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"Life
On The Vine" • 1.19.20 • Calvary Christian
Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- The disciples are walking with Jesus on the final night of His earthly
life. Having left the upper room, the Lord and
His disciples are now out on the road, headed toward the Mount of Olives.
- In order to
get there, they will descend out of the city across a ravine or valley called
the "Brook Kidron."
- Along the
way, the disciples will have passed several reminders of the agriculturally
rich heritage that Israel came to be symbolized by.
- One of the
gates of the city was 60 feet high and was decorated with a golden vine that
must have shone beautifully in the moonlight.
- As they
walked toward the Garden of Gethsemane, they would certainly have walked past
or even through a vineyard and that Lord was moved to speak with them.
- Can you
imagine Jesus standing by a grapevine, looking intently at it and then, holding
it in His hand as His disciples looked on?
- Their minds
would have told them that Jesus was holding an ordinary vine. Given the time of
the year, the vine would likely have been just beginning to show signs of life.
- The winter is
past and the vines have been prepared, cut back from the previous season to
just a few cordons with shoots of two to three buds. As Jesus grabbed ahold of
the vine, they waited.
- As they are
thinking about this, Jesus looks at them and gives them an object lesson that
will wonderfully illustrate the nature of His relationship to them and every
believer since. Verse 1.
Text
• John 15:1 : "I am the true vine, and My Father is the
vinedresser." : For those
that have been counting, this is the 7th of the seven "I AM"
statements made by Jesus in John.
- Each is
carefully designed to describe the unique character of Christ and His
relationship to His people as their God, the same God that revealed Himself by
this Name to Moses!
- Jesus has
told them, "I AM" the bread of life. (John 6:35,48) His people nourish themselves spiritually by their
relation to Him. Our Lord's life is our vital dietary staple!
- He is the
"Light of the World." (John
8:12, 9:5) Jesus alone brings His people out of their spiritual darkness
and into the illumination of the Kingdom.
- Jesus is the
"Door of the Sheep" (John
10:7,9) He is the point of entry for every believer to enter safely into
the Kingdom of God.
- He is also
the "Good Shepherd" (John
10:11,14) who lays down His life for the sheep! He is the "resurrection
and the life." (John 11:25) He
redefines the parameters of life for His people.
- Those that
believe upon Him, though they die, yet shall they live eternally with Him!
- Jesus is the
"Way, Truth and Life" (John
14:6) and nobody comes to the Father except by Him! Finally, He says here,
"I Am the True Vine!" He is the genuine vine.
- The fact that
He is the "true" vine indicates that He fulfills the full
significance of what a vine is and
had always supposed to represent! From the natural world, the vine speaks of
dependance.
- I've taken a
little time to learn a bit about vines this week and the wonder of their being.
- Vineyards are
generally set up toward the contour of a valley or are set up in a North-South
orientation for even exposure to the sun.
- The vine can
creep up from ground level up to 6 feet off the ground and will conform to the
trellis system that the vineyard owner places near it.
- The root
system of the vine carries all of the nutrients to the canes, while all of the
energy from the sun caught by the leaves, imports the sugar through the vine
into the fruit.
- The value of
the grapes is connected to the health of the vine and the real value to the
vineyard owner is the vine itself!
- Once the
fruit is picked, the vine is pruned and will again produce fruit in the
following season. It is a tremendous and wonderful process.
- Jesus is
teaching the disciples and us, that He is the Root of our spiritual life! He is
the source which brings health to His people and fruit from their lives!
- Spiritual
life and health, something that the Bible terms as "fruit," flows
exclusively through Jesus Christ. His life powers the life that we experience.
- It is His
faith, His obedience, His power that allows us to participate in fruitful ventures.
Our dependence upon Him is absolutely essential.
- Our continued
connection to Him wil determine everything about us! We are not
"cars" that come to get filled up with Christ. We are shoots of a
vine that won't live apart from Him!
- That is our
natural, supernatural position as believers, but there is a national point as
well.
- Israel saw
itself as God's vineyard. I'd recommend you read Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:8-15,
Jeremiah 2:14-21 and Hosea 10:1-4.
- Israel
thought of themselves as the vine that brought God's spiritual life to the
world. When the world connected to Israel, they would have the life of God!
- Unfortunately,
they failed to recognize the God of their covenant in the person of Jesus,
despite the fact that He performed signs that only God could do!
- Their highest
court will convene an illegal trial and condemn the Son of God to crucifixion
in a few short hours! This had led Jesus to weep over Jerusalem and render His
judgment upon them.
- Their house
would be left to them desolate (Matthew
23:38) and the Lord would take their vineyard and give it to others! (Mark 12:9) Israel had failed to be the
vine that God intended her to be.
- Thankfully, Jesus
is the True Vine that His people must attach themselves to. His Father is the
vinedresser, the husbandman, the owner.
- The owner is
responsible for the vine's health, from the placement of the vine, to the year
round care of the vine. Jesus begins to speak of His Father's role in verse 2.
• John 15:2-5 : "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. You are already clean because
of the word which I have spoken to you. 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. 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." : The vinedresser pays attention to the vine's
production and makes choices for the health of the vine. All that interests Him
is fruit production.
- The branch
that didn't produce last year is "taken away." There isn't a single
translation that offers an alternate translation, which is curious. The word
means to "lift" or "raise" up.
- The
vinedresser elevates the branch that has been fruitless, giving it another
chance to bear fruit in the coming season.
- In so doing,
the vintner stretches the branch out across the trellis to maximize exposure to
the sun and to promote the even distribution of the vine's health.
- These
branches might be more productive over the next season of time. The fruit
bearing branches also require His attention, as he carefully "prunes"
these.
- Our word
"catharsis" comes from this word. It means to be cleansed, which in
this case, refers to cutting away offshoots and buds that grow along the vine,
which detracts from the fruit.
- Energy,
sugar, vitality is drained from the shoot by non-fruit producing wood. Keep in
mind that the vindresser is driven by greater fruit production.
- The idea
behind the word "more" in verse 2
relates both to quantity and quality. Either can be inferred from this word and
both are true regarding the fruit from a believer's life.
- If you feel
as though you are being stretched or you sense that the Lord is cutting off
avenues and relationships, remember, it's not punishment. It's related to how
fruitful He thinks you should be!
- If it were
left up to us, we'd remain in whatever position most suited us and with all the
distractions, good and bad, that took up our time! That does harm to what is
produced through us!
- What actually
qualifies as "fruit" in a believer's life? There is a fruit related
to repentance, according to John the Baptist. (Matthew 3:8) Our life should exemplify constant repentance.
- Yes, there
are the "big" sins, but there are also the "little"
indulgences and attitudes that are counter productive to a life in Christ.
- There is
fruit which issues in the evangelization and conversion of souls, as seemingly
implied by Paul in Romans 1:13. He
wanted to see people saved from among them.
- Of course,
every Christian is going to bear fruits of Christian character. (Galatians 5:22,23) Use any of these or
all three, but for the sake of time, let's choose character.
- As you walk
with Christ, do you not see love from your heart spread to a greater and more
diverse circle of people? Can you not agree that your love is practiced in a
more nuanced way?
- As we age in
Christ, our fruit should increase AND be of a finer quality! As for the
disciples, the Father has already pruned or made them clean. How? By the word!
- What Jesus
had spoken to them made them clean! What were they to do now? Remain in Him.
Abide in Him! Dwell in Him! Jesus issues this in command language!
- A disciple is
commanded to endure, continue to be present in and stay in Him! One commentator
mentioned that the idea could be thought of as settling comfortably into a
living space!
- When they are
doing this, He will remain, endure, be present in them as well! This is vital
for the believer to understand: There is no existence without fruit and no
fruit without remaining in Him!
- A fruit
bearing existence is the promise for those that abide in The True Vine! Without
that connection, nothing spiritual, lasting or valuable will follow.
- Jesus repeats
it and clarifies, just in case they or we missed it. Remaining in Christ equals
a life of fruit before the Lord. A life apart from Him will equal spiritual
futility!
- Apart from
the Lord, you can do nothing! It would be wise to repeat that to yourself! On
the flip side, you would also be wise to remind yourself that with Christ, you
can do everything!
- These are
promises for those that abide in the vine. What of those that don't? Verse 6.
• John 15:6-8 : "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. If you abide in Me, and My
words
abide in
you,
you will ask what you desire, and
it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear
much fruit; so
you will be My disciples." :
There is truth here that most will be uncomfortable with. The word
"abide" infers choice and determination.
- Unlike the physical
branch of the vine, the spiritual branches connected to Christ are there, first
by the choice of God, and then, by their choice to remain.
- Before a
person is a Christian, you will be hard pressed to discover any semblance of
teaching scripturally that will promote freedom of the will. Before Christ, we
are slaves of sin.
- "Free
will" is what makes a Christian, a Christian. Therefore, those that abide
in Christ will bear fruit, but there are disciples who will not abide in Him.
- They will not
lose their salvation, as the Lord's promise is sure to those that abide, but it
seems that they can leave it by the wayside!
- As with a
natural branch, a fruitless branch is cast out and eventually withers without
the life giving flow of nutrients that flows from the vine.
- Because of
the makeup of the branch, there is absolutely no application for it's use. That
branch's end is for the fire!
- A Christian
that wills not to abide in Christ is not a Christian at all and that discovery
will be made in time, the judgment will be rendered by the Father Himself. What
can one say to this?
- There are
many who have come to Christ that have not endured in Christ. They appeared
genuine, were welcomed as if they were, only to reveal their true colors by not
enduring in Him.
- I am not
referring to people who have left our church for another church. I am only
talking of those who have left our fellowship because they, by their actions,
have left Christ!
"We maintain that to tell a
man he is born of God or regenerated while he is living in carelessness or sin,
is a dangerous delusion and calculated to do infinite harm to his soul. We
affirm confidently that fruit is the only certain evidence of a man's spiritual
condition; that if we would know whose he is and whome he serves, we must look
first at his life. Where there is the grace of the Spirit, there will be always
more or less the fruit of the Spirit. Grace that cannot be seen is no grace at
all, and nothing better than Antinomianism. In short, we believe that where
there is nothing seen, there is nothing possessed." J.C. Ryle
- If you will
consider yourself secure in Christ, you must endure in Christ! That is the end
of the Bible's teaching on the matter. Still, we will often ask "why"
people who seem to be Christians aren't?
- Consider the
Lord's teaching regarding the parable of the soils in Matthew 13. The seed, God's Word, is good and will grow in three
types of soil.
- The first is
of a shallow variety, that springs up immediately, but lacks a root system. It
cannot withstand the heat of the sun, speaking ultimately of a person who will
not withstand persecution.
- At the first
hint of being mocked or considered foolish for Christ, this person is gone.
They have not understood the implications of the faith that they have received
to their everyday life!
- The second
ground is an area crowded by thorns, which choked out the seed. This represents
a person who is caught up by the cares of this world.
- Like the Rich
Young Ruler and Lot's wife, they can't leave the entanglements of the world for
the eternal benefit of Christ! Like Demas, these leave Paul for their love of
this world!
- Of course,
there is the good ground, which is characterized by fruit that multiplies over
time! What a contrast to the fruitless branch here that will not abide!
- That branch
has nothing in Christ and will be dealt with as one who has never known Christ!
I pray that you hear the Lord's warning in this. He desires that none perish!
- As a branch,
we are called simply to remain in Christ! I can encourage all that are
remaining in Christ to continue to remain in Christ. Those that will not are
outside of my purview.
- Their fate
belongs to the Lord, who will not allow them to detract from the resources due
to the healthy, fruit bearing branches.
- These are
known by remaining in Christ and allowing His words to remain in them! There is
a vital connection between the Lord and His Word. The Lord's Word is the Lord's
heartbeat!
- God's word is
the lifegiving sap that energizes your labor and which sweetens the fruit that
comes from your life! When it permeates your being, you will ask for more and
He will be ready!
- Your desires
will conform to His and what you ask for will be what He wants to give anyway!
- Such a person
has a guarantee from Christ that when they ask from such a motive, that it will
be done for them. Why? So that the Father will be glorified!
- People who
watch your life blossom in godly fruit will give their acknowledgement to the
presence and reality of God in your life! That is the essence of being a
disciple of Christ!
- Our goal is
to bear fruit for Him and be people whose lives can only be explained by divine
interaction and the love of God toward them. Verse 9.
• John 15:9-11 : "As
the Father loved
Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in
you, and
that your
joy may be full. "
: Jesus has loved His disciples with the same perfect love that the Father
loved Him with.
- What they had
experienced for three years could be reduced to understanding what it meant to
be genuinely and perfectly loved! "Abide in my love!"
- That will be
the standard and standing command. They were to remain, continue in His love!
- You and I are
not left to wonder how one does that because Jesus makes it abundantly clear in
the very next phrase: "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in my
love!"
- We will have
the same relationship with Christ that He had with His Father! Jesus showed His
love for the Father by keeping His commandments and remaining in His love!
- Why does the
Lord speak to them this way? Our answer is in found in the very next verse.
- The Lord's
purpose in speaking these things to His disciples is clear. He wants them to
experience His joy and that to the full!
- First of all,
realize that His joy will be ours and will remain in us when we abide in Him
and in His love. The byproduct is the same joy that He experienced!
- "Joy"
comes from the same word family for "grace." Grace, the favor of God,
is the internal reality. Joy, it seems, is the external expression of the one
who is graced!
- In Christ, we
are graced. We are treated as though we lived Christ's life. When that becomes
a reality, we live in that truth! We live as graced people! How can that not
increase our joy?
- Second,
understand that Jesus wants His disciples joy to be full! When you consider
this idea, think of the water jug that you cannot walk with without spilling!
- It is
completely filled to the very top! That is the life that Jesus wants His
disciples to experience! This is instructive.
- We think that
we know the way to joy and that by following the dictates of our own wisdom, we
will discover it! We could not be more mistaken!
- Jesus tells
us that if we want to experience His joy, then it can't be discovered outside
of an abiding relationship to Him and His love!
- You might ask
yourself why it is, if it is, that you are deprived in your joy? You might say
to yourself that your joy was greater at a previous time. Perhaps you now know
the answer!
Conclusion
- Jesus is the True, genuine vine that every
Christian abides in. He stretches and changes our position upon the trellis,
that we might be exposed to the Son in a new way.
- Sometimes, He cuts away activities,
friendships or habits, that take from our primary ministries. Everything is
done for the sake of the fruit. What is that fruit?
- Ultimately, what the world experiences when
they experience us, are lives that are touched by love, exploding with joy!
That is the life that comes naturally to those abiding in Christ!
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