Morning Cup of J(esus)
Fueling the Day!
I Am the True 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.
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 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.
You will know them by their fruits.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
This is the last of the “I Am” statements of Jesus in the book of John. Jesus uses the expression bear fruit (bears fruit, bears more fruit) three times in verse two of the passage. So, this is not talking about something we do to become a Christian. Instead, it refers to what a believer (branch) does who is part of the vine. The true vine is Christ, and if we are truly abiding in the vine, we will bear fruit. Therefore, God prunes all of His branches so that they produce even more fruit.
This passage is not talking about our salvation because we do not have to do anything in the way of work or deeds to become one of the His children. Salvation itself is not an act that bears fruit. Fruit-bearing takes place after salvation. People who are unsaved do not bear any kind of spiritual fruit. Believers who are immature or carnal may bear little to no fruit, but the Master (Vinedresser) prunes us to produce spiritual fruit. A believer who yields his life to Christ and who walks in the Spirit can bear a a good yield of fruit.
Without Him we can do nothing of eternal value as we are reminded in this passage. If we think we abide in Him but do not, He knows the difference, and those branches who are not His are cast out and gathered and burned. But there are rewards for the faithful and fruitful. And finally, God is glorified when we are fruitful.
Photo credits: Pexels- Julia Volk