Wednesday
Why would Jesus use the image of a vineyard to illustrate this message?
Well, let’s look at a couple of illustrations from the Old Testament. Look at Isaiah 5:1-7, “The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden.” (vs 7); Psalm 80:9-15, “You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land.” (vs 9); Jeremiah 2:21, “But I was the one who planted you, choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?”
Are you starting to see a pattern here? There are several other passages from the Old Testament where God likens the Israelites to a vineyard. Like Ezekiel 15 and Hosea 10:1. So in John 15, it makes sense that Jesus would use this same image to illustrate how God’s promises from the Old Testament are being fulfilled. Israel was a vineyard in need of some serious pruning and God is ready see His vineyard become productive. In this story, God is the gardener, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. A branch can only live if it is connected to the vine and if a branch is a bad producer, the gardener will come along and trim it up so that the other branches will be able to grow and flourish.
So, we can say then that Jesus is the life-giving source for our lives. Without Him we will die. When Jesus calls us to remain in Him, what He is saying is we need to stay connected. If we separate ourselves from Jesus, we will die. Jesus brings us nourishment. What kind of nourishment?
The kind of nourishment that feeds our spirits, that helps us grow in His love. The kind of nourishment that will keep us from falling into temptations. But we also need to recognize that it is more than just taking from Jesus, it is also important for us to be productive. How are we productive?
Quite simply, are you sharing the Gospel with those around you? Are you living your life as Christ has called us to live?
Hanging on to the Vine
Pastor Kathy