Now hear this...Jesus is the Father's Vine, and we are the Father's branches...and it is the Father's fruit. And it is the Father's life-giving power that plants, and brings it all to harvest...He is The Source, and He supervises the reaping. But that, friends, is why there are so many professing branches today who are bearing such sparse or sour fruit...because they haven't traced the problem back to the Source, and discovered their weak relationship with the Vine of which they are a part, and with the Husbandman, the Proprietor of it all.
You see, the church, over the centuries, has hijacked that critical process of fruit production, in a vain attempt to force fruit-bearing by the dubious means of programming, promotion, or even by prohibition, when in reality, we must learn to take responsibility for our own personal health on the "Jesus- vine". And every true Believer has the necessary potential, so what we really need, is to practice some serious self-examination. And that's exactly where we fall short as branches, perhaps even unaware of the critical nature of our relationship to the Vine, as our Lord teaches here.
Thinking back to Pt. 1 of this lesson, we must learn that it is not what Jesus has to say about vines and branches and fruit...rather, "Look what Jesus has to say about me!" Unfruitfulness can only be managed by "abiding in Christ", and He, in you. As the Psalmist has recorded in 92.13-15, "Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him!" And take a gander at verses 5,7 and 8 of our scripture...isn't that just the greatest promise that any Believer would want to have realized over a lifetime?! And this teaching was first, to the children of "the Israel vine", the first to be planted in the Husbandman's vineyard...so be warned.
But remember, we're being taught of the New Vine in our current text, along with the pronouncement of an altogether new era, so far as the Vine and the branches and the fruit-bearing are concerned. Jesus is not, here, judging the failure of a nation...He's announcing criteria for the Kingdom! And it's not to be a question of success or failure, ever again. As already stated, it's a matter of a strong and healthy relationship, from the Vine, to the branch, to the fruit. And believe me, good spiritual health will never fail to result in good spiritual fruit.
But how well do you abide in Jesus? Well here it is...without Him, you can do no-thing worthwhile for the Kingdom of God. If you allow yourself to become a dried-up and withered branch that has stopped bearing fruit to the glory of the Husbandman, it's because of your failure to draw sustenance from the Vine. And that applies to you-Christian/me-Christian. And one very important point here...and every Believer must deposit this in his/her memory bank...Jesus did not say, in vs. 5 that, "...without you, I can do nothing". I've sometimes heard some well-meaning Believer say, "If only so-and-so would get "saved"...the Lord could really use what he/she has to offer." Always thinking, and speaking, in human/worldly terms. And I know that some will disagree, but that's because you're thinking in human/worldly (and therefore, fallible) terms! The Lord can and will use any one He wishes, to do any thing He wishes. So when He uses you and me, it's because He wills it so.
Do you know why "Christian" branches sometimes end up withered and barren? It's because they put their focus on their fruit, instead of on their Vine. When we get so occupied with what is being accomplished, we become occupied with our self, and begin to put all our energy into the work, instead of drawing our energy from worship and praise of Father God. I have a fine brother in the Lord, who made a point in our Bible Study years ago...that we worship on the Lord's Day to give us strength for the week ahead, rather than on the Sabbath, to give us rest from the week past. That is Jesus' command to His disciples (not just good advice!)...feed yourself from the Vine, give your allegiance to, and your dependence upon Him, and the fruit that is borne will bring glory to the Lord God. Thank you Jesus...this is Vine-talk!
Now as we come to verses 9 and 10, we get the distinct idea that this same principle applies to our love. Love is only a word, until you love, and are loved. This has to be one of Satan's most effective snares...his appeal to the Believer's human-ness. He has no more effective tool than convincing Believers to feast on their own withered essence...to distract Believers from their First, and Greatest Love...astray from a life-long commitment to the very Bread and the Water of Life.
So I'll ask, does the world know Whose you are? Well God does...and whether or not you are healthily attached to the True Vine. Now we need to realize that this is not quite like "the salt having lost its savour", or "the lamp having run out of oil"...similar passages which conjure up more questions than answers. But do you know what? It's not our job to justify the high thoughts of God, but the day will come when we will have to justify our connection (or lack thereof) to the Vine, and to the Husbandman. It will be Him, in the final analysis, Who will either commend or condemn...that is, either continue to administer His tender and loving care, or to apply the short-term pain of a much needed pruning, or to execute the casting-out and eternal burning of the branch, as He deems fit.
Jesus refers to "them" in vs. 6...all those branches, along with the wood, hay and stubble of 1 Corinthians 3. They will be gathered...that harvest of the incompetent, the ineffective and the inefficient. This is a necessary part of the final process of vineyard maintenance and reaping that will be assigned to the hosts of heaven, in His time (see Revelation 14.14-20).
There can be no doubt as to Jesus' intention here. Remember, He and the eleven were on their way to Gethsemane, their last stop together before the cross. He wanted disciples, in every age, to understand the critical nature of their discipleship, being determined to see us through mission possible, by means of His life-giving and life-sustaining presence, all under the watchful and loving care of Father God!
Amen, and amen.
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