Union with Christ - I Am the True Vine
During Christmas a few weeks ago, I was reminded of the beauty and reality of being united with Christ. The Apostle Paul uses the supporting phase being “In-Christ”, and this phase is found over 90 times in the New Testament, it is such an important theme. I also realize that my finite mind cannot fully understand or comprehend the depths of this amazing and glorious truth. Union with Christ is the essence of what it means to be a Christian.
John Calvin writes in his institutes of the Christian Religion, “When considering our salvation, our mystical union with the Lord should be given the highest degree of importance.”
Jesus teaches us; “I am the True Vine and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1). This is the last of the seven “I am” statements of Jesus which is only recorded in John’s Gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique divine identity and purpose. At this time, Jesus was preparing the remaining eleven men, Judas had already departed, for His pending crucifixion, His resurrection, and His subsequent departure for Heaven. He had just told them that He would be leaving them (John 14:2). Knowing how disturbed they would feel, He gave them this lovely metaphor of the True Vine as one of His encouragements.
The main truth Christ is teaching in this metaphor is the importance of abiding in Him to bear fruit. Scripture uses metaphors to further support the reality of our union with Christ: Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches. Jesus is the Head, and we are His body (Colossians 1:18). Jesus is the Cornerstone, and we are the living stones built upon Him (1 Peter 2:4-7). He is the bridegroom, and we are His bride (Ephesians 5:31-32). We are crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20).
Jesus wanted His friends, not only those eleven, but those of all time, to know that He was not going to desert them, even though they would no longer enjoy His physical presence. His living energy, His spiritual reality would continue to nourish and sustain them just as the roots and trunk of a grape vine produces the energy that nourishes and sustains its branches while developing their fruit. Jesus wanted us to know that, even though we cannot see Him, we are as closely connected to Him as the branches of a vine are connected to its stem. Our desire to know and love Him and the energy to serve Him will keep flowing into and through us as we abide in Him.
Jesus went on to remove any misunderstanding about what He meant (John 15:4). He said that no branch can live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself. Cut off from the trunk, a branch is dead. Just as a vine’s branches rely on being connected to the trunk from which they receive their energy to bear fruit, Jesus’ disciples depend on being connected to Him for their spiritual life and the ability to serve Him effectively. The fruit we produce is that of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Our source of life and spiritual fruit is not in ourselves; it is outside us, in Christ Jesus. We can live, live rightly, and serve Him effectively only if we are rightly connected to Him in a faith/love relationship.
So, we depend on Jesus for everything, starting with our very life – “For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) and including our reconciliation with God through Him (Romans 5:10). No one can serve God effectively until he is connected with Jesus Christ by faith. Jesus is our only connection with the God who gave life and who produces in us a fruitful life of righteousness and service.
As the Father cares for the Son, so He cares for those joined to the Son by faith. That glorious truth is the central point Jesus is making. It is one of the most sublime truths in all Scripture. Believers are united by faith to the beloved Son of God.
Rest in this Biblical truth!
Your brother in Christ, Jim Nelson
John Calvin writes in his institutes of the Christian Religion, “When considering our salvation, our mystical union with the Lord should be given the highest degree of importance.”
Jesus teaches us; “I am the True Vine and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1). This is the last of the seven “I am” statements of Jesus which is only recorded in John’s Gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique divine identity and purpose. At this time, Jesus was preparing the remaining eleven men, Judas had already departed, for His pending crucifixion, His resurrection, and His subsequent departure for Heaven. He had just told them that He would be leaving them (John 14:2). Knowing how disturbed they would feel, He gave them this lovely metaphor of the True Vine as one of His encouragements.
The main truth Christ is teaching in this metaphor is the importance of abiding in Him to bear fruit. Scripture uses metaphors to further support the reality of our union with Christ: Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches. Jesus is the Head, and we are His body (Colossians 1:18). Jesus is the Cornerstone, and we are the living stones built upon Him (1 Peter 2:4-7). He is the bridegroom, and we are His bride (Ephesians 5:31-32). We are crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20).
Jesus wanted His friends, not only those eleven, but those of all time, to know that He was not going to desert them, even though they would no longer enjoy His physical presence. His living energy, His spiritual reality would continue to nourish and sustain them just as the roots and trunk of a grape vine produces the energy that nourishes and sustains its branches while developing their fruit. Jesus wanted us to know that, even though we cannot see Him, we are as closely connected to Him as the branches of a vine are connected to its stem. Our desire to know and love Him and the energy to serve Him will keep flowing into and through us as we abide in Him.
Jesus went on to remove any misunderstanding about what He meant (John 15:4). He said that no branch can live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself. Cut off from the trunk, a branch is dead. Just as a vine’s branches rely on being connected to the trunk from which they receive their energy to bear fruit, Jesus’ disciples depend on being connected to Him for their spiritual life and the ability to serve Him effectively. The fruit we produce is that of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Our source of life and spiritual fruit is not in ourselves; it is outside us, in Christ Jesus. We can live, live rightly, and serve Him effectively only if we are rightly connected to Him in a faith/love relationship.
So, we depend on Jesus for everything, starting with our very life – “For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) and including our reconciliation with God through Him (Romans 5:10). No one can serve God effectively until he is connected with Jesus Christ by faith. Jesus is our only connection with the God who gave life and who produces in us a fruitful life of righteousness and service.
As the Father cares for the Son, so He cares for those joined to the Son by faith. That glorious truth is the central point Jesus is making. It is one of the most sublime truths in all Scripture. Believers are united by faith to the beloved Son of God.
Rest in this Biblical truth!
Your brother in Christ, Jim Nelson
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Thanks for the reminder, Jim!