I am the true vine! - John 15:1

I am the True Vine

September 25, 2011

John 15:1-2

Introduction

• I confess I was never very good at pruning, others definitely have much more of a green thumb than I do
• Most plants I touch, die! Though I do sometimes water plastic flowers
• However, I have looked at the pruning others do, out of necessity
• Have you ever seen how rose bushes are pruned?
• I was shocked the first time I saw it
• The beautiful full-grown rose bush had been cut back almost to the ground
• This seemed a bit radical to me!
• Later on I learned a little about how to prune trees that were growing in my back yard
• I learned some of the reasons why we prune plants
• The reason is that we want to help the plant to grow, and be productive
• This morning though, we are going to place our focus on Jesus represented by a plant, the grapevine

I am the true vine

• Let's read from John 15
• verse 1 - I am the true vine and my Father is the Gardener
• These words, I AM the true vine are the last of seven I AM statements in the gospel of John
• God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush, by the name I AM
• Down through scripture, God describes himself by his name I AM
• I AM the God who heals you
• I AM the first and the last
• I AM the alpha and omega
• John picks up on God's name in his gospel
• I AM the bread of life - John 6:35
• I AM the light of the world - John 8:12
• I AM the gate for the sheep - John 10:9
• I AM the Good Shepherd - John 10:11
• I AM the resurrection and the life - John 11:25-26
• I AM the way, the truth and the life - John 14:6
• and lastly
• I AM the true vine - John 15:1

Significance of the true vine

• The grapevine was of special significance to God's people
• Isaiah 5:1-7
• Here, God talks about Israel as being a vineyard under His loving care
• The Jews used the grapevine motif all over the temple area
• In 1972 I was able to take part in an archaeological excavation along the south wall of the temple area
• We regularly would dig up broken bits of masonry with the grapevine motif
• It was a symbol for them of being God's people, under His care
• Jesus here in John says, I am the True vine
• When you look at the Greek, this refers to the real, true version, compared to that which was counterfeit, imperfect, frail
• The nation of Israel was imperfect, sinning continually, turning against him time and time again
• Jesus was the true son of God
• Jesus heart was perfect before God
• He was truly the son God loved
• When Jesus was baptized the Father announces to the whole world, This is my Son, whom I love, with whom I am well-pleased
• He was God's special person here on earth at that time
• The father cared for him, and nurtured him and made him productive
• But it is through Jesus, that we too can be part of that family
• We are able to call the Father, Abba, a close form of endearment
• Through Jesus, we who were not a part of the True vine, have been made part of this select group, God's favorite people
• Because of this we are His children, the apple of his eye
• Just as God enabled Jesus to be productive, he is the one who makes us bear fruit

Abide in me

• Verse 4 - remain in me, and I will remain in you
• It is through us remaining in Jesus, the true vine, that we produce fruit, God's fruit
• When we are separated from him, or draw away from him, our fruit becomes correspondingly dead and lifeless
• But when we are close to Him, and he dwells in us and us in him, then fruit can grow, grapes will abound, and the world will be blessed by our presence and the presence of Jesus flowing through us