The Vine

The Vine

Main Scripture Reference: John 15:1-8

Original Context

Jesus is speaking to the men who would later be called the apostles in John 15. We know this by going back to the previous couple of chapters where Jesus washed the disciples feet (13:2-17), Peter asks where Jesus is going (13:36-38), Thomas asks how to know the way (14:5-6), Philip desires to see the Father (14:7-11), and Jesus tells them of the Comforter he will send to them to help them in their work after he leaves (14:25-27). We can also look at a correlating passage to John 13 in Matthew 26:17-35 about the 12 coming together for the Passover.

Knowing the audience (the soon to be apostles) and speaker (Jesus) of John 15 let’s list the roles Jesus mentions in his analogy:

1. The vine – Jesus (verse 1)

2. The vinedresser – God (verse 1)

3. The apostles (verse 5; knowing they are the audience and Jesus says “you are the branches in this verse)

Also consider the Holy Spirit’s role, though He is not specifically mentioned here, but previously (John 14) we know that the Holy Spirit would be sent to the apostles to help them in their work for God and the coming church.

The Holy Spirit was going to teach the apostles all things and bring all things to their remembrance that Jesus has said to them (14:26). We also know that the apostles were given power to do miracles by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 24:49 is when Jesus tells the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they are endued with power and we see this come to fruition in Acts 2 when the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues that allowed the multitude to hear them in their own language. So the Holy Spirit’s role in this analogy would be the nutrition that allows the branches (the apostles) to perform miracles that would produce fruit. And we can see the qualities of a healthy, complete fruit in Galatians 5:22:

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

Suppression of One’s Spiritual Gift

Though this analogy was originally told to the apostles by Jesus, we can read an example of a disciple with a spiritual gift that he was not utilizing to preach and confirm the gospel. If we compared him to the analogy the apostles had heard for themselves, it would cause this disciple to be cut off of the vine. This man, who suppressed his spiritual gift, was Timothy. In 1 Timothy 4:12-16 he is told not to neglect the gift within him. And in 2 Timothy 1:5-7 Timothy is told to stir up the gift given to him. These reminders from Paul were to help encourage Timothy to use his gift as he ought to spread the gospel, so he would not become as an unfruitful branch cut off by the vinedresser and burned.

Our Application

Again, not taking out of context the original account of this analogy to the apostles, let’s think on how we can relate similarly today with this analogy. Let’s start with the roles in the analogy, many of which are still the same as before:

1. The vine – Jesus

2. The vinedresser – God

3. Nutrition for the branches – the Holy Spirit

4. The branches – Christians

Now, we know that the age of the miraculous has passed. So, how does the Holy Spirit provide us with the ability to produce fruit? Who taught the apostles all things and brought all things to their remembrance?

The Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

Who wrote the books of the New Testament which we have access to in their completeness today?

The apostles.

How can we know how to be a faithful Christian and worker for God and the church today?

The New Testament, written by the apostles given all knowledge from the Holy Spirit.

So, how does the Holy Spirit provide us with the ability to produce fruit?

The Bible, which provides us with all the knowledge and power we need to be able to produce healthy, complete fruit for God.

Conclusion

Equip yourself with knowledge from the Bible. Go out and do works for the cause of Christ – the growth of His church.

Be fruitful.

Do not let yourself become a corrupt or dead branch bringing forth unhealthy fruit or no fruit, putting yourself in the position to be cut off from Christ by God the Father.