Biblical Discipleship Pt. 27 Disciples Must Be Connected to the Vine!

Pastors, Parents & Parishioners must take heed to Jesus' discipleship lessons.  Christ's lessons apply to most of us in one way or another, without regard to any specific role or ministry responsibilities we may have within our church, or in our homes. 

We are encouraged to keeping moving forward in our faith by learning and following Jesus' discipleship training. It edifies our hearts and sharpens our minds to hear from the Lord about true discipleship. His lessons exhort us to be faithful people who choose to live by faith and not by sight. 

Thus, we must faithfully live out these truths as we seek to lead our congregation closer to God, as we seek to be good witnesses at work or in the marketplace, and as we train our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the True Vine.

John 15:1,2  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 

Our discipleship lessons from Christ are going to take a new turn in John 15. Jesus gave the last of 7 "I Am" statements that connected Him with Jehovah. 

7 "I Am" statements Jesus said:

I am the Bread of life.

I am the Light of the world.

I am the Door of the sheep.

I am the resurrection and the life.

I am the Good Shepherd.

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.

I am the True Vine. 

Each of Christ's "I Am" statements tell us a great deal about our glorious Lord and Savior. As His disciples, we should continue studying the many beautiful ways that these statements portray Christ. 

Grapes were a very important crop in ancient Israel. Grape vines yielded abundant quantities of nutritious and tasty fruit that could be eaten fresh or dried and eaten later as raisins. Grapes were also the source of wine which was a staple of their diet.  

Jesus used a grape vine to illustrate some very important spiritual realities for all believers and followers of Him. 

The first spiritual reality is the spiritual oneness of Jesus Christ with all who are born again. We looked at this very topic as we studied about Unity in the Body of Christ in early September 2021. 

The second spiritual reality is that all disciples of Jesus must abide (continue, remain faithful) in Him for Christ is the source of our new life. We have no power or ability to accomplish anything for the kingdom of God if we are not abiding in Christ.

The third spiritual reality is that all disciples have a duty to be rightly related to Jesus Christ (John 15:1-10) through repentant faith in Him, because He alone is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, no man can come to the Father unless he is saved by Christ and born into the family of God. 

The fourth spiritual reality is that the disciples of Jesus must be rightly related to each other (John 15:11-17). This fulfills the command of Jesus to love one another.

The fifth spiritual reality is that disciples of Jesus Christ must be rightly related to the world in which we live (John 15:18 to 16:3). 

We are in the world but not of the world. Our physical location is living in this present evil world (Galatians 1:4) but the source of our truth is the inspired Word of God, and our teacher is the Holy Spirit of truth.

As Jesus introduced Himself as the True Vine, He showed us that each disciple has three main duties. First, is to abide or remain connected to the vine, Jesus Christ. Second, is to love one another and third, is to be a witness for Christ, sharing the gospel with other people. 

Jesus said "I Am the true vine."

John 15:1,2  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 

A grape vine is a national symbol for Israel.

Psalm 80:8-11  Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. 9) Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. 10) The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. 11) She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. 

Jesus used the grape vine as a powerful tool to illustrate spiritual truth. Israel was the vine that God took out of Egyptian slavery and He brought them into the promised land. 

Jehovah cast out the heathen nations from Canaan land before He planted Israel, His vine. He digged, cultivated, watered and caused them to prosper in the land. The nation Israel was like a grape vine flourishing and spreading through the land. 

Historically, this represented the kingdom under King David and King Solomon. Yet, as we read the Old Testament historical narrative, we are confronted with the consistent lapses of the Hebrews as they fell into idolatry.

Therefore, their fruit was ruined because they were not a testimony of God's truth and a channel of blessing to the nations when they followed other "gods." 

Jehovah planted His vine Israel in the promised land.

Isaiah 5:1,2  Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 2) And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 

Isaiah recounted the same great work of God in establishing His well loved vineyard. He protected His vine with a secure fence and placed a watchtower in the midst of it. He tilled the soil, fertilized it and watered it, doing all that was needed for the nation to flourish.

This text pictures Israel's kings having a copy of the law before them so that they could read and heed what God commanded. It also pictures the teaching ministry God committed to the priests and Levites, as they showed the Jewish people their duties toward God. 

When these duties were faithfully executed, then God blessed the people and other nations were often blessed in the process.

However, at the time of harvest, when Jehovah looked for the pure, good grapes from Israel, His vine, instead He found only "wild" grapes. 

The words "wild grapes" refers to fruit that is worthless or not fit for human consumption. The Hebrew words express the idea of fruit that is rotten or putrefied on the vine, and this is a picture of the corrupt state of the Jews. 

The idea is connected to Israel and Judah's constant moral failures and plunges into idolatry. They corrupted their fruit with the grievous sins of idolatry and therefore, were worthless and subject to being cast aside. 

God reminded them of His faithfulness and goodness. 

Isaiah 5:3,4  And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4) What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 

God stated His case to the Jewish nation. He rhetorically asked them what else could He have done to make sure they would remain pure. The answer to His rhetorical question is nothing. God did all that was needed to ensure they would be a fruit producing people. 

God withdrew His protection from a corrupt vine. 

Isaiah 5: 5,6  And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: 6) And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 

God sent His prophets rising up early in the morning and bringing a sober message of impending judgment upon a corrupt people (See Jeremiah 7:13; 7:25; 26:5; 26:19; 32:33; 35:15). 

Metaphorically, God took down the hedge of protection so that any foraging animal and passerby might come through and take their fruit. 

Historically, this connects with each time that God allowed a foreign adversary to come against Israel and put them under their yoke. 

Ultimately, Jehovah allowed both Israel and Judah to be carried away as captives, being taken far away to Babylon. 

2 Kings 24:12-14  And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. 13) And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. 14) And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

Thus, the land lying in waste, and overgrown with briars and thistles, was historically fulfilled, when God left behind only the poorest of the poor to live in their land while almost everyone else was taken captive. 

God promised rich blessings if Israel obeyed His Word (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) but He warned of great heartache and sorrow that would accompany their disobedience (See Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Agricultural production fell sharply to a mere fraction of what the land formerly yielded.  Jerusalem lay waste and the temple was plundered. 

God's standard was righteous judgment. 

Isaiah 5:7  For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. 

Isaiah makes our interpretation of the vine clear and sure. Jehovah and Israel were the vine that God planted in order to be a conduit of blessing to the nations. He expected them to live by every word that He gave to them and that they would judge righteous judgment. 

Instead their judges took bribes and perverted justice. They oppressed the people by denying those who had legitimate complaints and ruling in favor of the rich and politically connected people. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Pastors, Parents and Parishioners have a lot to think about as we begin to study Jesus Christ saying that "I am the true vine." 

Sometimes, a good way to measure where we are spiritually, is to ask ourselves some penetrating questions.

Am I rightly related to God the Father through a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ?

Am I daily abiding in Christ, depending upon Him for physical and spiritual life?

Am I rightly related to other born again believers, or is there some way that I am not loving others? 

Am I rightly related to the things of the world, or am I living for the world?

Do I recognize God's protective hand safeguarding each child of God and keeping our enemy at bay?

Do I recognize that God has placed the watchtower of His Spirit and His Word in my heart, to warn me, guide me and help me be fruitful?

I pray that the Holy Spirit of God will help us to see vividly the spiritual picture Jesus gave us in John 15. 

May He convict us if we have strayed away from our Lord and may He lead us to repent and restore us so that we bring forth good fruit with our lives.

Bob