(Excerpted from the Herald Magazine)
The Vine and Branches (John 15:1-11)
The lesson of faith taught by the Apostle Paul (Hebrews 11:1) was to make the invisible things more tangible with their eye of faith. Jesus accomplished this with the parable of the vine and branches. He used this lovely metaphor to unveil God’s tender care for them. Jesus used the examples of pruning and fruit-bearing to encapsulate their future inner work of character development and outer work of bearing character fruitage.
Jesus emphasized that bearing fruit was the goal, and their connection to the vine gave them access to spiritual strength, connecting them to great power. If they were not nurtured by the vine they would not bear fruit, and therefore, could not receive life. His words were the source of their strength, and it was necessary to stay close to him. He told them that true love required obedience. Jesus then emphasized that the love of God is to be transferred; first from God to Jesus, then from Jesus to his disciples, and from them to others. They would faithfully show God’s love in their lives through their service to the Gospel.
Finally, Jesus revealed his desire that their joy may be full. Joy would only come to them through an understanding and application of truths they would learn from Jesus, especially during his last days.
Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1171: How Did Jesus Prepare His Disciples for His Death?
Absorbing Jesus’ focused teaching on the night before his death
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