John 15:1-8
1 "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 does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 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.
6 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.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
“Abiding” in John 15 has to do with deriving strength and life from Christ so that you bear fruit in a spiritual climate where the destruction of faith and the distraction of faith are everyday realities.
John 14:30-31; 15:18-21; 16:1; 17:12, 15-17
The Vinedresser is God the Father.
The Vine is Jesus.
The fruitful branches are genuine followers of Jesus.
The fruitless branches are those who appear to be joined to Jesus but in reality only have a superficial attachment to him.
The Proficiency of the vine and vinedresser (v. 1-2)
Jesus begins talking about fruitful Christian living not by pointing to something about the branches, but to something in the Vine and the Vinedresser.
Two implications
There can be no boasting.
There can be no blame-shifting.
“The Vine is the problem.”
“The Vinedresser is the problem.”
The Properties of the branches
Two Kinds of branches
Fruit-Bearing Branches
The abiding branch bears fruit precisely because it is vitally connected to the Vine. (v. 5)
The Father wisely prunes every fruit-bearing branch. (v 2) Fruitless Branches
The fruitless branch lacks fruit precisely because it is not vitally connected to the Vine. (v. 2a, 4a, 6).
The Father, in his timing, cuts off every fruitless branch and casts it into the fire. (v. 2a, 6)
The Process of Pruning/Cleansing two Kinds of Cleansing (v 2-3)
Are we clean “already” (v. 3) or is God continually cleansing us (v. 2)? Yes. (1 Cor. 6:11; 1 John 1:9)
Two Pruning instruments
Scripture (John 17:17; Eph. 5:25-26; Heb. 12:6-8)
Trials (James 1:2)
God is careful to manage the trials we face so that instead of breaking us off from the Vine, His children cling more closely and bear more fruit.
The Prospect of glory (and Joy)
God gets glory (v. 8)
There’s no way to make the statement God is great when we live in disobedience to Him.
True Christians love to be reminded that their obedience brings glory to God.
We get Assurance (v. 8)
Where is there some measure of fruit-bearing?
We get Joy (v. 11)
Christians don’t manufacture their own joy.
They get it from the Vine.
When Jesus thinks of the most thrilling gift He could give to His disciples and every Christian here, He prays, “Father, can we show them ... the glory I had with you before the world existed?” (John 17:5, 24)
Thanks Matt, you are an incredible teacher!
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