According to Dr. Craig Kenner of the Asbury Theological Seminary, the most cultivated fruit crops in ancient Israel were olive trees, grapes, and fig trees.[1] Of the three, grape vines required more work than fig trees or olive trees.[2] Dr. Kenner further noted, “[T]he image of organic union elaborated here goes beyond most available analogies…. The most basic point of the imagery is the obvious dependence of branches on the vine for their continued life.”[3]
At John 15:5, Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Our spiritual life is completely dependent on our continual sharing in the life of God (a/k/a fellowship with God). Scripture describes our spiritual life as being “en” Christ. The Greek preposition en is defined as “by, with, and in.”[4] We should seek to function in perpetual union with Christ. If we fall short and sin, we should simply acknowledge our sins and get back in fellowship with God (1 John 1:9). We cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit unless we are in fellowship with Christ. Our spiritual production is dependent on the Holy Spirit’s continued guidance and direction. We are not sent out into the world to perform random, independent, or autonomous acts. We are directed to perform only the works that God has set aside for us to accomplish.
At John 15:1-3, Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” Typically, “[f]armers pruned in two different ways: they pruned fruitful branches to make them more fruitful …, and they removed unfruitful branches entirely.”[5] Dr. Keener also noted John’s play on words, “the term he uses for “prunes” normally means “cleanses,” reflecting a motif in John…. Both Greek and Jewish sources applied related language to inward purification of the heart.”[6]
In analyzing the Parable of the Vine and the Branches, it is important to note the context of where and when Jesus told the parable. Jesus taught the Parable at or just after the Last Supper. His immediate audience was his faithful disciples. Judas had already left to betray Jesus. However, before Judas left the gathering of disciples, Jesus had noted that one of His disciples (Judas) was not clean. Judas was pursuing his own agenda. To be authentic servants of God, we must be faithful students and pursue God’s will as our top priority.
Jesus’s disciples may not have understood everything that Jesus taught, but they had not departed. They remained under Jesus’s teaching. They remained humble. At John 15:4, Jesus said, “Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.” The spiritual life and our spiritual growth are all grace. We can grow, advance, and produce fruit only by remaining in fellowship with God. Apart from God, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
As faithful believers, we must seek to please God in the meditations of our hearts (to include our attitudes), the words of our mouths (Ps. 19:14), and our actions. We should seek to please God with a clear conscience. At 2 Timothy 1:3, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day….” The Greek noun syneidēsis is defined as “moral consciousness or conscience.”[7] We do not follow the Spirit by pursuing emotions or feelings. Instead, we should seek to serve God with a clear conscience, and the result will ultimately be “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (a/k/a life in the Kingdom of God) (Rom. 14:17).
To serve God with a clear conscience, we must spend much time in God’s Word. At 2 Tim. 3:16, we read,
All scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.
Notice the word “correction.” Advancement in the spiritual life requires periodic correction, but we humans generally do not like to be corrected. Nevertheless, without periodic correction, we will not continue to advance in the spiritual life. We must remain humble and teachable.
At John 15:6, we read “If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” In my opinion, this verse does not mean that disobedient believers are going to the lower part of Hades after their death. It means that unfaithful believers will experience the wrath of God in this life with negative consequences experienced in the next life. Such believers will not inherit the Kingdom of God. They will not uniquely share in the life of God, the glory of God, or the rule of God.
At John 15:7, Jesus stated, “If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Notice the importance of the individual believer being in God’s word and God’s word being in him/her. Also notice that obedience to God and being in fellowship with God makes our prayers efficacious. Think about how we have been instructed to pray for the return of Jesus Christ to Planet Earth (Matt. 10:6).
At John 15:8, Jesus said, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” We should ask ourselves whether or not we are truly God’s disciples (a/k/a faithful students). As Jesus taught in the Parable of the Sower, His authentic students will bear fruit: 30-fold, 60-fold, or 100-fold (Matt. 13:1-23). At John 15: 9-10, Jesus said,
Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. If you keep My Commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
To be a faithful and loving servant of God, we are required to be obedient to God. If we have ears to hear, God’s commandments continually flow to us by means of God’s Spirit and Word. We are required to live in a never-ending fellowship and communication with God.
Finally, at John 15:11, we read, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” As faithful servants, we should seek to serve God with a clear conscience as to our thoughts (including attitudes), our words, and our actions. The result will be joy and a sense of wellbeing (i.e., righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit). We do not first seek an emotion or feeling; first, we should simply seek to serve God with a clear conscience.
[1] “John.” Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Volume 2A. Gen. Editor, Clinton Arnold, et al., Zondervan Academic, 2002, p. 154.
[2] “John,” p. 154.
[3] “John,” p. 153.
[4] “G1722 – en – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (nasb20).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 25 Feb, 2024. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1722/nasb20/mgnt/0-1/>.
[5] “John,” p. 155.
[6] “John,” p.155.
[7] “G4893 – syneidēsis – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (nasb20).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 25 Feb, 2024. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4893/nasb20/mgnt/0-1/>.