Encouragement

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ABIDING IN THE VINE - JOHN 15:1-8

“I am the True vine and my Father is the gardener. 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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 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.

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. 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. If you remain in me and my words remain in you ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

The Lord Jesus was speaking here to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion, as He taught them Kingdom Keys and prepared them for His return to Heaven. He used a picture which was typical to the culture and the place, of the vine and the gardener or vinedresser.

Israel was identified as God's vine in the Old Testament. God was the “Gardener”, who took care of the Vine – His people, cutting off branches that were not bearing fruit, and generally providing all the conditions necessary for the vine to grow and prosper. The Old Testament has many prophetic messages in which God refers to Israel as a vine. The vine became so much a symbol of Israel that it appeared on coins minted during the Maccabean period, which was between the Old and New Testaments. According to historians, during the time of Jesus, Herod's Temple had a huge vine on it overlaid with gold that some have estimated was worth about $12,000,000. Israel had always been God's vine, but a new vine was established when the old one became unproductive.

In the same way, there are two kinds of branches which Jesus refers to – those that do not bear fruit and those that do. Judas had just left the room, and Jesus was in the room with the eleven ‘true' disciples – the ones that would ‘remain' in Him. The twelfth branch had already been severed from the tree. Jesus was telling His disciples that for the blessing of the New Covenant to flow, they had to be in union with Him, and living to please Him; they had to draw nourishment and strength from their relationship with Him and Him alone . Salvation had made them ‘clean' but further evidences of change in their lives - fruitfulness - could come only by clinging to Jesus, and remaining in Him.

The Lord Jesus seeks to see fruitfulness in our lives, not only in terms of signs and wonders and good works in His Kingdom, but the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 6), humility, the love walk, and transformation in our lives and hearts as we respond to the hand of the Master Gardener upon our lives.

Disciples of the Lord Jesus may attach themselves to many different ‘vines'. We need to honestly assess our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit, and see what we really draw our sense of worth from, and what we invest our hearts into. What really gives us a sense of identity and affirmation? It could be some educational label, or the possession of an asset; it could be a family name or college we attended; it could be the organizations we work for, or the people we associate with; it could even be a church or Christian ministry. Whatever we draw our value from, it cannot ever result in the kind of fruit Jesus referred to, unless we have given the first place to the True Vine – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and walk with Him and in Him from day to day.

Jesus spoke about the fruitless branches as the ones that did not stay connected to the vine. These were compared to severed branches, which withered away useless, until they were thrown away and burned up. These are the disciples who attached themselves to the wrong vine, or thought they could strive and labor, and bear fruit in their own strength.

Let us focus on the fruitful branches which are tended by the Master Gardener:

The fruitful branches are the ones that ‘abide' in the True vine. This means walking each day in a heart to heart, spirit to Spirit connection with the Lord Jesus Christ. These are the disciples who went further than praying a prayer for salvation. They are the ones who live each day not for themselves but for the glory and honor of the King of kings. They are the ones who seek the presence of the Lord each day and feed on His Word, that His words may “remain” in them. These are the disciples to whom the Lord Jesus made a powerful promise: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.”!

1) Pruning is a painful process for the vine. To the observer, it may often seem that the gardener hacks off branches randomly, because the tree may look so bare and lifeless. But this results in a healthier tree which flourishes incrementally, bearing leaves, flowers and fruit, and one from which many can receive food and drink. If the branch has to feel the pain of the knife anyway, I would rather be pruned than cut away from the Tree! I would rather be corrected and disciplined by my heavenly Father than left to wither and fall away.

2) There is a purpose for the pruning – it brings greater fruitfulness and deeper dependence on the Vine. It results in fruit which the Father delights in. It develops maturity and discernment, and increases our faith in God.

3) Salvation is wonderful and God's precious gift; it is the result of having an encounter with the Living Lord; but fruitfulness is a result of clinging to the Vine and staying there.

4) If we hold on to the Vine, the Vine holds on to us. (“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” – James 4:8.) Fruit is the natural manifestation of the life and nourishment which flow into the branches from the Vine. Jesus reminds us that apart from the Vine we can do nothing. Peace, joy, health and healing, signs and wonders flow when our source is the Vine.

5) The Father's name is glorified, when our lives bear the fruit He seeks. Hallelujah!

Friend, the Lord Jesus is talking about us staying in relationship with Him. He is talking about a two-way street; about constant communication, and cooperation with the blessed Holy Spirit. He is talking about being true branches, growing out of the True vine! This is the only way to fruitfulness in Jesus!

My prayer is that you will put Jesus first and seek Him through worship and His Word, and that you will see the precious blessedness which flows to bear fruit in every area of your life. Remember the promise He has given us - the secret to answered prayer: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.” Amen!

Minoli Haththotuwa, 01 February 2010
www.wingslikeeagles.info

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