The Vine and the Branches


Power for the New Life



Life: John 15:1-17



Jesus explained how a life of fruitfulness is possible in the illustration of the vine and the branches, how a believer can live a lifestyle far beyond his natural abilities.



The fruit Jesus promised is, the fruit of the Spirit.



What does "fruit" mean = The meaning is established in the OT and reinforced in NT.




Fruit is justice and righteousness.



Justice = the quality of being just; righteousness, "moral virtue or moral excellence".


Righteousness = characterized by uprightness or moral behavior, good virtuous, Just fair or impartial / lawful



Paul, portrays fruit as that "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" which the Holy Spirit produces in our life's. Both OT and NT focus our attention on character: are those good and right acts which are produced by a person whose heart is in tune with God's own character and nature.



(Gal 5:22 - 23 NLT) But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.     

"KJV against such there is no law"



As the Holy Spirit flows freely in our lives, a rich and beautiful character "fruit" grows.



The Holy Spirit has a variety of ministries. He empowers us for holy living, and here we see that He works a progressive moral transformation as we are obedient and responsive to the Lord. That transformation is displayed in character and personality, producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.



Not by works: There is no way, however much we plow and harrow, or cultivate and hoe our character, to produce this crop by ourselves. This crop is produced only by God the Holy Spirit, and only in those who live in Him.




Flesh vs Spirit



The list of the acts of the flesh, and the list of the fruit of the Spirit.



The first list contains four distinct categories of acts of the flesh. Each is a behavior, an act rather than a character trait.


      [1]   Sex sins: immorality, impurity, debauchery (sensuality).

      [2]   Religious sins: idolatry, witchcraft.

     [3]   Relations between persons sins: hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,dissension's, factions, envy.

      [4]   Not moderate; lacking restraint; excessive; going to extremes sins: drunkenness, orgies.



In contrast, the fruit produced by the Spirit includes no specific acts or behaviors at all! Everything on this list is internal, a trait of character.


      [1]  Love

      [2]  Joy

      [3]   Peace

      [4]  Long-suffering - patience

      [5]  Gentleness - kindness

      [6]   Goodness

      [7]  Faith - faithfulness

      [8]  Meekness - gentleness

      [9]  Temperance - self-control




Fruit of Spirit

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT DIVIDE INTO THREE CATEGORIES


Toward God:

      A) Divine love flowing from the human spirit.

      B) The joy of the Most High.

      C) Peace, serenity of heaven.



Toward man:

      A) Long-suffering.

      B) Gentleness.

      C) Goodness.



Toward your inner man:

      A) We are saved by faith.

      B) We must walk in meekness.

      C) We must be temperate in all things.




Where does the fruit grow?



On a living vine. Branches are unable to bear fruit by themselves. They must be connected to the vine. Roots and trunk support the life of the branch, and only the branch "remaining in" the vine has the potential for fruitfulness.



Believers are pictured as branches in Jesus' illustration



(John 15:1 NLT) I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.



The vine was frequently used  in the Old Testament of God's people. Psalm 80:8 speaks of Israel as "a vine brought out of Egypt." The clearest use of the image is found in Isaiah 5. There the prophet says:


(Isa. 5:1-2, 7) My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well.


And he explains,

The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of His delight.



Israel failed to produce the fruit of righteousness and justice "just fair impartial, moral virtue" that God looked for. Christ came, as the "true Vine," that in and through Him we might produce the fruit of true goodness. It is only through a relationship with Jesus Christ, the "true Vine," can the moral qualities that God seeks be produced. A personal relationship with Jesus is essential for believers.


(John 15:2 NLT) He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.



(John 15:3 NLT) You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you.



You are pruned by the word = God's pruning work benefits us; it doesn't threaten us.



(Eph 5:26 KJV) That he might sanctify and cleanse it "the church" with the washing of water by the word,



(Heb 12:5 - 8 KJV) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:   For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?   But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.



Remain in Me



(John 15:4 NLT) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.


"Remain in Me"       "Abide in Me"


The same point is made by both words: live in intimate union with Jesus.


The Christian life is a supernatural life, flowing from Jesus to us. It can be experienced only as we live in intimate fellowship with our Lord. Only in union is fruit-bearing possible. And only in fruit-bearing can God's purpose for us be achieved. The important thing for us to realize is that whatever prominence we may achieve-in our church or in the larger Christian world-God's goal for us is to be fruitful. Unless we are living in union with our Lord and seeing His fruit produced in our lives, all else is meaningless


(John 15:5, 6 NLT) Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.


A branch draws its vital juices from the vine to which it is united. In the same way we draw the spiritual vitality that enables us to produce fruit from Jesus. Thus Jesus says clearly, "Apart from Me you can do nothing."



(John 15:7 NLT) But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!


If ye abide in me "Jesus" to have intimate fellowship

and

my words abide in you Jesus words remain in your heart



Note:   Thorns choke the word.



(1 John 3:6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.


(John 15:8 KJV) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.



(John 15:8 NLT) My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.



(John 15:8 NASB) By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.




God is glorified by fruitfulness.



Disciple: a pupil or follower of a teacher

            KJV - so shall ye be my disciples

            NLT - My true disciples

            NASB - and so prove to be My disciples



(John 15:9,10 NLT) I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love

When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love.



"Abide in my love."  When we keep Jesus' commandments his word we are remain in His love. As His words take shape and changes our personality to look like his personality.



(2 John 1:9 KJV) Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.



(2 John 1:9 NLT) For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God. But if you continue in the teaching of Christ, you will have fellowship with both the Father and the Son.



(2 John 1:9 NIV) Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.



(John 15:11 KJV) These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.



(John 15:11 NLT) I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!



(John 15:11 NASB) These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.




Jesus joy in you



(Neh 8:10 KJV) Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.



Jesus joy in you

      a)   your joy be full

      b)  your joy will overflow

      c)   your joy may be made full



(John 15:12 NLT) I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you.



We are called to remain in Christ, and to live with each other in love.Our relationship with Jesus has such a huge impact on how we relate to each other. If how we relate to others is marked by rivalry, suspicion, and selfishness, the works of the flesh; then we are not walking in the Spirit; we are not maintaining an intimate, responsive relationship with Jesus. We are command to love each other, we are responsible for our relationships with our fellow Christians.



(1 John 1:6,7 KJV) If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.



(John 15:13 -16 NLT) And here is how to measure it--the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.  You are my friends if you obey me.  I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn't confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last.



Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.



(John 15:16 KJV) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.



Your calling: Jesus called us out of the world into his kingdom and commanded, us to be a fruitful branch.


Fruit:

      a)  should remain

      b)  that will last



Note: Good ground -- an honest and good heart such as hear the word and receive it and understandeth it.



Prayer: whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in the name of Jesus

      a)  that

      b)  Then



Note: the prayer is conditional, on if you are a fruitful branch and the fruit remain, you have to have good fruit, by staying joined to Jesus and His words remaining in you, continuing in his love by keeping his commandments.



(John 15:17 NLT) I command you to love each other.