The True Vine

It seems likely this sermon in John 15 and 16 was spoken by the Lord as He reclined with His disciples after their Passover meal and following the institution of the Lord’s supper. The cup containing the fruit of the vine may have suggested this comparison of the true vine and its branches. The Lord uses this symbolism to describe His union with His Church. Allusions to God’s vine, the plant of Renown and the Branch are common in the writings of the Old Testament prophets where they are applied to the Messiah. Here they are claimed by the Lord Himself.

A powerful picture

The analogy of the true vine, its branches, their fruitfulness and the labour of the husbandman is full of beautiful and suitable imagery. A husbandman plants and nurtures a vine, discarding some branches and pruning others to improve fruit yield and increase the harvest. Just so, God the Father sent into the world and sustained the God-man for the purpose of gathering a harvest of men and women into His kingdom. Jehovah-God is the first cause of all spiritual life and fruitfulness; the Lord Jesus its sole root-stock. Without Christ, spiritually speaking, we can do nothing.

Barren branches

The reference to fruitless branches cannot refer to true believers since all believers united to Christ by faith abide in Him and are fruitful. The reference is rather to false professors who have outwardly joined themselves to Christ’s church for their own reasons, yet possess no spiritual life. Their true spiritual condition is revealed first in their bearing no fruit and then by their removal. When barren branches are discarded men gather them up for burning. Collections of barren branches often persist in calling themselves churches despite having no connection to Christ.

Fruitful branches

The Lord Jesus enables those who abide in Him, and those in whom He abides, to bring forth much fruit. All believers truly abide in Him and He in them. Bringing forth fruit should not therefore be thought of as a duty or a demand imposed by Christ. Fruitfulness is a blessing derived from Him. God the Father is glorified when Christ’s people bear fruit. In order to glorify the Father, the Son ensures all His people are fruitful. He conveys and disperses spiritual grace and blessing to each one.

Active management

Yet there remains the need for pruning. Pruning is a useful depiction of trial and trouble in a believer’s life. That it is work undertaken by God the Father as husbandman is reassuring. A master gardener prunes branches to encourage abundance, just so the Lord God clips, crops and cuts away all that hinders our spiritual development. His pruning is sparing. He sends no more trial and trouble into our lives than best suits our case. He will have the most fruit in us and greatest honour to Himself. 

Clean in God’s sight

The Lord tells His disciples, ‘Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you’. This state of cleanliness may be considered either as the result of purging of the fruitless branches, of which Judas Iscariot, now absent, is an example. Or it may signify the purifying effect of pruning by the trial and testing of our faith. We are also clean through the Spirit’s work of regeneration. By this the hearts of believers are purified by the blood of Jesus Christ, and wholesome principles of grace are formed in our souls. 

The Vine and its branches

The Lord’s lesson to His followers is the happy and fruitful union we have by abiding in Him. He is the source of all our spiritual grace, growth and fruitfulness. Outside of Christ we can do nothing for every breath, natural and spiritual, comes from Him. All spiritual life is His and we are without strength except we are joined to the Vine who enables and empowers His branches.

 Not totally passive

Nevertheless, we are not totally passive in this matter for the Lord teaches His church to seek such blessings and mercies as will tend to our fruitfulness and contribute to God’s glory. ‘Ask what ye will’, He says to His disciples. ‘Ask anything.’ Without Christ’s strength we can do nothing, yet in Him and by Him we can do all things. Ask what we will, in Him, and it shall be done unto us. 

For what shall we ask?

When believers abide in Christ we desire the glory of God and seek the will of God. Faith asks no more than that the will of God be done. We seek whatever is for the glory of God and for the benefit of His people, the church. We seek whatever is agreeable to the words and doctrines of Christ, which abide in us as we abide in Him. Everything of this kind that is asked in faith, and with a submission to the divine will, we may expect to receive.

Amen.