I am the vine

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”-John 15:5

Jesus and His disciples had gathered to celebrate the Feast of the Passover when Jesus arose and began to wash the disciples feet. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter protested and exclaimed: “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him by saying,

“If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.”-John 13:8

Jesus’ statement may not have made complete sense to Peter in the moment, however as the night went on and Jesus began to comfort His disciples; He did so by revealing Himself as the true vine:

“I am the true vine, and My Father the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”-John 15:1-4

Jesus was about to leave them. His betrayal and crucifixion were already set in motion. The disciples were no longer going to enjoy His physical presence, but He promised that if they would abide in Him and allow His words to abide in them; He would nourish and sustain them. Just as a vine’s branches rely on being connected to the trunk to bear fruit, believers must remain connected to Jesus for their spiritual life.

Cut off from the vine, a branch is dead and dead branches don’t bear fruit! Jesus warned that dead branches have a bleak future:

“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”-John 15:6

Just as a vinedresser expects the branch to bear fruit, our Heavenly Father expects us to bear fruit as well. The fruit we produce is that of the Holy Spirit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”-Galatians 5:22

We cannot produce this fruit apart from Christ! In fact, Jesus declared in John 15:5 that apart from Him we can do nothing! In a recent commentary I read the writer stated: “No believer can achieve anything of spiritual value independently of Christ Jesus.” We must depend on Him for everything!

The indication of our connectedness is the fruit we bear! Are you connected? Check your fruit! Connected branches bear fruit. Fruitless branches indicate a lack of connection. 

Connected branches bring glory to God, because they bear the fruit of God’s Spirit:

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”-John 15:8

The best indication of a life connected to God is evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in your life!

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church