Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11 The Vine The Vinedresser The Vine Branches

The Vine  Jesus states He is the true vine!  Jesus is using this analogy to explain the difference between the O.T. Covenant and the New Covenant.  Israel was God’s vine in the O.T. – Psalm 80:8; Jeremiah 2:21 Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

Psalm 80:8 (NASB) 8 You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. Jeremiah 2:21 (NASB) 21 “Yet I planted you a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?”

The Vine  Jesus states He is the true vine!  Jesus is using this analogy to explain the difference between the O.T. Covenant and the New Covenant.  Israel was God’s vine in the O.T. – Psalm 80:8; Jeremiah 2:21  But the vine had become fruitless and unfaithful – Isaiah 5:1-7 Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

Isaiah 5:1-7 (NASB) 1 Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. 2 He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.

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? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? 5 “So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.

6 “I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.” 7 For the vineyard of the L ORD of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.

The Vine  Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 21:33-43 that explains all of this and the changes that are to come. Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

Matthew 21:33-43 (NASB) 33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine- growers and went on a journey. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 35 The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.

36 Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37 But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41 They *said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”

42 Jesus *said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘T HE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, T HIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; T HIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE L ORD, A ND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES ’? ‘T HE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, T HIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; T HIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE L ORD, A ND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES ’? 43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.

The Vine  Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 21:33-43 that explains all of this and the changes that are to come.  Jesus is displacing Israel as the focus of God’s plan of Salvation. Faith in Jesus becomes the decisive characteristic for membership among God’s people!  True – real, perfect, or genuine Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

The Vinedresser  This is the only time in Jesus’ “I Am” statements that He is not the complete focus.  Jesus is willingly placing Himself as a subordinate to the Father.  This does not diminish Jesus’ deity.  The point here is the Father’s care! Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

The Vinedresser  Vinedresser – one who grows and cares for  Apart from planting, fertilizing, and watering the vine, the vinedresser had two primary responsibilities. 1. He removed the branches that did not bear fruit. 2. He pruned the ones that did bear fruit.  This is where the rest of the analogy goes. Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

The Vine Branches  The central truth is about abiding.  Meno – describes something that remains where it is, continued in a fixed state or endures.  In this context, it refers to an unbroken communion with the vine (Jesus).  Jesus warns them one last time about the way of Judas! Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

The Vine Branches  Jesus tells of three distinguishing marks of true branches. 1. They bear fruit. 2. They abide in Christ’s love. 3. They operate in full cooperation with the source of life, keeping His commandments.  Obedience proves that a person’s love for Christ is genuine. Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

The Vine Branches  In order for us to remain spiritually productive, the Father prunes the true branches by removing anything that would sap their spiritual energy or hinder the development of fruit.  Suffering is the handle of the Father’s knife and the Word of God is the blade. Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

The Vine Branches  Jesus emphasizes two important truths about spiritual conduct of a believer. 1. All true believers who abide in Christ and He in them will bear fruit! Matthew 7:17-20 Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

Matthew 7:17-20 (NASB) 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.

The Vine Branches  Jesus emphasizes two important truths about spiritual conduct of a believer. 1. All true believers who abide in Christ and He in them will bear fruit! Matthew 7: Believers can’t bear fruit on their own. Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

The Vine Branches  So, what is fruit?  It is not outward success.  Scripture defines it in terms of spiritual qualities. Galatians 5:22-23 Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law

The Vine Branches  So, what is fruit?  It is not outward success.  Scripture defines it in terms of spiritual qualities. Galatians 5:22-23  It is praise offered to God. Hebrews 13:15 Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

Hebrews 13:15 (NASB) 15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

The Vine Branches  So, what is fruit?  It is not outward success.  Scripture defines it in terms of spiritual qualities. Galatians 5:22,23  It is praise offered to God. Hebrews 13:15  It is sacrificial love in meeting the needs of others. Romans 15:28 Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

Romans 15:28 (NASB) 28 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.

The Vine Branches  So, what is fruit?  It is not outward success.  Scripture defines it in terms of spiritual qualities. Galatians 5:22,23  It is praise offered to God. Hebrews 13:15  It is sacrificial love in meeting the needs of others. Romans 15:28  It is also defined as holy, righteous, God- honoring behavior in general. Ephesians 5:9 Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

Ephesians 5:9 (NASB) 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

The Vine Branches  So, what is fruit?  It is not outward success.  Scripture defines it in terms of spiritual qualities. Galatians 5:22,23  It is praise offered to God. Hebrews 13:15  It is sacrificial love in meeting the needs of others. Romans 15:28  It is also defined as holy, righteous, God- honoring behavior in general. Ephesians 5:9  The Bible defines fruit as converts. Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

The Vine Branches  Abiding in Christ has many blessings.  True Branches receive answered prayer if … 1. Offered in Jesus’ name 2. They continue to abide in Him 3. Christ’s words abide in them  True Branches also have the privilege of living lives that glorify God.  True Branches will experience Christ’s love.  True Branches will have complete joy! Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

The Vine Branches  False branches (those who are not abiding) will be gathered up and burned! Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11

Application Are you a true abiding branch or a false non-abiding branch? If you are not abiding, do you fully comprehend your fate … Burning!? If you are abiding, what evidences do you have of this? What are you doing to bear better fruit? Tapped Into the Source John 15:1-11