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The Vine and the Branches
I am He.
The original text reads ἐγώ εἰμί — literally, “I am.”
Of course we know this is the same name God used when he first revealed Himself to Moses in
Prior to this Upper Room Discourse, Jesus taught His disciples:
“I am the bread of life.”
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“I am the light of the world.”
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“I am the door.”
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“I am the good shepherd.”
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“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
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Here in Jesus says, “I am the true vine.”
Like all the other passages, each metaphor reveals His deity.
Let’s read our passage tonight.
The metaphor here is straightforward.
The passage pictures a vine with many branches.
The vine is the source of life.
Each branch must abide in the vine to live and receive it’s sustenance for life — and also to bear fruit!
Obviously the fruit-bearing branches represent true believers, but
What is the identity of the fruitless branches?
Some say the barren branches are redeemed people who are barren or carnal Christians.
Other say the fruitless represent unbelievers.
Which is it?
The context is where must always go.
Who were the characters in that Upper Room that night?
The disciples were with Jesus.
We were told that He loved them to the end.
He comforted them in chapter 14.
The Father and the Father’s will were foremost on His mind, because He was thinking of the events surrounding His death that would occur the next day.
But from the text we know there was someone else Jesus was aware of — His betrayer, Judas.
A short while before, Jesus dismissed Judas from the fellowship, knowing that he was going to betray Him.
All the characters were on His mind.
He continued to teach the 11 whom He loved deeply and passionately.
He was about to go to the garden to pray to His Father and yet there was the reality of Judas.
Each of these characters played a part in the metaphor.
Clearly from verse 1, Jesus is the vine — “I am the true vine.” and the Father is the vinedresser.
The fruit-bearing branches represent the 11 disciples immediately, and all true disciples to come.
The fruitless branches represent Judas and all those who never were true disciples.
Turn with me back to .
You remember the astounding example Jesus played out before them as He knelt to wash their feet.
And after He was finished this conversation took place.
And the Apostle John adds in verse 11.
Judas was the exception.
He was never bathed.
he was never cleansed…by the water of the word.
() He never submitted to the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
()
Remember again how John brought in Judas at the beginning of chapter 13.
Judas still appeared to the other 11 disciples to be one of them.
He was so trusted that Judas carried the money bag for the group.
He looked to be a “true branch on the vine.”
There was however one difference, only one difference between Judas and the other disciples — Judas bore no fruit!
He would never bear any spiritual fruit.
So God removed Judas, that fruitless branch, and it was burned.
Some contend that Judas was a believer who turned away and lost his salvation.
According to them, the same could happen to any believer who becomes fruitless.
But there’s a serious problem with that.
John 10
He guaranteed them absolute security of every child of God.
A true and genuine believer can never loose salvation and be condemned to hell — not because of them — But because of Christ.
Branches that are truly and intimately connected to the vine are fruitful and secure and will never be removed.
But those with superficial attachment — are branches that are not truly tapped into the vascular system of the vine — will be removed.
Horticulturists call these branches “suckers” because they are shoots that are really attached to other branches, drawing strength from the branch and not the vine.
There are some that are actually attached to the very base of the vine, but they are not producing fruit.
All their energy goes into setting down roots of their own.
There are people, like Judas, who appear by all human appearances to be united with Christ, but they are destined for hell.
They are attached to their spouse or Mama or to the preacher even.
They may attend church.
They know all the right answers.
They go through all the motions, but they have no fruit.
God removes them, and they will be burned.
Others are like the 11, intimately attached to the vine and producing genuine fruit.
Let’s look a little deeper at this by considering the particulars, especially the characters of the metaphor.
Christ the True Vine
This is nothing new.
In the OT, Israel was pictured as the Lord’s vine and He was the vinedresser.
He cared for the vine, trimmed it, cutoff branches that didn’t bear fruit.
Isaiah 5:1-
Israel was spiritually barren.
God took away her protection wall and left her unprotected.
Foreign nations attacked her and destroyed her.
There was no longer blessing through a covenant relationship.
Fruit bearing comes through a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the True Vine in Scripture.
The NT writers often used the word “True” to describe what was eternal, heavenly, and divine.
Israel was imperfect.
Christ is perfect.
Christ is the True Vine.
Israel was the type, Christ is the reality.
Just like Christ is called the “true tabernacle” as opposed to the earthly tabernacle.
He is also the “true Light.”
God had revealed much in the OT, but Christ is the Word, the true Light that has come into the world.
Christ is the true bread, the real sustainer of life, the mana in the wilderness was a mere symbol of Him.
Consider what this metaphor pictures about Christ.
The lowliness of a vine demonstrates His humility.
It pictures the close relationship and vital unity between Christ and His church.
If the branches are to live and bear fruit, they must completely depend on the vine for nourishment, support, strength, and vitality.
Many call themselves Christians, but have no dependence on Christ.
They truly believe they can do something without Christ.
— “apart from Me you can do nothing.”
They are attached to any and everything but Christ.
They are attached to their own personal skills, possessions, relationships, education, their own energies.
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