I AM the Vine | John 15:1-17
This message was preached at Sherwood Community Friends Church on Sunday, October 27, 2024. You can watch the video in full by clicking below.
Throughout the last 7 weeks, we’ve journeyed through the book of John as we dove deep into each of the I AM statements of Jesus.
Today we discuss the final I AM statement of Jesus.
Context
In the chapters leading up to John 15, our main passage for today so feel free to turn there in your Bibles, Jesus has entered into his final days before his death on the cross. He has washed the feet of his disciples, predicted Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial, enjoyed a shared meal together with his closest companions - the disciples - and is now engaged in his final conversations with them.
The disciples don’t know these are the final moments with their Teacher. Jesus is communicating to them his final thoughts. The words he hopes they will cling to in the coming dark days. He leaves them with thoughts like…
…“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
…”If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7)
…”And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17a)
…”If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23)
…”Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” (John 14:27)
And then they leave the room they were enjoying their last meal together and make their way to the garden.
Roles
Jesus often spoke in picture illustrations so that his audience would relate. He captured the ordinary and turned it divine. By likening himself to bread, he communicated that we need him to live, that he alone satisfies. By likening himself to a shepherd, a common profession in the time and region of Jesus, he communicated that he will lay down his life for us and protect us from enemies.
Our final I am statement is the same. Another ordinary part of life that Jesus makes divine in the garden.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.” John 15:1-4
I am the TRUE vine. There are other vines we could latch onto and maybe draw some life from, but those vines will eventually dry up and cut us off from life.
Jesus is the one with the roots connected into the soil. He is the one receiving food, minerals, and water from an eternal source. He reaches far deeper into the Father than we ever could or are even capable. We do not live in this space.
The Father is the gardener and the one who cares for the vine and then the branches, bringing the best out of it. The gardener removes the weeds that try to encroach and suffocate the plant. He guides the branches and inspects them for health and vibrancy. The gardener protects and guides the tender tendrils upward and outward.
We are the branches. We are the ones who are connected to the vine Jesus, our source of life. Where does the fruit come from? The vine or the branch? The branch. And what is the branch’s purpose? To produce fruit. And according to verse 2, what happens if the branch does not produce fruit? It says right here that those branches are removed.
In fact, these points that Jesus has just said are so important that he restates them.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.” John 15:5-7
REMAINING
Where does the vine end and the branch begin? There is a blending of the two and one is connected to the other so there cannot be a perfect division of vine from branch.
The same is true for us when we are all in with Jesus. When we remain in him, we are connected with him. When people see us, just as when they see the branch with the fruit, they know the branch must be connected to a deeper source. There is something else that is holding it up, that is feeding, that is encouraging the branch to grow and the fruit to flourish. There is not a separation.
When people see the fruit of your life and the good works of your hands, they will know there is something else deeper that you are connected to. When we remain in Jesus, there is an unclear distinction about where Jesus ends and where we begin! Our lives cannot help but to point back to the Father.
That’s why Jesus says in Matthew 5:16,
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 CSB
But to bear fruit we must remain… that’s a funny idea isn’t it? Remain. Our world pushes us and pulls us, tells us we must hustle to produce. So we must be intentional and initiated because remaining connected to the vine does not just happen.
How do we remain in Jesus? Here are the 3 ways that we have learned to be the most simple and the most effective - but not always the most easy!
Two-way communication with God. We share what we are going through with him, we lift up our requests to him, but we also create space to listen to him, to have quiet around us so we can hear that voice of peace that won’t try to fight the noise of the world. We learn what his voice sounds like when he speaks to us and we tune down all the other voices, we can hear him. We like to refer to this as prayer but prayer is more than reading off my laundry list of hopes and wishes. It’s our portal for direct communication and communion with God the Father.
Reading God’s Word to better understand his voice and direction. Consider these verses
Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Or Joshua 1:8 “This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.”
Or Psalm 119:15 “I will meditate on your precepts and think about your ways.”
Or Matthew 4:4 “He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
By the way, this was said by Jesus, who was quoting from Deuteronomy when he was being tempted by Satan. Even Jesus knew the importance of the Scriptures and dwelt in them.
If you are hoping for the peace and nearness of God, to remain in Jesus, but you are not prioritizing your own time with him through daily scripture reading and prayer, that two way communication with God, then, from what I can see in scripture, your hopes to be spiritually fed well are unfounded.
We gather regularly with God’s people. We break bread together - we extend and give hospitality - we learn from each other and we pray for one another. Jesus himself modeled that as he and his disciples often received hospitality from those they met along their travels and he shared many meals at the table with fellow disciples and friends. We see this model continued by the disciples after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.
“Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47 CSB
This is more than showing up on Sunday mornings, although that’s a good place to start. But it’s also showing up to break bread at our Agape Feasts on Wednesdays at 5:30 at our house or deciding to gather for one of our Friends groups that meets to learn more about the Bible and each other. It’s looking across this room and inviting someone for coffee that you haven’t gotten to know very well yet. It’s coming to our Willowbrook Serve Days and cleaning shelves alongside each other in service and fellowship.
“And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 CSB
We should not be gathering less friends. We should be gathering more!
So we remain by engaging in 2-way prayer, the study of the Bible, and gathering more with God’s people.
PRUNING
Now, when we commit to connecting to him, to remaining in Jesus, it’s very clear that the Gardener - that is the Father - will cut away anything inside that proves to be fruitless. I don’t want you to be fooled here or make this lighter than it is. Cutting equals pain. It's painful to let go of the past, to release our busy schedules, to release our personal ideals, to release our self-soothing comforts. But Jesus assures us life, love, and fruit if I allow this pruning.
How do you know if you are being pruned? There are usually 2 different methods from what I’ve observed.
One is through Conviction from the Holy Spirit - this is simply when something just doesn’t feel quite right.
You are watching a TV show and all of a sudden you feel uncomfortable.
Someone makes a crude joke and you find yourself not laughing.
You see someone else succeeding at your dream and you feel a twinge of jealousy - you’ve felt this before but this time you also feel a bit disgusted with yourself for that envy.
You didn’t quite tell the whole truth and someone else took the blame for your mistake. You recognize that might have been your fault.
In John 16:8, Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit who will come when he is gone and he says this:
“When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:”
There is a battle between our flesh and the Spirit and Paul talks about this in Galatians 5:
“I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:16-18 CSB
And he goes on to list the ways of the flesh that are against the Spirit:
Sexual immorality
Moral impurity
Promiscuity
Idolatry
Sorcery
Hatred
Strife
Jealousy
Outbursts of anger
Selfish ambitions
Dissensions
Factions
Envy
Drunkenness
When we have the Holy Spirit in us and we are choosing to remain in Jesus, connected to him, there will be a conviction in our hearts and our minds that parts of our life must change if we ever hope to bear fruit.
Through circumstances. The other way pruning comes is through circumstances. I have a brief story to share with you. Years ago, I had applied many times to work for another organization. I wanted to be out of my current role as restaurant manager. But each time was met with rejection.
Until I wasn’t…
I finally was in the final three of applicants. As the process was drawing in close to a decision, I was sure I had it!
Until I didn’t…
I was absolutely devastated. I sobbed for a week. I was determined that I was going to continue pursuing the path of finding a job out of my current field and into something more in alignment with my values and goals.
Until God spoke.
He told me to wait 6 months before I applied anywhere. Me and God exchanged words. I was NOT ok with this. But, reluctantly, I conceded. But to the letter. I marked the date on my calendar and continued to show up at the job I just didn’t want to be in any longer.
So what happened in that 6 months? Well, we needed to move. And to secure a loan for our new place, I need that income and the length of time I was with that job. If I had gotten that job I so desperately wanted, not only would my income have been less but my job history would have been gone because of a career change.
God used a set of circumstances I didn’t understand to produce a different outcome than I expected. Hear me -> He didn’t answer my prayer for something that seemed to be so clearly from him. He answered my prayer in a way that I didn’t expect but exactly what I needed.
But even more? He cut away my self-ambition and my impatience. By pruning these dead and lifeless parts of my life, he produced in me endurance and patience.
In the story I just shared, this circumstance was through my own choices and decision-making process. But sometimes there are circumstances entirely out of our control. And many times, these are hard things that we just don’t understand.
A natural disaster
The loss of a loved one unexpectedly
Being laid off from your job
The abandonment of a spouse
Please hear me - there is a time of lament and grief and sorrow that you are not only allowed to be in those spaces but the Father welcomes you into lament.
What we must also remember is that those are also seasons of pruning and shaping.
I’ve heard it said that out of one’s greatest struggle comes their greatest ministry.
I don’t know if I could say that any of those circumstances are “God’s plan” - but God does know and see you. He is El Roi - the God who sees. But in those times, can we still pray, rejoice and give thanks, as Paul shares with the Thessalonians in his first letter? Can we trust what Romans 8:28 says, even in the hardest of circumstances?
“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 CSB
Whether you find yourself in conviction or circumstantial pruning, this quote by Henri Nouwen may be helpful to you.
“The great challenge is to continue to recognize God’s pruning hand in my life. Then I can avoid resentment and depression and become even more grateful that I am called upon to bear even more fruit than I thought I could. Suffering then becomes a way of purification and allows me to rejoice in its fruits with deep gratitude and without pride.”
FRUIT-BEARING
Sometimes people like to stop here in John 15. I’m good! I can remain in Jesus. Just me and Jesus! That’s all I need.
But that’s not all. Jesus continues.
“My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” John 15:8-11
Just as any plant that grows has a purpose, we also have a purpose - to produce fruit - but what does this mean?
Fruit examples
Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that fruit is love joy peace patience kindness gentleness faithfulness goodness and self control.
Matthew 6 tells us that fruit is charitable acts, prayer, and fasting.
James 1 tells us that we are to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger and that we are to be doers of the word.
Hebrews 13 lists several other forms of fruit: hospitality, remembering those in prison, be sexually moral, be satisfied with what you have, imitate the faith of those who have taught the Word of God to you, share with others, pray for those who lead, conduct ourselves honorably.
We are also to prove to be his disciples - what does “prove” mean? That word can also be translated as display or attest to. So we can restate this as:
My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and DISPLAY to be my disciples.
That means that we not only produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self-control - but that we also DISPLAY them. We show them off! We put that fruit out into the world, in our homes, in our neighborhoods.
Note: this is not earning or in our minds “proving” anything. It’s just showing off the work the Father has done in us, the fruit he’s brought out in our lives, for others to see so they can be brough to him.
We are to Remain in his love. We talked about this earlier, so I won’t spend time here. Just remember that before we can produce anything, we must be connected to the source of life - that is Jesus’ love.
Keep his commands - which is what?
Just a few hours earlier, Jesus gave them a new command: “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 CSB
Why does Jesus tell us these things? For us to have complete JOY. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
Jesus continues:
“This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12-13
Loving one another sounds simple enough right? But… like… laying down my life…? For my friends….? Really?
The sign of a great leader is not that they will tell others what to do, but that they will live out what they want you to do.
Within hours of this conversation he’s having with these eleven men in the garden, Jesus will lay down his life for them, for the ones who betray him, the ones who nail him to the cross. And if it was only for the eleven in this garden, Jesus would have done this. But it wasn’t only for them.
John 17:20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in who believe in me through their word.”
That is you and I friends.
Jesus then shares these words.
“You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. This is what I command you: Love one another.” John 15:14-17
Do you hear this?
Jesus has called you his Friend! We are not just his administrators or workers or employees or consultants. We are his Friends and we don’t have to guess at what we need to do. He’s already told us the plan. We are appointed by him to live with honor and give generously and show hospitality and pray and fast and keep his commands and - most of all - to love one another to the point of laying down our life. That means laying down our comforts, our down time, our schedules, our budgets, our wants, our dreams, our rights, our entitlements.
Will we love each other well all the time? No. Will we hurt others? Yes. Will others hurt us? Yes.
And we are going to be diving into that during the month of November in our new series - “Forgiveness Factor”
As we enter into the holidays and an election, we are called to be the bridges of reconciliation. But that means we may need to address the weight of unforgiveness we might be holding onto. We’ll explore how Jesus teaches us to forgive even our deepest wounds, offering us a path to real healing, freedom, and restored relationships. I have a feeling this isn’t only a message for some of us in this room, but maybe you know someone who needs a message of forgiveness too. It might be the right time to invite them in.
Another thought: seeking unity, reconciliation, and love with those whom we disagree most with might be another form of pruning we go under by the Father. Not only will we be changed internally, but we as the body will be stronger and produce more fruit by our unity and love or one another.
Remember that verse we read earlier from Acts? What happened when they gathered together and broke bread and praised God?
Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
God’s kingdom expanded. After all, isn’t that what we are called for?
Conclusion
The words Jesus gives us are clear throughout these verses.
Remain in him. We can do that by engaging in 2-way prayer, studying the Bible, and gathering together with God’s people.
We will be pruned. Through conviction, choices, and circumstances, the Father will continue to remove parts of us that do not produce fruit.
The expectation is for us to both produce and display fruit. Things like love and joy and charity and generosity and sharing and prayer and fasting. We let everyone around us see this fruit and we point them back to our source - Jesus and the Father.
And we love our friends to the point of laying down our life for them.
All this effort of connecting only to Jesus for our source of life and allowing him to cut away all the dead parts of me and to produce and display fruit and to love others - none of this is for my benefit. It’s all so the world will know Jesus as their Friend too and be able to receive the love of the Father as we know it.
