City Life Starter

Written by Ji Yun

The Word

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

This is the Word of our Lord

Exegesis

We have been sharing the importance of context throughout our Journey to the Cross series, whether in our sermons, Beyond the Sermon (BTS), or Journey Groups. Studying the background is not something many Bible readers consider and many miss the essential details that would enlighten the stories. Have you ever thought about where Jesus is sharing about the vine? Many would say while Jesus and the disciples are in the upper room. I would say otherwise…

“Arise, let us go from here.”

John 14:31

The above verse is one that we rarely pay attention to, but the text indicates that Jesus and the disciples left the Upper Room. So, where are they? And why is this so important?

This is important because it reveals how detailed John the Apostle was, especially as he is writing the stories that the other three gospel writers have not mentioned. Throughout John’s gospel, we see the beauty as the stories have details such as individual names, locations, and even emotions. All of these adds depth and weight to each story.

It also reveals Jesus, our teacher, and how beautifully he instructs and empowers His disciples. Throughout the gospels, when we find Jesus sharing parables or metaphors as today’s text have, readers must recognize that Jesus is not in a classroom. Neither is sharing with His disciple’s philosophical thoughts, but teaching them practical lessons with the elements that were near Him.

I believe Jesus is sharing today’s text near the vine so that His disciples can see the vine while Jesus explains what it is to abide in the vine. 

This story begins with Jesus sharing a metaphor of the vineyard. Throughout the Scripture, the vine is seen as the symbol of God’s chosen people, Israel. The other references can be found in the book of Psalm, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea, all are used as metaphors to symbolize God’s people and the nation of Israel. It is critical for Bible readers to first grasp this concept of the vineyard before expounding today’s Scripture. 

True Vine

When Jesus said He was the “True Vine,” your immediate thought should be:

1) What is the true vine?

Followed by:

2) Is there a false vine?

If we consider previous references of the vine and vineyard, especially in Isaiah chapter 5, we quickly realize that the vine represents Israel, but the vine did not produce good fruit. The True Vine is Jesus, the One who will bear much fruit, and those who abide in this vine represent believers who will also bear fruit through Jesus. 

The role of the vinedresser is critical for the life and fruitfulness of the vine. Every season, the vinedresser would go through rows and rows of the vines to determine which branch would remain and which ones to cut away. In general, vine branches that do not or did not bear fruit would be the first ones to be cut off. The reason is quite simple, cut the branches that do not produce fruit so that the fruit-bearing branch will receive more nutrients and produce more fruit. It is God who judges and decides on which branch will be kept or cut. 

The key to today’s text is to abide in the True Vine, so that we may bear fruit for God. We cannot abide in any other things in this world and be able to bear fruit for God. It is only through the True Vine, that we may and can bear fruit. Any other who says they are the True Vine, is a false vine, and have misled many since the beginning. Earlier I mentioned the false vine; they are imitators, posers, philosophers, religions, and many influencers of today that promise you with earthly goods but will never satisfy our heart and soul. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us abide in the True Vine, in order that we may bear fruit for God and make Him known in our short time here on earth.