John 15 - The Secret to True and Lasting Joy!
Click Here to Read or Listen to John 15 Vineyards were all over the area where Jesus and his disciples lived, so it would make sense for Jesus to use this metaphor of the Vine and the Branches. Jesus was a master teacher, so he always took examples from nature to teach spiritual truths. I.e. The Sower and the Seed, The Mustard Seed, Yeast in the Bread In this case Jesus calls himself the "True Vine". Once again Jesus is making a claim to be God. In the Old Testament, Israel was the "True Vine" of God. They were God's instrument to make his will known. Jesus is the True Vine and the Father is the Gardener. Importantly, the purpose of a vine is to bear fruit. The purpose of a Christian is to bear spiritual fruit. So you can see the connection. Jesus says the key to being a fruit-bearing Christian is to stay connected to the Vine, which is Him. The natural outcome of staying connected to, or abiding in Jesus, is to bear fruit. We don't have to try and make fru