06 AUGUST

JOHN’S IDENTITY OF JESUS (7)

“I am the true vine…”(John 15:1)

Jesus told His disciples that He is the Vine, and God our Father is the Gardener. A gardener cares for his plants; he prunes the branches to make them more fruitful and cuts off unproductive branches. Grape vines are prolific plants with branches, each of which bears numerous bunches of grapes. The stem of the vine provides minerals and water for its branches.

The disciples are the branches of the Vine. The branches, which symbolise the followers of Christ, as the true Vine, obtain nourishment to grow, while remaining fresh and producing abundant grapes (fruitfulness). If a branch is not attached to the vine, it dies. If a branch is cut off, it can produce nothing; even if it initially looks green, it will eventually die.

Jesus is our source.  No one can accomplish any good thing without Jesus, especially spiritual good. Some people wrongly boast of their accomplishments by their own power but it is either their accomplishments without Jesus are without eternal value or God in His mercy allowed them to do so in spite of themselves. Either way, the Lord’s message, even to them, remains the same:  “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15:5-6).

ACTION: Are you a branch of the Vine? Prove it by the fruit you produce.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, as a disciple of Jesus, help me to abide in the true Vine, to glorify you, get my nourishment and bear much fruit.