Friday, May 3, 2013
John 15:1-4 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 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. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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."
A CONNECTION TO JESUS IS LIFE
Picture this scene in your mind's eye: You come across a lilac bush and notice a branch lying on the ground, but it is still green. Upon closer inspection you notice that it is receiving nutrition and life from a tiny strand of inner bark. The next strong wind or careless passer-by will surely break it off. It's just hanging on by a thread. In an effort to revive it you try to stake it up, and sure enough the bark breaks. Within a few days it's nothing but a dead stick. Such is the importance of the branch keeping connected, well-connected to the vine.
This is the very sort of illustration that Jesus used in our text. His audience was familiar with vineyards for growing grapes was a common occupation in that part of the world. It was common knowledge that a branch could not grow independently of the vine. Jesus then explains that in a spiritual way He is the Vine. Through Him comes life and without Him there is no life. In order to be spiritually alive you have to be connected to Him through faith, and like real branches and vine the stronger the connection to Jesus, the better.
That connection to Jesus was made and is strengthened by the Holy Spirit through the means of grace, that is the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. Through these tools the Holy Spirit strengthens and mends the connection between you and your Savior. Without involvement with the Gospel, that connection will shrivel away.
It's all very simple, but due to human weakness we need the reminder to remain in connection with Jesus, the Vine, because that connection means life ... life with God, now and forever.
