Jesus: The True Vine

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.  Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers:  and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. –John 15:1-8 (ESV).

Jesus’ statement that He is the true vine is the seventh of his “I Am…” declarations.  We need to be aware that the allegory of the vineyard and the vine was used in the Old Testament to refer to Israel.  In Psalm 80:8-19 (please read) is a song about the vine, an allegory for the nation. The song recalls how a vine was brought out of Egypt and planted in a new land, and at first it flourished well.  But the vine was ravished and became unproductive.  The Psalm ends with a prayer for restoration.  Likewise, in Isaiah 5 the vineyard of the Lord is the subject, and the apostasy of the “beloved,” the nation of Israel, is the errant keeper of the vineyard.  As a result, “ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah” (Psalm 5:10).  With a knowledge of the vineyard songs in Psalms and Isaiah, the disciples would have easily understood the symbolism to which Jesus referred in this farewell discourse to them in the Upper Room.  “I am the true vine.”  He was the vine to which they were to attach themselves so that they could bear much fruit.  Apart from Him the disciples could do nothing.

Several important lessons are seen in the teaching of the Vine and the branches.  First and foremost is that true living comes when fruit is produced.  What fruit is produced by a fruit-bearing Christian?  Another saved soul is a paramount fruit.  We share the gospel to help others  come to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Growth and maturity of the Christian is another fruit—both personally and helping to mentor others.  Paul in Galatians 5:22-24 calls these the “fruit of the spirit”:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Stewardship is another fruit.  And always worship and adoration of God are fruits we want to bear.  Within each fruit are seeds that will bear more fruit so that we reproduce.  Another lesson is that of abiding in Christ.  A branch cannot bear fruit unless it abide in the vine, and since Christ is the true Vine, we must abide in Him by commitment, and taking our sustenance and guidance from the Word.  “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (v. 5) Jesus said.

As a child I remember walking under my Grandfather’s grape arbor when the grapes were ripe and reaching up to pick them.  The harvest was plentiful because the vines had been well-tended, pruned as needed, fertilized and allowed to grow and produce.  Think of the useful and fulfilled Christian life as the branch of a healthy vine well-anchored in the true Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  Just like with my Grandfather’s grape harvest, it takes time and patience to await the fruit.  The branches were full of grapes because they were firmly attached to and drew sustenance from the vine.  The more the Christian abides in Christ, the more fruit he will bear.  Pray that fruits worthy of attachment to the true Vine will be a part of every day of an abiding life.

God Is Love

“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.  God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world.” –I John 4:13-17 (ESV).

“God is love.”  This is a concept I began to learn early in life, although I must admit I did not understand it when I first memorized those three words when I was quite young.  Even now that I have lived through many years of life and have seen the love of God demonstrated in other people’s lives, in my own, and in circumstances, I still cannot grasp the breadth, depth, height and width of God’s love, or of the immeasurable concept  “God is love.”  We begin to gain a little of the truth of this statement when we think how God continually gives of Himself to others and seeks their benefit.  In the high priestly prayer of Jesus as recorded in John 17, Christ notes as He prays that the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were present “before the foundation of the world” (v. 24) and that Christ has made known God’s characteristics to us so that the love of God may be in us also (v. 25).  God’s love is the source of any love the Christian is able to give:  “Beloved, if God so loves us, we also ought to love one another” (I John 4:11). 

God’s love is not just an abstract principle.  It was manifested in His sending His Son into the world so that sinful humanity might live and have eternal life.  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, ESV).  We call this aspect of God’s love propitiation—(atonement, in the stead of, sacrifice for; see I John 2;2 and I John 4:10). And that is exactly what Jesus did for us.  He is our atonement, the sacrifice for our sins.  And in so doing, He was showing us that God is love.  This is not a sentimental love which someone has defined as “sentiment without responsibility.”  Love is understanding the spiritual truth of the extent of God’s giving love—with the mind we grasp the truth.  Love is accepting in the heart the depth of God’s love—and allowing that truth to make a difference in how we live.  The will must act upon the concept—resulting in a determination to be different (and yes, a loving, caring human being).

Charles Wesley in the eighteenth century expressed the concept found in this verse, “God is love; and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in him” (I John 4:16).  In the words of the hymn of adoration he wrote, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.”  In it we find these glorious words:

            “Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heav’n, to earth come down;

            Fix in us Thy humble dwelling; All Thy faithful mercies crown.

            Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love Thou art;

            Visit us with Thy salvation; Enter ev’ry trembling heart.”

May the words of this hymn be our sincere prayer today as we try to understand “God is love.”

In the Spirit of Love, Bear Each Other’s Burdens

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”. – Galatians 6:2.  “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” –Romans 15:1.  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” –John 15:13 (ESV).

Two days we thought about Jesus’ teaching that the greatest of the commandments is for us to love one another.  We looked at the family unit based on love, mutual respect and the desire to help each other grow into loving, serving individuals.  Today we consider helping others bear their burdens as being a result of the love we feel in our hearts for our fellow human beings.  “But I have enough burdens of my own,”  you might say, “without seeking to help others with their life loads.  I am limited in what I can do, and my own come first.”  Yes; we are limited, oftentimes in time, energy and means to help.  Yes, those closest and dearest to us are our main responsibility.  But if we take a narrow view on the parameters of love as we learn it from the Lord, we will miss blessings for ourselves and rob others of the blessings of being helped and loved.  Galatians 6:1 states that “you who are spiritual should restore anyone caught in transgression in a spirit of gentleness.”  Burden-bearing for others requires a gentle touch and a walk that is close to the Lord.  We go back to Galatians 5:22-23 to see the characteristics of such a walk, one who is capable of being a burden bearer.  “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  And Ephesians 5:25 tells us not to “become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”  To bear one another’s burdens is the supreme imitation of Jesus, for He was the exemplary burden-bearer.  Jesus taught, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). 

Paul admonished that it is even our obligation to bear the infirmities of the weak.  An illustration comes from the mission field that shows the strength the burden-bearer receives.  In Aftica where medical missionary Dr. Lambie worked, he had to cross many swift streams without bridges.  The natives taught him their way of not being swept downstream by the waters.  They told Dr. Lambie to get a heavy stone and carry it with him as he waded across the stream.  It would act as ballast, causing his feet to be more firmly planted on the bottom of the stream so that the water would not sweep him away.  The doctor tried this advice and it worked.  That action provided a good illustration for him to use in teaching the Christian truth of burden-bearing to those to whom he ministered.  While we cross the dangerous stream of life, we need the ballast of bearing others’ burdens—and even burdens of our own—to keep us solid and focused on the important things of life.  Who is not personally made stronger by bearing a burden for another?  Jesus taught that the law is to bear a soldier’s pack for a mile, but He told us to go two miles.  That of course indicates that we are to seek to help not just in the expected manner, but to go the second mile.  If a persons has no food to eat, we give him food to satisfy hunger.  But going the second mile would be to seek to show him how to earn his livelihood so he can purchase his own food.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends”  (John 15:13).  We must remember that love is not just an emotion, a feeling; it is an act of the will.  And love seeks the best for others, even to being willing to lay down one’s life (denying self) in order to help a friend.  We heard, especially during World War II, of heroic deeds when one soldier performed an act of bravery that cost him his life but saved others in his unit.  We may not always be called upon to die for others, but to live for them and seek to lead them in right pathways sometimes requires “laying down one’s life” in great sacrifice of time, money and guidance.  Anne Sullivan laid down her life in this way to teach the severely handicapped child, Helen Keller.  Think of the rewards for both Helen and Anne.  We need to look about us every day and pray:  “Lord, to whom can I minister today?  Who has a burden I can help them bear?”  While you’re praying to be shown that person, pray for strength to meet whatever circumstances arise.

Post-Resurrection Appearances: Going Fishing; To Seven Disciples in Galilee

“After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathaniel of Cana of Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as the day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, do you have any fish?’ they answered Him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of fish…Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.” –John 21:1-6,12, 14, ESV (Read John 21:1-14).

“After this” possibly refers to the two appearances to the disciples while they were still in Jerusalem and after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a week-long activity connected with the Feast of the Passover. Jesus had instructed the women to tell the disciples to go to Galilee where He would meet them. And here are seven of them, Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James and John, and two others whose names are not given. Peter, who had been called from his occupation of professional fisherman to follow and work for Jesus, said, “I'm going fishing!” Much supposition has been given about why Peter decided to go back to fishing again. The old and familiar was probably calling him, something he knew how to do. And like many in the course of life, he probably had bills to pay and support to seek. These with him might have been former fishermen, too. And their work for the Lord seemed not to be shaping up. How could they do what He had commanded them when He was no longer with them in the flesh, and His kingdom was not established? There they were at night with the fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee, but catching nothing for their efforts. Had they so soon forgotten that Jesus had said to them, “Without me you can do nothing?” (John 15:5).

Just at daybreak, Jesus was on the shore, but they did not recognize him at first. He asked a simple question: “Do you have any fish?” Why did he address them as ‘children’? Some scholars have seen in this the disciples’ status, like children tossed about, not knowing in which direction to go. Here to experienced fisherman, the Lord of the sea and all that is in it told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. Success was immediate. John even tells how many fish were in the net: 153!

Impetuous Peter, recognizing the Lord, plunges into the water to swim toward Him, leaving the others to tow the full net and bring the boat to shore. And then Jesus, who had already made a fire and had fish grilling and bread, invited the seven to breakfast. Imagine breakfast by the Sea of Galilee with Jesus! What a welcome respite after a hard night of work, sleeplessness and no luck with fishing until Jesus came on the scene! Jesus had told the fishermen disciples when He called them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). This rendezvous on the shore of the Sea of Galilee was needed by the disciples for new direction about their work of fishing for the souls of men. The conversation with the seven over breakfast is not recorded in the gospels, except that the Lord singled Peter out for special questions and instructions (which we will examine tomorrow). Here was Jesus with them, at Galilee, as He had promised. We can imagine how these seven men must have remembered, ever after, how the Lord fed them early in the morning, both physically with the bread and fish and spiritually with His presence and redirection. And what lessons for us to learn from the fishermen’s lives. They did not mind hard work. They have courage and faith to “go out into the deep.” If one method does not work to bring in the catch, they are willing to follow Jesus’ direction to “cast the net on the other side.” Thank God for the lessons we learn from this early morning meeting!

God Desires Obedience from His Children

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” –I Samuel 5:22 (ESV). 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. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” –John 15: 10-11 (ESV).

The words of the hymn “Trust and Obey” written by John H. Sammis (1846-1919) have been going through my mind repeatedly for the last several hours, especially the chorus: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.” We are very familiar with obedience. As children, we were taught to obey our parents or else suffer the consequences of disobedience. In the Christian life, obedience means to study and hear God’s Word, to act upon its precepts and to live by its guiding principles. In the Old Testament, as indicated by the verse cited from I Samuel 5:22, obedience is related to listening, to hearing. We first must hear and understand what is expected before we can perform the desired behavior. The Bible gives example after example of failure to hear and do God’s Word. “But My people did not listen to My voice, Israel would not submit to me...O that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in my ways!" (Psalm 81: 11, 12 ESV). Jesus admonished, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15 ESV).

Obedience affects the spiritual life in multiple ways. In the verse above from Samuel 5, we are told that the Lord delights far more in our obedience than our sacrifices. He had much rather we obey and follow His Word, than bring offerings into His treasury. The obedience, the wanting to follow Him, should be in place first; then we will want to bring offerings. Our salvation itself is dependent upon our obedience in faith. We believe—we have faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that believing, we have abundant life while on earth and eternal life hereafter. Salvation comes through our acting in faith on our belief and accepting—which is an act of obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading. We listened; we obeyed. As the hymn writer so aptly expressed this obedience by faith: “Trust and obey, for there's no other way, To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Keeping the commandments of Christ—obeying Him—leads us to be filled with the love of God. Just as Jesus obeyed God in doing what He came to earth to do, so we who follow Him will want to be obedient servants of the Lord. And what great spiritual rewards are ours! The joy of Christ will dwell in us, and our joy will overflow! (John 15:10-11).

In my experience as a school teacher, I observed that those children who were obedient to the school’s general expectations and rules and those who practiced good behavior, were obedient and cooperative in class, were those who learned more readily and progressed in their studies. The same was true in rearing my own children; when obedience and cooperation were practiced, we all could function as a loving family. In our spiritual life we know that God has given us the scriptures for our benefit to guide us in the right way. Disobedience comes from a sinful heart, one that has not listened and trusted God. God yearns to bless us. Just as disobedient children in the classroom and in the home, judgment and discipline are necessary. These “asides” distract from the true purposes of school and of family. Likewise, when we depart from God’s Word and disobey Him, we are failing in His expectations for us and will miss the blessings He wants to shower upon us. In the words of hymn writer John Sammis: “But we never can prove The delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows And the joy He bestows Are for them who will trust and obey.” Prayer: Lord, we your children decide to obey or not. We pledge anew to trust and obey. Amen.