I AM THE VINE
John 15:1-8
“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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 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.
5 “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. 6 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. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (NKJV)
Introduction
In John 15 Jesus refers to himself as the “true vine” in this chapter in the first eight versus, he explains the true vine, the branches, bearing fruit, and not bearing fruit. It is agreed upon by many scholars, that Christ was talking to his disciples at the last supper when he gave the vine parable. In verse one Christ states he is the “true” vine, as in other places in the Bible, “true” means genuine. Jesus is the final true/genuine vine compared to Israel in the Old Testament. We will look at the surroundings of the statement, how this statement reveals God in the Old Testament, and how it reveals the deity of Christ.
The surroundings of the statement: I am the vine
Jesus was talking to the 11 remaining disciples which represented the fruitful branch, as well the unfruitful branch he was more than likely referring to Judas. He was trying to prepare them for what was going to happen. Most scholars believe that Jesus was still talking in the Upper Room to his disciples, Chapter 3 starts out in the Upper Room with Jesus washing the feel of the disciples, he then advices them who will betray him and he gives them a new commandment “Love one another as I have loved you” . He continues by telling Peter that he will deny him three times before the cock crows. Going into Chapter 4 we see that they are still communing together in the Upper Room, he tells them that he is the way the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father unless it is through him. He then reveals who the Father is and the remaining of the chapter he describes his relationship with his father. Now we come to chapter 5 where Jesus talks about being the “true vine” (1) or the genuine vine. There can only be one vine with many branches, there cannot be more than one vine. He is the Heavenly Vine of God’s own planting (Andrew Murray) the true vine strengthens, supplies, and so to speak, inspires the branches. Christ here was inspiring his disciples to be like him, could also be a reference to the Great Commission, when he spoke of bearing fruit. He reveals this to us as well in thoughts, and in our confessions. The Holy Spirit reveals this to us once we have become disciples for Christ.
(1)"I am the Vine." Christ did not keep this mystery hidden from His disciples—Andrew Murray, The True Vine
How does this STATEMENT REVEAL God in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament’s imagery portrayed Israel being the vine/grapevine, it showed the relationship that God had with Israel. Psalms 80:8 God refers to Israel as the vine, v. 15 they are referred to as the vineyard which belongs to God. Isaiah 5 also describes the nation as God’s vineyard or, vineyard of the Lord’s. The Old Testament always spoke of God as being the Owner of the vineyard which was Israel. Israel always held to the belief that God distanced himself from them, unless he was judging them. As this verse reveals, the vine analogy was also used in Jeremiah 2:21 which says, “Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?”
Jesus stating that he is the “True Vine” was showing the good relationship that he had with the Father. Jesus was also stating something new, that God just wasn’t the owner of the vineyard but that he also takes care of the vine and vineyard, whom is now Christ, and believers. God of course is still the owner, but he is now called the vinedresser (2) or gardener. God not only takes care of Jesus the vine, but he also takes care of the branches, which are the believers.
(2)Vinedresser/georgos is a general term for tiller of the soil, a farmer. In this passage it refers to a man whose business is with grapevines, so we must understand it in the sense “vinedresser” by Leon Morris. Jesus is the Christ
How does this statement reveal the deity of Christ?
“I am the true vine” reveals Christ deity by showing that he is the vine of eternal salvation. He’s showing that he is the “vine” connected to the Father; he is the vocal point so to speak of God’s salvation plan to the world. Just as Christ has created physical life, he has also created spiritual life and has since eternity. So we can see, to be part of Jesus, we will partake in this glorious eternal life, as long as we hold on to the vine.
Jesus is relating to the believers here and how he relates to them or us today. Jesus is changing the old covenant, which was between God and man. No more will it be necessary to go through priests; we can now go through Christ Jesus. The nature of this change is prophetically explained by Jeremiah 31:31-34. If we are to find the abiding life, then we can only find it in Jesus himself. Jesus is the true vine as he also stated that he is the light (John1:9)
Matthew Henry said in his commentary, that Jesus showed his humility when he compared himself to a vine.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,[a] says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
That Jesus Christ is the vine, the true vine. It is an instance of the humility of Christ that he is pleased to speak of himself under low and humble comparisons. Matthew Henry Commentary
John 15:1-8
“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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 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.
5 “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. 6 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. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (NKJV)
Introduction
In John 15 Jesus refers to himself as the “true vine” in this chapter in the first eight versus, he explains the true vine, the branches, bearing fruit, and not bearing fruit. It is agreed upon by many scholars, that Christ was talking to his disciples at the last supper when he gave the vine parable. In verse one Christ states he is the “true” vine, as in other places in the Bible, “true” means genuine. Jesus is the final true/genuine vine compared to Israel in the Old Testament. We will look at the surroundings of the statement, how this statement reveals God in the Old Testament, and how it reveals the deity of Christ.
The surroundings of the statement: I am the vine
Jesus was talking to the 11 remaining disciples which represented the fruitful branch, as well the unfruitful branch he was more than likely referring to Judas. He was trying to prepare them for what was going to happen. Most scholars believe that Jesus was still talking in the Upper Room to his disciples, Chapter 3 starts out in the Upper Room with Jesus washing the feel of the disciples, he then advices them who will betray him and he gives them a new commandment “Love one another as I have loved you” . He continues by telling Peter that he will deny him three times before the cock crows. Going into Chapter 4 we see that they are still communing together in the Upper Room, he tells them that he is the way the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father unless it is through him. He then reveals who the Father is and the remaining of the chapter he describes his relationship with his father. Now we come to chapter 5 where Jesus talks about being the “true vine” (1) or the genuine vine. There can only be one vine with many branches, there cannot be more than one vine. He is the Heavenly Vine of God’s own planting (Andrew Murray) the true vine strengthens, supplies, and so to speak, inspires the branches. Christ here was inspiring his disciples to be like him, could also be a reference to the Great Commission, when he spoke of bearing fruit. He reveals this to us as well in thoughts, and in our confessions. The Holy Spirit reveals this to us once we have become disciples for Christ.
(1)"I am the Vine." Christ did not keep this mystery hidden from His disciples—Andrew Murray, The True Vine
How does this STATEMENT REVEAL God in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament’s imagery portrayed Israel being the vine/grapevine, it showed the relationship that God had with Israel. Psalms 80:8 God refers to Israel as the vine, v. 15 they are referred to as the vineyard which belongs to God. Isaiah 5 also describes the nation as God’s vineyard or, vineyard of the Lord’s. The Old Testament always spoke of God as being the Owner of the vineyard which was Israel. Israel always held to the belief that God distanced himself from them, unless he was judging them. As this verse reveals, the vine analogy was also used in Jeremiah 2:21 which says, “Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?”
Jesus stating that he is the “True Vine” was showing the good relationship that he had with the Father. Jesus was also stating something new, that God just wasn’t the owner of the vineyard but that he also takes care of the vine and vineyard, whom is now Christ, and believers. God of course is still the owner, but he is now called the vinedresser (2) or gardener. God not only takes care of Jesus the vine, but he also takes care of the branches, which are the believers.
(2)Vinedresser/georgos is a general term for tiller of the soil, a farmer. In this passage it refers to a man whose business is with grapevines, so we must understand it in the sense “vinedresser” by Leon Morris. Jesus is the Christ
How does this statement reveal the deity of Christ?
“I am the true vine” reveals Christ deity by showing that he is the vine of eternal salvation. He’s showing that he is the “vine” connected to the Father; he is the vocal point so to speak of God’s salvation plan to the world. Just as Christ has created physical life, he has also created spiritual life and has since eternity. So we can see, to be part of Jesus, we will partake in this glorious eternal life, as long as we hold on to the vine.
Jesus is relating to the believers here and how he relates to them or us today. Jesus is changing the old covenant, which was between God and man. No more will it be necessary to go through priests; we can now go through Christ Jesus. The nature of this change is prophetically explained by Jeremiah 31:31-34. If we are to find the abiding life, then we can only find it in Jesus himself. Jesus is the true vine as he also stated that he is the light (John1:9)
Matthew Henry said in his commentary, that Jesus showed his humility when he compared himself to a vine.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,[a] says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
That Jesus Christ is the vine, the true vine. It is an instance of the humility of Christ that he is pleased to speak of himself under low and humble comparisons. Matthew Henry Commentary