Why Jesus Is the Vine Is Superior News

Jesus said I am the true vine. We are going to take a look at what this statement means for the Jesus follower. I promise you, this message, when understood, is wonderfully liberating. You will see what a great blessing it is for Jesus to be the Vine. Let’s talk about vines for a moment. Once, a young woman, a great lover of flowers, had set out a rare vine at the base of a stone wall. It grew vigorously, but it did not seem to bloom. Day after day she cultivated it and tried every possible way to coax it to bloom. One morning, as she examined the vine disappointedly, her invalid neighbor called to her and said. “You cannot imagine how much I have been enjoying the blooms of that vine you planted.” The owner followed her neighbor’s gaze and on the other side of the wall was a mass of blooms. The vine had crept through the crevices and produced flowers on the other side. How often we think our efforts are thrown away because we do not see fruit! We need to learn that in God’s service our prayers, our toil, our crosses are never in vain. They will bear fruit and hearts will receive blessings and joy, sometimes, somewhere.¹ I’m telling you this ‘vine thing’ is a ‘great thing.’ Why Jesus Is the Vine Is Superior News— that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
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Can you be relaxed in God? You can if you understand that the Church is not the Vine. Jesus is.

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Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
This week’s question is:

Question: Share a Holy Spirit story on how you bore fruit in your life because of your connection to Jesus the true Vine. You can give your personal testimony in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the Gospel of John. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 48 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 43 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Prayer

Well again, welcome.
Let’s pray.

Father God, it’s such a marvelous deal that Jesus is the Vine. Grant unto us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of this liberating truth. We give you all the praise and glory for it in the matchless name of Jesus, Amen, and Amen.

Jesus Is the Vine: A Look at Vines

John 15:1–3 (ESV) — 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

There’s an extraordinary thing Jesus does here that is so liberating for the human experience.
To understand it requires us to take firm look at ‘vines’ [grape vines] in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 5:1–7 (ESV) — 5:1 Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

Jesus Is the Vine: Israel and Vines

In the Old Testament, Israel was the vine.
That’s what God said here, “the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting.”
Now look at the effort the Lord put into making Israel a choice vine.
The scripture says God prepared a fertile hill.
He dug out this hill — this land.
The Lord cleared it off stones — that’s hard, time consuming work.
He planted top notch vines — not just any scrub bush.
And with that thought, here is the Historical Background of the Day.

The Hebrew word used here for ‘vine’ refers to a vine of high quality that grows in the Sorek Valley, known today as the Wadi es-Sarar, located southwest of Jerusalem. This vine offers a luscious variety of deep red grapes with soft seeds. Its use here is to demonstrate that Israel, unlike Sodom, was born of good stock.²

The Lord planted cream of the crop vines — the scripture says ‘choice vines.’
The Hebrew word ‘choice’ means valued.
These were beautiful, bright lucious red grape producing vines.
Make your mouth water kind of grape vines.
Then once, the Lord planted these vines, He built a watch tower so that the vines would be protected from enemies and cared for.
He’s not done yet.
He builds a wine vat because, ‘let’s face it, the Lord is looking for fruit — he’s looking for a harvest.’
So a lot of work went in to making Israel a nation — a choice vine.
God wanted Israel to grow, to spread out, to be a blessing, to bring forth fruit of such a kind that it would nations jealous enough to want to come be a part of this kingdom of priests.
Here is another reference to Israel as a vine.
Go with me now to the book of Psalms.

Psalm 80:8– (ESV) — 8 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.

Driving out the nations, that’s the rocks God dug out of the hills.

Psalm 80:9–12 (ESV) — 9 You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. 11 It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River. 12 Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?

Jesus Is the Vine: Israel’s ‘Vine’ Failure

But despite the blessing of God, Israel did not produce the fruit that God so desired.

Jeremiah 2:19–21 (ESV) — 19 Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord God of hosts. 20 “For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; but you said, ‘I will not serve.’ Yes, on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore. 21 Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed.

Wholly of pure seed (literally “wholly seed of truth”) or “from the very best seed.”
The meaning is that the Lord used the best possible seed to plant a choice vine for himself. Since grapevines are not normally started by planting seeds, but from cuttings of other vines, nrsv has “from the purest stock.”³
Israel walked in evil — they were bitter in their hearts against God.
They were full of apostasy with no fear of God.
Now, the Lord used the illustration of fidelity in marriage with Israel — a husband should be faithful to his wife and a wife faithful to her husband.
Getting into bed with someone other than your married spouse is termed ‘playing the whore.’
Israel, as a nation, played the whore.
They took false gods and idols as lovers to bed.
Now, the Lord had planted them as a choice vine completely pure seed.
The fruit they should have produced was faithfulness and fidelity to God.
Adam fell in the Garden.
He became unfaithful to the Word of the Lord — do not eat of the tree that’s in the midst of the garden.
We talked about that in a previous podcast.
Adam gave up the dominion that God gave him and abdicated his rulership to Satan.

Jesus Is the Vine: God Turns to Abraham

God turns to Abraham.

Genesis 12:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God says to Abraham, “I will make a great nation out of you.”

Exodus 19:5–6 (ESV) — 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

God said, “I will make of you a great nation — a kingdom of priests — a choice vine.
They failed just like Adam failed.
We can see why they failed — they had a fallen nature thanks to Adam.
Jesus put His sanctified finger on this one day.

Jesus Is the Vine: Vines and Trees

Luke 6:43–45 (ESV) — 43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

A bad tree does not produce good fruit.
A bad vine will not produce good grapes.
Could Israel produce godly fruit with an ungodly nature?
No way — no how.
Enter Jesus.
Listen to Him now.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

Adam lost his authority — Jesus came and got it back.
He said, ‘All authority is given to me.’
Israel failed at being the vine.
Jesus said, ‘I am the vine.’

Jesus Is the Vine: The Reason We Fail

The Christian life is a fine life and it is a ‘vine’ life.
We fail in the Christian endeavor because we don’t understand and walk in the light of ‘vine life.’
Jesus is the vine.
You are not the vine.
Success will be yours when you allow Jesus to be the vine and you allow yourself to be the branch.
Fruit-bearing results — big juicy grapes of purpose and results come when we allow ourselves to be the branch.
The reason why a branch — [branch here is a shoot from a vine] produces great fruit because there is great life, nutrition, vitamins, flowing through the vine to the branch.
And with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.

We have been trying to be the vine; we have been trying to find a holiness and a love for others in ourselves and from ourselves that Scripture never encourages us to expect to find there… Rightly understood, this is the best news we could have. God no longer expects us to be the vine. We need not even try. The responsibility for producing fruit is no longer ours.⁴

Is it possible for us that we have trouble being the branch and we want to slip back into being the vine?
We’re trying to produce the fruit — Jesus said just stay connected to me and you will produce.
We’re trying to carry the whole load.

Jesus Is the Vine: The Real Deal

Now, there’s a vitally critical word in this vine declaration of Jesus that we haven’t looked at yet.
And with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
The Greek word ‘true’ in verse one — “I am the true vine” is a word that means genuine, authentic, or real.
Jesus is the ‘True vine’ — since that’s so — every other vine is in opposition to the true.
It is not genuine — it is not authentic.

Jeremiah 2:21 ESV) — 21 Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?

The Hebrew word degenerate means rotten or foul-smelling.
Every other vine is rotten and foul smelling.
It will not produce the fruits of God.

Jesus Is the Vine: Not the Church

Now, let’s qualify something.
This is probably one of the most important things we are going to point out today.
John fifteen, verse one, is a vital scripture.
We must make sure we understand that Jesus is the vine.
Note what the scripture did not say.
It did not say that ‘the Church is the vine.’
The Church is not the vine, the body of Christ is not the vine, Jesus is the vine.
Since the body of Christ is not the vine, then you as a particular member of the body are not the vine either.
You understand that the words ‘particular member means ‘individual member?’

1 Corinthians 12:27 (ESV) — 7 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

So then if the Church is not the vine and neither are you, then who is responsible to make sure the grape vine produces bountiful fruit?
Well, it’s not you — you’re not the vine — Jesus is.
In fact, you’re not even the vinedresser or the caretaker of the vine — the Father God is.
That fact that the Vine is Jesus, not the Church, is intentional; the Lord is viewed in his representative capacity, the Son of God — Son of Man, who dies and rises that in union with him a renewed people of God might come into being and bring forth fruit for God.⁵
So, God will do His job as vinedresser.
Jesus will do His job as the vine.
You need to do your job.
What’s our job?
We are the branch.
A branch is an offshoot of a vine.
It’s where the fruit grows.
Can you see how liberating this is?
As branches, we are not responsible for the water that we need flowing through the vine so we can produce fruit.
Water is not our job.
As branches, we are not responsible for the soil that the vine is planted in so that we can produce big – luscious grapes.
As branches, we are not responsible to pay for the fertilizer that’s needed to produce.
And, what about the bugs, the moles, and the gophers?
Are you getting this?
The overall health of vine is simply not our charge.
Jesus is the vine — the Father God is the caretaker.
My job is to be a branch.
I’m just hanging out here – the soil, the water, the nutrients, the care of the vinedresser is all taken care of and all I have to do is enjoy the fruit that’s busting out on my branch.
Repeat — you do not produce the fruit.
Your job is connection — stay connected to the vine.
Stay faithful to the vine and the fruit will take care of itself.
Israel was unfaithful – they went away from God by hooking up with idols and images and their vine become corrupted.

Jesus is the Vine: Stay Connected

So now that you are feeling a sense of relief that you are not the vine, what then is our role?

John 15:2 (ESV) — 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away,

Alright, stop right here and ask yourself this and with that thought, here is the Question of the Day.

How could a branch not bear fruit when you all that good stuff coming through the vine?

The only way is to walk off from God because if you stay hooked to Him, you will bear fruit.
Here’s a leadership related quote I ran into this week that may help while we are in this vein.
You know some people just quit.
They don’t get a result they think they should have — they don’t get the answer to prayer they hoped and so they quit and walk off.
General George Patton who was extremely successful at winning battles said this: ‘When in doubt, keep going.’
Now, he was talking about war, and fighting, and being in the thick of a fight.
Well, how many of you understand that the scripture says…

1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV) — 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

When in doubt, fight and take hold — keep going.
That means keep fighting — keep taking hold.
You will win if you refuse to disconnect.
You will bear fruit if you stay connected to the vine.
The worst thing you can do is quit and walk off.
I mean the worst thing.
People get offended with God.
It happens all the time.
But the scripture helps us here.

Romans 8:14 (ESV) — 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Be led by the Spirit — do not allow offenses to lead you.
Don’t allow emotions to dictate God’s will.
Stay connected.
If you do, you will bear fruit.
There’s too much life coming through the vine for you not to.

Jesus is the Vine: Vine Progression

The Spirit of God vis John gives us a snapshot picture of what your entire life in God will be like in John fifteen.
That picture begins to come into focus in verse two.

John 15:2 (ESV) — 2 …and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Look at the progression.
First, we have fruit — ‘every branch that bears fruit.’
So you’ve stay hooked up and a single, small piece of fruit — it might be singular, it might be tiny but fruit is fruit.
It’s there.
Now, comes the vinedresser with his pruning shears.
What are His shears? — it’s His word.
Maybe the vinedresser speaks to you in your spirit.
Or maybe a scripture floats up on the inside of you.
Maybe God speaks to you via a message from one His servants — the lights go on.
You understand what you need to do.
The result of obedience is increased fruit.
So now we don’t just have fruit, we have more fruit.
Every branch that does bear fruit the Most High God prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
So now, you have have two or three pieces of fruit hanging from your branch — they’re a little bigger in size then they were before.
You’re staying connected.
Because you are, life continues to flow through you.

Jesus is the Vine: Vine Progression — What Pruning Does

Reading this again — Jesus said.

John 15:2 (ESV) — 2 …and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Let’s talk about pruning.
We have a lady in our class that is a world-class gardener.
She understands pruning from real world experience.
I understand pruning from the internet.
According to Dr. Internet pruning a vine is a vital process that involves cutting back the previous year’s growth to promote healthy development, increase fruit production, and maintain the overall structure of the grapevine.
Vines must be pruned because growth needs to be controlled so there is balanced development.
You know balance is a critical thing in God.
Staying out of the ditches — staying in the middle of the road is the stuff of importance.
Excess foliage needs to be removed because it enhances air circulation, reducing disease susceptibility and promoting even ripening.
Diseased thinking must be cut away.
The mind must be renewed to think like God does.
Pruning allows more sunlight to reach the fruiting zones, promoting better ripening and flavor development.
The Son has to be allowed into all areas of your life in order to be fruitful.
Pruning stimulates the vine to produce new, fruit-bearing shoots, increasing yields and improving grape quality.
You need His simulation in your spirit.
The touch of His Presence will help you grow.
Look at all the benefits of pruning!
But, does pruning seem like a positive thing to you?
Or do you view it as negative?

Jesus is the Vine: Seeing as God Sees

So, in John 15:2 we saw that God prunes so that we can bear more fruit.
Fruit and more fruit.
Drop down to verse five as we get ready to close.

John 15:5 (ESV) — 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

You see the same in verse eight.

John 15:8 (ESV) — 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear e not much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

So, here is the will of God for your life.
Here is the track for your life.
Fruit — more fruit — much fruit.
Pruning is a part of your life.
The Father is not going anywhere.
Jesus is not going anywhere.
And, thank God you are not going anywhere.
You are a fruit bearing branch.
Glory be to God.

Now Father God, thank you for your goodness and your mercies. I thank you that you are not going anywhere. You are always with us — always working to bring forth your fruitful plan in our lives. We thank you so much for never letting us go in. In Jesus Name, we bless you. Amen and Amen.

Why Jesus Is the Vine Is Superior News.
You guys have a great God week in Jesus Name.

Why Believing and Abiding Is the Key to the Happy Life [Encore Podcast]

__________
References:

AMG Bible Illustrations, Bible Illustrations Series (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2000). ↩
Craig S. Keener and John H. Walton, eds., NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 1226. ↩
Barclay M. Newman Jr. and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on Jeremiah, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 2003), 72. ↩
Discipleship Journal, Issue 120 (November/December 2000) (NavPress, 2000). ↩
George R. Beasley-Murray, John, vol. 36, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1999), 272. ↩

emeryhorvath.com

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Why Jesus Is the Vine Is Superior News

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Thirty-Three

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the Gospel of John. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Jesus Is the Vine: A Look at Vines

Jesus Is the Vine: Israel and Vines

Jesus Is the Vine: Israel’s ‘Vine’ Failure

Jesus Is the Vine: God Turns to Abraham

Jesus Is the Vine: Vines and Trees

Jesus Is the Vine: The Reason We Fail

Jesus Is the Vine: The Real Deal

Jesus Is the Vine: Not the Church

Jesus is the Vine: Stay Connected

Jesus is the Vine: Vine Progression

Jesus is the Vine: Vine Progression — What Pruning Does

Jesus is the Vine: Seeing as God Sees

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the Gospel of John. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Jesus Is the Vine: A Look at Vines

Jesus Is the Vine: Israel and Vines

Jesus Is the Vine: Israel’s ‘Vine’ Failure

Jesus Is the Vine: God Turns to Abraham

Jesus Is the Vine: Vines and Trees

Jesus Is the Vine: The Reason We Fail

Jesus Is the Vine: The Real Deal

Jesus Is the Vine: Not the Church

Jesus is the Vine: Stay Connected

Jesus is the Vine: Vine Progression

Jesus is the Vine: Vine Progression — What Pruning Does

Jesus is the Vine: Seeing as God Sees

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