The Vine and the Branches

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The Vine and the Branches
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John 15 v 1-17
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The context

• The night when Jesus was betrayed Judas has
  already left (John 1330)
• Jesus upper room ministry to the remaining
  eleven (John 14-16)
• Last of seven I AM sayings in John

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I am the true vine
Coins from the Jewish War of 68-70 AD
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I am the true vine

• You brought a vine out of Egypt you drove out
  the nations and planted it. You cleared the
  ground for it, and it took root and filled the
  land
• (Psalm 80 v8-9)

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I am the true vine

• When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield
  only bad? ...
• The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of
  Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of
  his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw
  bloodshed for righteousness, but heard cries of
  distress
• (Isaiah 5 v4b, 7)

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I am the true vine

• A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse
  from his roots a Branch will bear fruit
• (Isaiah 11 v1)

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I am the true vine

• Where Israel failed, Jesus will not fail He is
  the perfect, faithful servant of God, the true
  Israel, continuous with Israel but beginning a
  new people of God

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Spoken to whom?

• Jesus friends (v15) the eleven remaining
  disciples to whom He had revealed His Fathers
  truth (v15) and who He had chosen and appointed
  to bear fruit (v16)

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The Fathers actions

• Cleaning up fruitful branches
• Connected to the vine, drawing life from it
• The Spirit abiding in us (1416)
• Abiding in His truth (v3, 7) and love (v9)
• Clearing out fruitless branches
• Cut out, discarded and burnt (v2, 6)
• Judas (and any other false disciples)
• No fruitless branches! (see Matthew 720)

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What is the fruit?

• bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my
  disciples (v8)
• By this will all men know that you are my
  disciples, if you love one another (1335)
• My command is this Love each other (v12, also
  v17)

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What is the fruit?

• Christ-like character
• (Galatians 522 James 317)
• Christ-like actions
• (Ephesians 59 Colossians 110)
• The truth lived out in love (Ephesians 415)

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Why much fruit?

• It is a sign of life and health
• Joy is made complete (v11)
• Prayer becomes meaningful (v7, 16)
• It contains the seed of new life
• Others are blessed and impacted (v8)
• It delights the gardener
• God is glorified (v8)

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Maximising fruitfulness

• Pruning by the Father (v2-3)
• Shaping us through every circumstance
• Abiding in Christ (v4)
• Obeying Him as we live in His truth
• Laying down our lives (v12-13)
• Extending grace as we live in His grace