John 15 is one of the last teachings that Jesus gave his disciples before his death.
Use your imagination for a bit and imagine the disciples and Jesus walking through the vineyards that surrounded Jerusalem. While they are walking Jesus turns to his disciples and begins to teach them about vineyards - not in the physical sense but in the spiritual.
In vvs. 1-11 Jesus gives them FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR THEM (and for us) TO GROW SPIRITUALLY.
PRINCIPLE #1 - THE PRINCIPLE OF KNOWING GOD
John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
There are many pictures of God in the Bible but this picture is one of Him being a gardener.
Interesting. The Greek word for gardener is "earth worker." In a real sense - that is what God is to us - an earth worker.
So one has to ask what a gardener does.
A gardener must be willing to...
- Work the soil
- Fertilize it
- Break it up
- Develop irrigation
- Be willing to get his hands dirty
- Be willing to sacrifice His time and energy and resources
- Know where each plant should be planted
- Know that different crops have different seasons
- How much space is needed between plants
- Must keep out the weeds or it will choke the plants
- Must make sure there is enough water
- Eliminate bugs/ pests
- Protect the plants from the birds
- Build support limbs under limbs of plants as they grow so that the won’t topple
- Prune often – remove dead or sick fruit – make room for the healthy vines
- Save some seed for the next planting season
The sooner that we realize who God is in our lives and allow Him complete control - the faster we will grow.
PRINCIPLE #2 - THE PRINCIPLE OF PRUNING
John 15:2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
This branch is a shoot which comes from the central vine. Its life and growth depend on the trunk of the grapevine.
“In me…” signifies the vital union of the believer and Christ together in order to bring forth fruitfulness.
Immediately he identifies two types of branches – fruitless and fruitful. This is indicative of two types of believers – those that produce fruit and those that don’t.
Jesus points out his two-fold in v.2...
1. Eliminate vines that are unfruitful
2. Pune vines that remaining vines to be more fruitful.
“He cuts off every branch…” – Gr. “He lifts up – he removes it.”
Pruning is a drastic process. Jesus is clearly teaching us here that this is what the Father will do in our lives – to make us bear more fruit.
HE WILL DRASTICALLY CUT BACK OUR LIVES IN A CLEANSING PROCESS.
In a vineyard – pruning also removes dirt, cobwebs, dried leaves and any disease that a vine has collected.
Pruning is sometimes painful. We all go through seasons of pruning in our lives.
We all have experiences like this – times of sorrow, disappointment, failure, a sense of weakness or hurt. We feel cast off or rejected.
We need to remind ourselves that this is only the work of our loving father who does it so that we may “bear more fruit.”
PRINCIPLE #3 - THE PRINCIPLE OF ABIDING
John 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
We are expected to do something. He says “Abide, Remain, Follow Him.”
To “abide in Christ” is to experience an unbroken fellowship and personal communion with Him.
The word “abide” means to remain or to stay. He is saying “Keep close to me.” In other words, “Follow me,” “do what I say,” “obey my commands,” “search the scriptures,” “allow the Spirit to transform you by the renewing of your mind.”
It also comes through prayer. This is a discipline of life. We can never be Christlike unless we discipline our life – initiating habits of searching the Scriptures, praying with others, loving each other, forgiving one another, worshipping together.
PRINCIPLE #4 - THE PRINCIPLE OF KNOWING OURSELVES
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (NKJV)
I am because He is.
It is interesting - the Latin word for branch is "footprint or pedigree." We are to have His DNA and to be a reflection of Him. He is my source and resource.
PRINCIPLE #5 - THE PRINCIPLE OF FRUITFULNESS
John 15:2 "… and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (NKJ)
“Much fruit” – this only comes by abiding. The greek indicates much abundance – prosperous.
This the “yada” factor. "Yada" is the Hebrew word "to know or to be intimate." Notice these two verses that will help you understand this principle...
Dan 11:32 "… but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
Gen 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived ..."
The more that you are intimate with Him the more you will be strong and bear much fruit.
4 EVIDENCES OF FRUIT IN YOUR LIFE
1. ANSWERED PRAYER
John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
You see results in what you are trying to accomplish. What you asked is granted.
2. GOD IS GLORIFIED IN YOUR LIFE
John 15:8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
You become an effective witness.
Here it is again – “Much Fruit.” When Christ comes into my life – I change. I will bear “much fruit.” Even the world can see the difference in your life.
3. MORE LOVE
John 15:9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
This is one of the strongest admonitions in the Bible. It is the answer to many of problems today. It is the message that in itself will bring much fruit in your personal lives and in your churches. It is what brings meaning to people’s lives. It is what brings healing the feelings of worthlessness. It is what heals people of their insecurities and feelings of hopelessness. The way to feel worthwhile is to realize that God loves you. You belong to Him – He belongs to you.
There is a story about a man name Karl Barth – a great theologian – who was once asked “What is the most profound truth you have ever discovered in the Scripture?”
This man, who has been called the greatest theologian of the twentieth century, said, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Jude 1:21 keep yourselves in the love of God,
4- MORE JOY
John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
What is joy?
Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
What is it that filled the heart of Jesus with joy, as he faced the cross, and the terrible suffering that he went through? It was the knowledge that he was in obedience to the Father and the earth would be redeemed and set free by His death.
In other words… HIS JOY WAS THAT HE WAS BEING USED BY GOD. That is the greatest joy any man can know – that we are being used by God.
Be happy that you have the privilege of “serving” others for the sake of God.
You can have everything this world offers and still be without joy. Joy comes from being in union with the Father – by keeping His commandments and abiding in His love.
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