[John 15:1-8] Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Fruit of the Vine
If the branch grows apples, you know to what kind of tree it belongs. And if it’s lying by itself on the ground, you know it won’t bear any fruit at all.
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit” [Matthew 12:33]. And, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” [Matthew 7:19].
Jesus speaks in a similar way in this morning’s Gospel, but here it’s about a vine: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” [John 15:1-2].
Jesus is the vine. The Father is the vinedresser who does the pruning. A branch which isn’t growing fruit is a dead branch. Though present in the vine, it’s not receiving its life from the vine. Likewise, any branch remaining separate from the vine doesn’t stay living nor does it bear true fruit.
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” [John 15:2,6].
The very Vine who has produced the branches is warning His own – His baptized people – about the danger of living a fruitless life. A Christian living a fruitless life can lose his living faith. And our faith cannot survive forever on its own, apart from the body.
But, in that Vine, what is the fruitful life being produced? What are the fruits on the branches?
Abiding in the grapevine produces grapes on the branch. Abiding in Christ produces the love of God in the believer. “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” [1 John 4:16]. Yet, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” [1 John 4:20].
God’s love in His branches is genuine. It is love for God, and it is God’s love for your neighbor abiding in you. God’s love loves the individuals around you.
Easy love, on the other hand, loves categories of people. “The poor”. “The marginalized”. Easy love is charitable to the neighbor you don’t know and who doesn’t share your daily life. It’s convenient to not hate those with whom we rarely interact.
Genuine love, the love of God, abiding in His branches, loves the individuals named in your daily life – “Whoever loves God must also love his brother” [1 John 4:21] – not just the convenient stranger. But also the stranger. And real people in need who are around you every day.
God’s love is strong and heartfelt – is moved to action – considers its words – prays – and is concerned, deeply, for the welfare of the other branches, and for those not in the Vine.
More specifically, the fruit of the Vine produced in the living branches is the keeping of God’s commandments toward God and your neighbor. Not whatever we call love, but what He calls love is the love of God.
Our Scripture references to love this morning are from our Epistle reading, 1 John 4:1-21. This passage continues into chapter five, saying: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” [1 John 5:2-3].
God has commanded us to have no other gods beside Him – to fear, love, and trust in God above all things; to not misuse but to call upon His name alone in prayer; and to find our rest in worshiping Him.
God has commanded that we count our neighbor’s physical welfare as our own and not do them harm by passing over their bodily needs. “You shall not kill.”
God has commanded that husband and wife be there for each other with love and affection, to cherish and provide for each other, each in their way, and to be faithful. “You shall not commit adultery.”
God commands that we honor our father and our mother. Not always thinking that we know best, but hearing those parents that God has given us – and respecting them throughout life.
God has commanded that we care about the financial welfare of the other person in the deal, not just our own. And that we trust God to provide for us so that we don’t steal or use underhanded ways. “You shall not steal.” And not to be jealous of those who have more than us – “You shall not covet.”
And God commands me to bear witness in keeping with God’s love for, and redemption of, my neighbor. To see my neighbor through the lens of Christ’s forgiving blood, and therefore not to speak of his or her sins. To not “bear false witness” by spreading news of sins that Christ desires to forgive. Therefore, we speak well of our neighbor – and of our brothers and sisters – and put the best construction on everything.
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” [1 Corinthians 13:4-7]
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” [Galatians 5:22-23]
No honest follower of Christ can hear God’s commandments – nor hear about the fruits of the Vine that ought to be growing in this branch – without being pierced through the heart with guilt. I fall short. Is there fruit? Certainly. Is there what fruit there ought to be? Certainly not. And it’s my fault. And it’s your fault in you.
But Jesus Christ, the true Vine, for His fruitless branches, was hung upon the dead wood of the cross. All that is lacking in you – the good that you’ve not done, and the evil you have done – He has made His own.
Pierced and nailed upon the cross for your sins, the Vine suffered the fire of judgement that was due for the dead and fruitless branches. He was cut off. He was cast aside. He suffered. His death paid the price for your sin, and His one-and-only fruitful life became the good you owed.
In short, He took your place. He did what you could not. And, this one and only Righteous Man, after He died, was buried – and then, as if planted, He grew again. He is risen and lives. The fruit of the Vine is His fruit – the fruit of His God-pleasing sacrifice and of His great resurrection from the dead, by the gory of God the Father.
As a redeemed, bought-and-paid-for branch grafted back in, His life and fruit does flow through you. No longer a debt of work owed, but a new life given – His life – because you abide in Him.
The point is that sinners – because of His work of redemption, the forgiveness of your sins – though still so lacking in good and full of sins – now have the glory and honor of being fruit-bearing branches on the King’s own Vine.
The Vinedresser’s promise to prune you still stands. In the Greek, the word for “clean” and “prune” are the same. “Already you are clean because of the Word that I have spoken to you.” You are clean, and He is cleaning you still.
Future fruitfulness is the promise for each of you who remain in the Vine, who abide in Him, gathering together, hearing His Word, receiving His Supper – the Food and Drink for His branches – patiently trusting in His work. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.”
In Him, you won’t always be what you are, but what you ought to be will come bit by bit — and will come fully when you too are raised from the dead, our future hope, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
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