I Am the Vine

What does it mean when Jesus called Himself the vine? He gave His disciples
this picture on the night before He went to the cross, saying, “I am the
vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5). Jesus as the vine is a great
metaphor for our relationship to our Savior. Jesus being our vine means
that we can draw love and strength from Him, like a branch that is
connected to a vine can draw water and nutrients to sustain growth. Jesus
wants to stay in connection with us, and when we remain in Him, we see
growth in our lives. Jesus also offers us support as our vine. A branch
that is connected to its vine won’t blow away or break off in a windy
storm. When life gets windy and we are connected to Jesus, we can remember
who we are in Christ and what our purpose is in Him. Remembering that we
belong to Christ is a great way to center ourselves when life is getting
chaotic. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit reminds us that
we can reach back to our connection to the main vine, rest in His strong
love, and reconnect with our purpose. And what is this purpose? To bear the
fruit of love. Just a few verses after calling Himself the vine, Jesus
commands His disciples to love each other like He has loved them. But He
makes it clear that they cannot do this without Him, saying, “No branch can
bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear
fruit unless you remain in me” (verse 4). And Jesus has already shown us
what bearing fruit can look like. Our vine has already demonstrated His
love for us. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross and rose again, beating
sin and death, because of the deep love He has for us. And because of His
sacrifice, we can now bear the fruit of love too. ⦁ Naomi Zylstra ⦁ What
does it mean to bear good fruit as a Christian? (Take a look at Galatians
5:22-23.) ⦁ Why is it important to remember that we can’t bear this good
fruit on our own? What do you think it means to “remain” in Jesus? “My
command is this: Love each other as I [Jesus] have loved you.” John 15:12
(NIV)

Read Verses:

John.15.1-John.15.12