Abide in the True Vine
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
John 15:1
Hey friend, let’s take a journey through the vineyard with Jesus. This moment was so very precious and special to Him and His disciples as He carefully shared so many secret truths with them. Soon He would no longer be with them.
In verse one of John 15 Messiah reaffirmed to them who He was and today still is. It was the seventh (7th) “I Am” which concluded His true character. He distinguished Himself from the wolves whose desire is to kill, steal and destroy His people. It was necessary that He shared these truths because the truth allowed them to be free and walk with and in Him with much power from Him.
The Teacher also used creative yet relational ways to share His message which allowed His discipline to understand. On this very day He told them that He is the True Vine. Interestingly He made it abundantly clear to use the word “true” before vine. In another version “Real Vine” is used. This indicates to us that if He stated He is the True Vine or rather “I am the True Vine…”, there are other vines which try to imitate Him and lead His people astray.
True here means, “Rightly or strictly so called; genuine. Real or actual.”
https://www.lexico.com/definition/true
Real means “(of a thing) not imitation or artificial; genuine.”
Oxford Languages
In essence Christ wanted His disciples to be aware of the snakes in the field. There were other sources which could potentially lead them astray and devour them. These sources would look like the real thing but not actually be the true source they needed in their walk with Him.
When we study the structure of the vine which Christ referred to, it’s that part of the tree which is sturdy and firmly planted into the soil. He was not referring to the long, thin stem which creeps along the ground or climbs a wall. This sturdy part of the plant is actually the most important part for the sustenance, development and fruitfulness of the whole tree. This is the part where the branches of that vine would receive all the rich minerals and water in order for it to produce many delicious and healthy grapes for the gardener. The vine is also firmly planted into the soil from which it receives its resources to feed the entire tree. Their roots ran extremely deep into the earth making it almost impossible for them to be uprooted easily. This deep connection to the earth was necessary for a long term sustenance of the tree. The gardener would only need to focus his attention in caring for the branches of the tree.
This makes sense why Jesus used the example of the Vine to illustrate who He is. He wanted His disciples and today, us, to understand the truth of His character and mission. He is the vine described above and the connection to the soil displays how deeply He is sealed to the will of the Father. He is firmly rooted and grounded in the love and obedience of the Father that absolutely nothing can shake or uproot Him. He is Truth. He is Life. The branches being connected to the vine is vital because they are sustained by it. At any moment a branch breaks off, the source of the mineral it once received is lost and it’s highly possible that it will die. Hence it is imperative that as a daughter of Abba we must stay connected and in communion with the son Jesus. If we choose to slip away due to any reason, we will lose the ability to live an abundant life through Christ. He is also the real deal; the true vine, any other source which we think is authentic actually is just a false imitation of Him and this will lead us astray. In order for us to receive all the promises written in His word we need to remain in union with Him.
His Father, He said, is the Gardener. A gardener is one “who tends and cultivates a garden as a pastime or for a living.”(Oxford Languages) As the branches of that vine blossom, the gardener carefully assesses them and removes any dead life and then trims off what’s left so that they can produce a greater abundance of fruit. This is the job of our Father in the process. He oversees our growth and development in our connection to the son, Jesus. He watches us and tends to our needs when it is necessary. He removes the things in our lives which would bring death because He wants to ensure that we live a life full and free in Him. His ultimate desire is that we bear an abundance of fruit for His glory and by extension our joy in Him on this earth will be complete. We will reach a sense of true satisfaction which can never be attained by following after false vines in the world.
Our True and Powerful Source can only come from the True Vine which is Jesus Christ.
Take the time to reflect on His word and allow Holy Spirit to minister to you in your own special way. It’s my prayer that He fully reveals to you what Him being the True and Real Vine means in your life as you aspire to live the Abundant Life!
