![]() ![]() This was as commonplace as growing corn in Kansas or potatoes in Idaho. The Old Testament allusions make it fairly clear that this was a grapevine, often used for making wine. ![]() What kind of vine was Jesus speaking about here? Not a poison ivy vine, nor a wild vine growing up a tree in the woods, nor an ivy vine covering an old house. So agricultural contexts commonplace in Jesus’ times sometimes need a bit of explaining. ![]() Many of us are urbanites, having left the life of the farm. He is saying something so close to His heart, hoping we will hear Him and receive those words. This is exactly how we should see Jesus’ words in John 15:5. They are words that must be said before death comes. It’s often words of great importance, words that reveal the deep loves and concerns of the heart. When someone is nearing death, what do they talk about? What do they want to say? The significance of the context now becomes clear. Yet with all the horror facing Him, He still wants to prepare the disciples for His departure as best He can. A few hours after He finishes these words, He is arrested, tried, and crucified. He is already looking over the cliff, into the darkness He is about to fall with the cross. What was going on in John 15 when He spoke these words? John 14-17 is often called the Last Supper Discourse because it was His last time of teaching with the twelve disciples. More help in understanding Jesus’ words comes when we look at the context. What Was Happening In John 15 When Jesus Said He Is the Vine? Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Javier Art Photography Jesus is implying that He is the vine from which all life comes, that He is indeed God as the Son.Įvery life in the created order came through Jesus ( John 1:3), and the new life of the Kingdom now flows out of Him as well. The repeated use of “I am” suggests the name God gave to Moses by which to call Him: “I am who I am” ( Ex. When Jesus says that He is the vine, it is the last of a series of statements He makes in the gospel of John using the same form: “I am the Bread of life, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the Resurrection and the Life.” The point is: there is such interconnectedness that while we are doing the work, Jesus is doing the work in us as well.īut there is even more here in this short statement. We are branches connected to Him, drawing that life from Him as branches draw the necessary nutrients to survive and flourish.Īt first glance, we may assume that branches bear fruit, but in another sense, it’s really the vine that makes it all happen. Jesus is the vine, the true source of life for us believers. Now we understand a bit more about our verse at hand. Against this background, Jesus speaks of Himself as the true vine, the One who will bear good fruit to His Father’s approval and glory. ![]()
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