Last week we looked at the Parable of the Sower. We were considering which type of soil we were planted in and which type of soil we were. Are we growing?
Today, we are looking at our lives as plants in the growing stage of life. We have taken root and become strong and now Jesus is encouraging us to be fruitful plants. He gives us the outcome of growth which bears fruit, as well as the outcome of death for those who do not produce fruit in their lives.
Join me as we read Jesus’ words in John 15:1-8 NIV
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Halley’s Bible Handbook makes this statement about this chapter of John:
‘The ideas ever and anon appearing in these precious chapters are that the disciples Love One Another, that they Keep Christ’s Commandments, that they Abide in Him, that they must expect Pruning and Persecution…’ 1
Verse one: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. (NIV)
In the Wycliffe Bible Commentary, we find this thought for verse one:
‘A contrast is probably intended with Israel, a vine of God’s planting which proved unfruitful’.2
We find this story in Isaiah 5:1-7 NIV
1 I will sing for the one I love
a song about his vineyard:
My loved one had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones
and planted it with the choicest vines.
He built a watchtower in it
and cut out a winepress as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
but it yielded only bad fruit.
3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more could have been done for my vineyard
than I have done for it?
When I looked for good grapes,
why did it yield only bad?
5 Now I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
and it will be destroyed;
I will break down its wall,
and it will be trampled.
6 I will make it a wasteland,
neither pruned nor cultivated,
and briers and thorns will grow there.
I will command the clouds
not to rain on it.”
7 The vineyard of the Lord Almighty
is the nation of Israel,
and the people of Judah
are the vines he delighted in.
And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;
for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
Do we hang off the old vine that was/is fruitless or do we hang off the living vine, the true vine as verse one says? Jesus is the true vine, the one that never dies and is rooted in God.
Wycliffe states, ‘It is real, all that a vine should be in a spiritual sense. Christ is not merely the root or stock, but the whole plant.’ 3
Wycliffe continues with ‘Beareth not fruit’. ‘This is no would-be follower. As there are suckers that grow out from the plant but add nothing to its usefulness and must be cut away, so an unproductive child of God who persists in his own will may expect to be set aside’. 4
Verses 3-5 give us encouragement to abide in Jesus and we will bear much fruit!
I received an email with a story that fits this part of bearing fruit. 5
A lady lived on a hill and had to go down to the river to get water each day. She had two water pots that she carried the water in. One pot had a crack so each day when she got back to her cabin, it was only half full. The pot felt damaged and worthless, but the lady kept using it. Finally, the pot told the lady that it was cracked so it was not doing a proper job. The lady told the pot to watch the side of the trail when she went down to the river the next time. The pot saw beautiful flowers growing on the side of the trail that it was carried over. The lady said she knew it was cracked so she used its flaw to plant and water those beautiful flowers.
This is a good example of how God can use even our cracked and damaged lives to bring forth fruit in this world. Be encouraged – God can still use even you.
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, gives encouragement too.
Philippians 1:9-11 NIV
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
When we abide (read the Bible, pray and trust) with Jesus, we stay strong and fruitful (lead others to a life with Jesus).
Colossians 3:12-17 NIV
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Are you hanging on a dead vine or the vine of Jesus Christ?
Next week we will be looking at the results of our connection to the vine. ‘I Plant, You Water and God Makes it Grow’ (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)
May God Bless you this week!
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