John 15:1-15:17
Key Verse: 15:5

 Jesus, the True Vine

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus tells a parable to help the disciples understand the relationship with him. It is the relationship of a vine and its branches. It is a personal relationship that brings them much fruit. Through today's message, may God encourage us to live fruitful lives by remaining in Jesus who is the true vine.

I. Jesus, the true vine (1-3)

Look at verse 1. “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.” Jesus is the true vine and his Father is the gardener. As the gardener, God took great care to prepare the best environment for his vines to grow and bear fruit. To maintain a garden is not easy. The gardener nurtures and takes care of the vine so that it will be productive. Like this, God also provides a fruit-bearing environment for us. We have a new bible center to study God’s word. We are blessed with joyful coworkers in Christ who encourage us and pray for us. Above all, God has given us Jesus.

As the Father is the gardener, Jesus is the true vine. In Biblical history, the gardener began the nation of Israel. He called them as his chosen people and provided the best, a land flowing with milk and honey. Yet, instead of bearing good fruit, Israel failed and turned away from God, having only bad fruit. Instead of serving God, they gave their worship to idols. Then God sent the “true” vine, Jesus Christ. In Jesus, God began a new history. Jesus' discipleship ministry continues on today for several thousand years. The true vine Jesus did not fail like people did. Jesus is the creator God who gives us life. John 1:3,4 says “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Jesus is the true vine that gives life. Through this vine, the entire plant becomes alive and receives its nutrients. Only Jesus is the true vine, the source of everlasting life. The true vine, Jesus changes our sinful lives to be blessed lives in him. Praise Jesus, the true vine who gives us life!

The vine also has branches. Look at verse 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.” “He” refers to God the gardener. The gardener plants the vine. After planting the vine, the gardener prunes the fruit-bearing branches to bear more fruit. Branches that bear no fruit, he cuts off completely from the vine. These cut-off branches represent those who reject the life-giving word of God.

The other branch represents the disciples. They were like the branch that God pruned to be even more fruitful. Pruning is “cutting back parts for more fruitful growth.” A gardener spends many hours to prune their precious plants so that they might achieve utmost beauty and fruitfulness. It is amazing that our gardener God cares for each of us individually in the very way. We have things that needs to be cut back by God so that we might be more fruitful. God helps us cut off unnecessary things through hardships, suffering or the word of God. Look at verse 3. “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”

In Genesis 21:12, God told Abraham to send his son Ishmael away, because he was not the promised son. Through his son Isaac, God would fulfill his promise. It was painful to Abraham, because Ishmael was his first born. Ishmael was Abraham’s human efforts to build a family. It was against God’s plan for him. God took away Abraham's precious son that he would be more fruitful as the father of many nations.

Pruning can be difficult, because it often involves giving up enjoyable things. They are not necessarily bad. But when they interfere with our resolutions to live as fruitful branches, God prunes them away. Hebrew 12:11 says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Pruning leads to a more abundant harvest. It is a great hope that our God wants us to be more fruitful. May God make us fruitful in Jesus by his love of pruning.

II. Remain in me (4-8)

Read verse 4. "Remain in me, and I will 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." In verses 1-10, Jesus mentions the word “remain” 11 times. As the branch remains in the vine, Jesus wants to have this vine-branch relationship with us. But the nature of man is the opposite of remain. A man does not want to have a relationship with Jesus. Jesus knew his disciples would run away after his death and forget to remain in him. Jesus knew they would return to their life as fishermen and forget to remain in him. But Jesus wanted his disciples to remain in him to make them bear fruit. No branch can bear fruit by itself. A branch by itself is like a fish out of water. Every branch needs the true vine Jesus.

Read verse 5. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Every gardener plants a garden, expecting beautiful fruit. The fruit testifies to the love and care of the gardener. The fruit also proves that the branch was well provided with its nutrients.

We are the branches. And God has made us to have relationship with Jesus and to bear much fruit. All people are branches designed by God to be fruitful. However, some branches choose to separate themselves from Jesus. They reject Jesus and the life he gives. No matter what outward goodness or fruit this person may appear to have, Jesus calls it nothing for it was born apart from him. Verse 6 says, “If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” God’s judgment for unfruitful people is real. Only a burning fire awaits them.

Jesus wants us to be fruitful branches as his disciples. He wants us to bear much fruit by remaining in him. If we accept Jesus as our Savior, we become fruitful branches. The fruit bearing life is everlasting that leads to heaven. Through bearing fruit in Jesus, we give glory to God and show ourselves to be Jesus’ disciples.

Then what are the eternal fruit we bear in Jesus? There are many kinds of fruit. Galatians 5:22-23a reads, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” When we love our sheep and coworkers, God bears the fruit of love in us. When someone wrongs us and we humbly withdraws like Isaac did, God bears the fruit of self-control in us. When we overcome difficulties by believing in him, God bears the fruit of patience and faithfulness in us. The fruit we bear comes from God and the work of the Holy Spirit. We do not produce fruit by ourselves. We simply bear the fruit that God has produced in us. He chose us to bear his abundant fruit.

Look at verse 7. “If you remain in me and my word remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” Here Jesus teaches us practical way of remaining in Jesus. Jesus wants us to remain in his words. He says, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” He wants us to eat the word of God. When we have fellowship with one another, eating is often an essential element. To remain in Jesus, we must eat the word of God, his daily bread. Through sincere Bible study, we remain in Jesus. And with the word written in our hearts, Jesus remains in us.

Read verses 9,10. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” When we learn God's word, we should put them into practice. When we learn and obey God's commands, we remain in Jesus. Of course, it is not easy love others. We do not like to put the needs of others above ours. We can only do so, when we have the love of Jesus in us. Through the Bible, we learn the love of Jesus who died for our sins. And this Jesus gives us power to love others.

Last week, I went to Busan UBF and had a worship service. The message was about some lessons Jesus taught his disciples in a field in Luke 6. Especially one verse struck my heart. "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." This verse reminded me of my boss. Last July 6th, I was on a business trip in China. And I heard a news that my wife was about to give birth to a child. But my boss did not like my going back to Korea and said bad about me. After that, she made me hand-carry some display raw materials to China during the weekends two times. On my vacation to Summer Bible Camp, she sent me many SMS text messages and called me to work. Last week I was in Busan and she called me to come to the company to have a conference. I could not catch the train, but she blamed my work attitude that I did not come when she called me. This weekend, she told me to work during the weekend and report to her of whatever issues that might arise. She put the first priority in the company and work. Because of her, I could not rest at peace. Even when I was at home or was having a vacation, I was so distressed. She was like an enemy that kept me away from my little rest and peace, my family and even worship services.

However, Jesus said, "love your enemies". In today's passage, Jesus said again, "love each other as I have loved you". To love others was not merely a sound lesson. For me, it was a serious painful burden that I should obey. My wife kept on asking me to pray for her. And it was also what Jesus was saying to pray for those who mistreat us. I also realized that love is not a feeling but taking an action. I can obey Jesus' command to love by praying for her whatever she does to me. By that way, I can overcome my sin problem of hatred and anger. And I will learn Jesus' love more deeply who loved us to the end. Jesus will also make me bear fruit of patience and love in me. Now I see no fruit of love in me. I do not have power to love others and obey Jesus' command. But Jesus teaches me a way of love through his words which is to pray. I find that Jesus' love and his words gives me a clear direction and strength. I pray that God may strengthen me to love others by prayer. May God make me fruitful through his words and love.

Today we learned that Jesus is the true vine. He makes us fruitful when we remain in him. To remain in Jesus, we should remain in his words and love others. Then Jesus makes us fruitful. May God help us to remain in him by obeying his commands. May God help us to love others with the love of Jesus. May God make us fruitful through our sincere struggling to remain in Jesus.