The True Vine John 15:1-6 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

The main focus of this passage is about fruit production. Here Jesus presents Himself as the true vine with God the Father as the Husbandman and Christians as the branches. Now notice that Jesus says that He is the true vine. Therefore, He is indicating that there is also a false vine (Deut. 32:32).

Having the true vine is having a personal connection with Jesus Christ and having the false vine is having a connection with a religion. Jesus refers to Himself as a vine because grape juice, which comes from a vine, is like blood (Deut. 32:14). When Jesus was crucified He shed His pure, precious blood for us (Col. 1:14). His pure blood was symbolized for us at the Last Supper in the drinking of the fruit of the vine (Matt. 26:27-29). Those of us who are connected to the true vine are connected by His shed blood like a branch to a vine.

By the same token there are religions that use the drink offerings of sacraments in order to connect you to their religion. That is a connection to a false vine. These two vines are contrasted in Genesis 49:11 and Revelation 14:18.

When you and I were saved we were connected to the true vine. Those who are unfruitful branches will be taken away (John 15:6, 1 Cor. 9:27) because they are wasting the sap of the vine which is still flowing into them. The fruitful branches which remain must be purged or pruned. No other plant seems to flourish as greatly from pruning as the grapevine (Heb. 12:1, 12:5, 12:10-11).

Fruitful branches must be clean (John 15:3). Weeds and disease can absorb the needed nutrients from the soil and inhibit, if not kill, the fruitful branches (Luke 8:14, Eph. 5:26). Going to church, listening to this broadcast and reading your Bible are ways to cleanse your mind so that you may keep living fruitful lives for the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must abide in the vine. We abide in the vine for supply, for without the sap that the vine provides the branches can produce no fruit (John 15:4, Phil 4:19, Luke 24:49, Col. 1:10). God gets glory from the production of fruit and that is ultimately what this is all about.

If a man is not a branch of the true vine then he gets burned up in fire (John 15:6, Matt. 13:40, 3:10). If you are not connected to the true vine of Jesus Christ through His shed blood you will in due time be cast into the Lakeof Fireto burn forever. That is not what we want for you.  So, why don’t you get saved today?