Branches in the Vine, the Vine in the Branches

Day By Day By Grace

Bob Hoekstra

April 9, 2010



"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.
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him,
bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)

Previously, we examined these verses to see how the grace of God
produces fruit in those who walk in humility and faith (thereby living
by grace). Now, let's revisit these words to consider the intimate
relationship they describe. It is a profound biblical picture of us
being in Christ and Christ being in us. It is like the relationship
between a vine and a branch. Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. "I
am the vine, you are the branches." He is the source of the life we
need. We are the recipients of the life that He alone can provide.

The Lord Jesus wants us, His branches, to be fruitful. "By this My
Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit" (John 15:8). Fruit is
the result of developing life. Branches do not innately have that life
in themselves. "The branch cannot bear fruit of itself." Branches must
always find their life in the vine. The vine, Jesus, has life. "I am
the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Our Lord came to share
that life with us in abundance. "I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). His abundant
life is what enables us to bear much fruit.

Such life abundant (fruit-developing life) flows out of the intimate
relationship available to us in Christ. Think of the "joined
relationship" that a vine and a branch have. The branch came forth from
the vine, and is everafter connected to, and is dependent upon, the
vine. The life of the vine is available to flow in and through the
branch. We came forth from Jesus, our vine, as we were born again by
His Spirit through faith in Christ. Now, we are joined to Him forever.
"He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians
6:17). Day by day, His life is accessible to us.

We access that life by abiding. "Abide in Me, and I in you." To the
extent that we humbly depend upon Him to be our source of life, He then
lives in and through us.

Dear Jesus, my vine,You are my only source of spiritual life. I confess
that I have often tried to produce that life on my own. Also, I have
often thought of You as far away, as I cried out to You in my prayers.
Actually, You were then, and are now, as near to me spiritually as a
vine is to a branch. Please remind me frequently of Your nearness.
Lord, I want to abide in You day by day, Amen.