Jesus our vine

John 15:1-7

Jesus described a relationship with God using the illustration of a vine, its branches and a husbandman. He referred to himself as the vine, we as the branches and God, his Father as the husbandman.

The relationship of a Vine and the branches and the husbandman.

A vine is a climbing or trailing woody-stemmed plant of the grape family. A branch is a natural subdivision of a plant stem. While a husbandman is a person who cultivates the land; a farmer.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." John 15:1

Jesus explained that every branch that does not bear fruit, the farmer would take it away, while the branches that bear fruit will be purged so that it may bear more fruit.

As believers we are called to be fruitful. God has a purpose for every one of us and His desire is for us to live fruitful lives.

When a branch produces fruit, the husbandman takes it through a pruning process that enables it to bear more fruit. Same way when a believer produces good fruits God takes that person through a pruning stage for them to bear more fruits. Our pruning seasons could be a different. For some it could be the death or a loved one, it could be losing your job, or a health challenge or persecution but that is God at work, preparing us for a season of more fruitfulness. The husbandman loves the vine and the branches and his desire is for them to grow and produce fruits. His intention towards his grapevine is always good and never for evil.

How can we bear fruits?

Jesus explained that as branches are connected to the vine so we must remain connected to Him because he is the true vine. Staying connected to Jesus is the only way we can bear fruits as believers.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." John 15: 4

If we remain in Jesus, he will guide and direct us in all aspect of our lives. A branch that is disconnected from the vine cannot produce anything. The vine is the source of life for the branches. The branch gets its nurtrients from the vine, it is solely dependent on the vine for its nourishment. It's the branches' responsibility to produce grapes from the nourishment it has received from the vine.

Jesus further explained in the next verse.

" I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth more fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15: 5

Without Jesus, we can do nothing. The branch cannot produce any fruit without the nutrients it gets from the vine, if you cut out the branch from the vine it will wither and die. Jesus explained this in the following verse.

Why should we abide in Jesus?

"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." John 15: 6

A life outside Jesus leads to unfruitfulness, sorrow and death (eternal damnation). We must abide in him in order to live fruitful lives. We need Jesus in our everyday life, as we go out to our various businesses and as we interact with one another, in our personal relationships with people around us, we need Jesus to get us through it all.

Maintaining a close relationship with Jesus is very important just as the relationship of the vine and its branches. Jesus is our source of life like the vine is the source of life that sustains the branches.

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believers in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

And whosoever believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" John 11:25-26

If we remove ourselves from the source of life, Jesus, we lose our spiritual nourishment. We also lose our divine access to answered prayers.

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15: 7

Staying connected to Jesus guarantees answers to prayers. Abiding in Jesus strengthens our prayer life and ensures answers to prayers. We know and trust that our prayers will be answered when we have a close relationship with Jesus.

How can we abide in Jesus?

To abide means to remain; to continue; to stay. To abide in Jesus means to remain in a close or intimate relationship with Jesus. Jesus explained one simple way we can abide in his love.

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. " John 15: 10

Obeying the commandments of Jesus is a vital way to remain in God's unfailing love. What is the commandment.

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." John 15:12

Jesus instructs us to love one another just as he loves us. He loves us so much that he gave his life for us.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

We can abide in God's everlasting love when we also replicate this love to those around us. This is how we bear fruits, by acts of kindness, patience, peace, joy, love and faith (Galatians 5:22-23)

Building a relationship with God is not an overnight affair. It is a lifestyle and a conscious decision that one follows through with prayers, by reading the Bible and meditating on God's word daily, and constant fellowship with other believers.

It is knowing that even on those days when you fail, or when you struggle and you feel like giving up, that God's love is greater and stronger than anything you can ever imagine and that He is there for you no matter what you are going through.

Let us abide in his unconditional and unending love so as to live the fruitful life that God intended for us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to die for my sins. I ask for grace to remain connected to You all the days of my life, let nothing separate me from your unfailing love in Jesus name, amen.