in the line of Abraham and therefore citizens of His favored nation would ultimately ensure their salvation. By referring to Himself as the True Vine, Jesus shows that being a branch of Israel is actually no guarantee at all of being among God’s true chosen. Rather, it is through Christ alone that any can be connected to God and spiritually redeemed.
The branches of the vine represent disciples of Christ, among which some are true and some are false. Though each one is attached, showing an apparent connection, the distinguishing factor is the ability to produce good spiritual fruit. Jesus talks about the importance of fruit bearing at length here, showing that it is not only the purpose of the branches, but a certain consequence of abiding in the greater vine.
What is the fruit Jesus is talking about? It is what one believes and does which glorifies God and shows that he is becoming more like Jesus. It is the developing, inner Christian nature and the outward actions that are the evidence of a saving faith and a regenerated heart. As Paul told the Galatians, it includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This is what is necessarily produced by a disciple who abides in the True Vine. The individual branch draws its strength and sustenance from the vine, and it is only through this connection that the branch can produce fruit at all. Such is the case with the obedient believer who is sustained by his faith and is able to truly—if imperfectly—reflect the qualities of his Lord and Savior.
The vinedresser assesses the branches, removing the bad, unfruitful ones and pruning the good, fruitful ones so they will produce even more. Such is the manner in which God the Father deals with professing followers of Christ and determines the true and false branches.
False branches that have been cut off wither and die, illustrating that there is no spiritual life apart from God. These dead branches are then cast into the fire of eternal judgment. Like Judas, there will always be apostate people with an outward attachment who never had genuine faith, but instead have an unrepentant, unregenerate heart and a lack of spiritual fruit in their lives. For that reason it is important to understand that the illustration of the Vinedresser disposing of bad branches does not indicate that a true believer can lose their salvation.
Fruitful branches containing the eternal life of the Vine are pruned by the Vinedresser to increase their yield, taking away all but what is necessary for good growth. This divine pruning is a picture of the things providentially delivered to align believers to His Word and shape them into better Christians. Like the 11 true disciples that Jesus is addressing, believers who have received and been saved by His gospel—and in a sense have been pruned—are declared clean (Gk. katharoi ) in verse 3, resistant to corrupting influences and therefore sufficiently prepared for bearing good fruit.
While it is possible for people to produce bad fruit, as the example in Isaiah 5 demonstrates, good branches attached to the True Vine only bring forth fruit that is good. Paul, again to the Galatians defines bad fruit as immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing and so forth. A person who abides in Christ will not be characterized by such.
In contrast to the fate of false believers described in the illustration of verse 6, Jesus goes on to explain that branches of the True Vine will be blessed by God, and their prayers in His name and consistent with His will shall not go unfulfilled. He also explains that one’s fruitfulness in discipleship glorifies God. As the Puritan writer Thomas Watson emphasized, glorifying God is man's chief end and one of the ways this is accomplished is by yielding spiritual fruit:
We glorify God by fruitfulness… As it is a dishonour to God to be barren, so fruitfulness doth honour him… We must not be like the fig-tree in the gospel, which had nothing but leaves, but like the Pomecitron, that is continually either mellowing or blossoming, it is never without fruit. It is not profession, but fruit glorifies God; God expects to have his glory from us this way... Trees in the forest may be barren, but trees in the garden are fruitful: we must bring forth the fruits of love and good works.* (emphasis added)
Verse 10 states that obedience allows the faithful Christian to abide in God’s love. Our love for Him is demonstrated through the keeping of His commandments, an example
Jesus set in His obedience to the Father; thus He abides in the Father's love. Believers understand that this obedience is not of themselves or the means of their salvation, but the necessary consequence of the saving faith imparted to them by God. Those saved by the grace of God will most certainly walk in the good works He has ordained.
The illustration of the True Vine is given as an encouragement to believers so that they may experience a fullness of joy in discipleship and have assurance of their connection to God. Jesus is that one, true connection, and if we abide in Him, His joy and His gift of salvation abides in us. Let us praise God for the True Vine. May each of us be a fruitful branch that testifies to His word and glorifies His name.
Next: The Bread of Life
Quotation reference:
* Watson, Thomas; A Body of Practical Divinity et al; 1692
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Most scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB)
