Jesus continues to speak directly to His disciples, giving instructions for how to live. He’s just explained He’s going to send the Holy Spirit. These truths are at the heart of living the abundant life Jesus offers to all who follow Him.

Encounter Jesus – John Week 19

I AM…the True Vine

John 15: 1-7

AUDIO

Lecture Handout

John Week 19 – I AM… The True Vine Handout

Lesson Notes

I AM the True Vine (John 15: 1-17)

  • Verse 1 – the final “I AM” statement – Jesus is the true vine
    • Israel was supposed to be the vine – the core, life giving, nourishing center that connects the individual branches (people) – Jeremiah 2: 21; Psalm 80: 8-11
    • Israel failed – multiple references -> everywhere they’re described as a vine, Scripture condemns their unfruitfulness
    • Jesus is the fulfillment of all Israel was supposed to be – life giving, nourishing, connecting. A core for us to connect to and through that connection be fruitful.
    • God the Father is the vinedresser (literally the farmer) – responsible for the health and maintenance of the vine, but especially for maximum fruitfulness
  • Verse 2 – 2 options for everyone who comes in contact with Jesus – “every branch in me”
    • Addresses the fruitful union with Christ we’re supposed to enjoy in the faith
    • If not fruit-bearing, indicating no real faith – taken away by God – that’s bad!
      • Like Judas Iscariot – contact with Jesus, but no real belief or fruit
    • If you bear fruit, i.e. you’re a believer, you WILL be pruned!
      • Cleaned off, parts cut off so that more of the nourishing energy you receive from the vine will go toward producing sweet fruit and less toward leaves and personal decoration, size, and glory
      • Pruning doesn’t feel good! It isn’t what the plant wants, it’s what the owner wants so the branches will bear maximum fruit
      • Expect to be pruned at various times in your life!
  • Verse 3 – Already clean because of what Jesus taught – the totality of His saving message has cleaned them by faith
    • The pruning is just about maximum fruitfulness
    • Every believer WILL be pruned, and we should embrace that as a good thing
  • Verses 4-5 – “Abide in me, and I in you” – this is the essence of fruitful Christian life
    • We want to make fruit on our own – we work and sweat and labor to produce fruit on our own skills, abilities, talents, and hustle – but we fail
    • It isn’t sustainable, it isn’t productive, it’s exhausting
    • Have you ever seen a plant straining to make fruit???
    • A branch that isn’t connected to the vine can’t make lasting fruit
    • It must remain connected to the main vine, Jesus
    • If you’re connected to Jesus – in worship, prayer, the Word, and service, you’ll be fruitful for God – obedient, prayerful, joyful, disciplemaking, loving, peaceful
    • You won’t be able to help yourself! Plants don’t work hard to produce fruit, neither will we when connected to Jesus
    • Apart from Jesus, we can’t do anything fruitful!
  • Verse 6  – If we aren’t genuinely connected to Christ, points to hell – 1 John 4: 13-16
  • Verse 7 – If we abide in Christ AND Christ’s word abides in us – then ask what we wish and God will do it
    • Because if we’re fully connected to Christ and steeped in His words, we’ll be wishing for His will and He’ll give it – 1 John 5: 14-15
  • Verse 8 – What glorifies God? Bearing much fruit, thereby proving we’re real disciples
  • Verse 9 – Abide in the love of Jesus -> see how enormous is Christ’s love!
    • As God the Father loves Jesus, that’s how Jesus loves us!
    • Abide in it – live in it, be at peace in it, remain in it
  • Verse 10 – The way we abide in Christ’s love – keep His commandments
    • Do what He said to do
    • That’s the nature of being Christ-like
    • We won’t be perfect, but is genuine obedience to Christ our objective? Really???
    • In Christ, the Holy Spirit will help us do this more and more – 1 John 1: 6-10
  • Verse 11 – The beauty of it all -> these instructions are so we can have the joy of Christ and our joy may be complete
    • Joy has nothing to do with our external circumstances and everything to do with our relationship with Christ
  • Verse 12 – Love one another as Jesus loved us -> Jesus is about to die for them!
    • Verse 13 – The greatest love is sacrificial love -> lay down life for friends
    • What Jesus is about to do, and we’re called to love like Him!
  • Verses 14-15 – The disciples are friends, if they do what Jesus commanded
    • Not friends because they obey, but the characteristic of friends of Jesus is that they obey
    • What distinguishes friends from servants is the understanding of the mind of God
    • Servants don’t know the leader’s plans, but the disciples are friends since Jesus shared freely of what God told Him
  • Verse 16 – Chosen by Jesus to bear lasting fruit -> the generational impact of faithful service!
    • Emphasis again on answered prayers
  • Verse 17 – Jesus commands so they’ll love one another

 

Prayer – That we would abide in Christ, that we would bear much fruit!

Next Week: Sign #7 – The Resurrection (John 20: 1-30)