1640. The True Vine
The True Vine
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman.
"Every branch in Me that heareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that heareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.
"If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
"If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.
"As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.
"If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love" (Joh_15:1-10).
We now come to the consideration of the chapter that has been so generally misunderstood.
The Lord Jesus is in the upper room. He had just tasted of the fruit of the vine, as He said, "This is My Blood * * which is shed for many."
He is now speaking His final word before He goes to the Cross, and in this final word He gives a comprehensive statement concerning His vineyard. This statement throws light upon all the Old Testament analogies concerning Israel, as the vineyard of God.
1. Christ the True Vine
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman" (Joh_15:1).
Israel, the vineyard of Jehovah, had proved to be a false vine, she had borne no fruit.
The Lord Jesus Christ now emphasizes the fact that the true vine which the Father had planted is the Son. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the sole source of all fruitfulness.
Israel had been a false vine because she had not kept in Him, nor known Him.
2. The Unfruitful Branches
"Every branch in Me that heareth not fruit He taketh away." "If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" (Joh_15:2, Joh_15:6).
Israel had been taken away because Israel was fruitless, for this same cause Israel had been cast forth as a branch; men had gathered the useless wood, cast it into the fire and it was burned.
All of this spoke of Israel's setting aside, of Israel's suffering and scattering. The parable certainly has been literally realized. Fruitless Israel is rejected Israel.
If any one does not know the interpretation of Joh_15:6, let him ask Israel, she can instruct him.
3. The Fruitful Branches
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit" (Joh_15:5).
When Israel was broken off, the Church was grafted in; to her God gave the commission: "Be fruitful."
God is looking once more at His vineyard, He has come to gather His fruit, this is His glory, that we bear much fruit.
With what earnestness and yearning did Christ address these words urging us to abide in Him; telling us that unless we did abide in Him and He in us, fruit-bearing would prove impossible.
Let the Church learn her lesson from scattered Israel, for if God spared not Israel, how much less would He spare her.
If the Church becomes fruitless, it too shall be broken off, it too shall be burned with fire.
We do not doubt but that John 15 has a personal application to the individual Christian. We believe, however, that its interpretation must be considered in the light of Israel, the fruitless vineyard, and the Church, the new vineyard.
The very fact that the Lord spoke the words in the upper room as He seemed to be turning from Israel in anticipation of the coming of His Church, is most significant.
The Lord Jesus was crucified by the wicked husbandmen, and the vineyard was let out to other husbandmen.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR