This is the last of the 7 I AM statements; I AM the Vine. This is my favorite. This might be due to when I in school working on my degree, there was a class I took, Biblical Interpretation, that taught us how to go deeper into the words of the bible. I actually learned so much about growing grape vines, and learned how these words used by Jesus was pretty common expressions that the disciples would have been familiar with. But for us, many of the changes in their world we may not be really aware of.
In the time between the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT) there were many changes. For political and culture changes the Romans, instead of the Persians, now control Palestine. Greek thought and culture (Hellenism), rather than the gods of the Canaanites such as Baal and Molech, now threaten God’s people.
Geographical changes also came about with Palestine being divided into three regions; Judea in the south, Galilee in the north and Samaria in the center. On the east side of the Jordan River were Perea and the Decapolis.
The Decapolis was a group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire in Judea and Syria. The ten cities were not an official league or political unit, but they were grouped together because of their language, culture, location, and political status. The Decapolis cities were centers of Greek and Roman culture in a region.
The Religious parties also had changed. The two main parties within Judaism of Jesus’ day were the Pharisees and Sadducees, which did not exist in the OT. As Hellenism began to intrude on the religious life of the Jews, the question was how the Law of God should be applied in the new circumstances. The Pharisees took the Scriptures and believed that it was their responsibility to determine how the Law should be applied to new conditions and how it should be reinterpreted.
The Sadducees did not try to attempt to adapt God’s Law to the new situation, but limited themselves to the five books of Moses. They did not accept the authority of the prophets and other scriptures. The Sadducees consisted of wealthy priests and they were religiously conservative.
Two other parties are the Zealots and the Herodians which were not in existence during the OT. They were more political than religious in nature. The Zealots were a nationalistic party that opposed the Roman occupation. Not much is known about the Herodians except that they apparently supported the Herodian dynasty. They joined the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.
The Language and writings also were different. The common language in Palestine was no longer Hebrew but was Aramaic, but the language of commerce and communications throughout the Roman Empire is Greek.
The Roman Empire had a small and wealthy upper class made up of royalty, politicians, military generals and wealthy merchants. There was almost no middle class, and the majority of the people squeezed out a living as poor farmers, shepherds, craftsmen and merchants. The poorest workers were day workers, who would be hired from the marketplace to work in the fields.
Finally, the most important agricultural products of Israel were olives and grapes. Olives were eaten as fruit and used for making olive oil. Grapes were grown for eating, but especially for winemaking. Vineyards would often have a protective wall and a tower in the middle for a caretaker to guard the vines against animals or thieves. Isaiah compares the nation of Israel to an unproductive vineyard whose wall and tower will be broken down to allow enemies to overrun it.
With this new information, let us look at John 15:1 – 8.
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 15:1 opens with “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. This turns out to be a powerful opening statement. Jesus calls himself the true vine. He tells right in the beginning he is using metaphors. He also right away tells the disciples that His father is the vinedresser. The disciples in this culture would understand these metaphors and Jesus clearly puts the metaphor of the branches and fruit that would be understood. A branch cannot bear fruit unless the branch is part of the vine.
When Jesus describes Himself as the vine, He calls Himself the “true” vine. He uses this wording to describe Himself and thereby says I am “the” vine, not “a” vine. This use of words may indicate that He has a specific image in mind. He is “the” true vine in contrast to something that the disciples might consider the true vine. This emphasis may indicate He is alluding to something in Scripture to which the disciples would be familiar.
In the Old Testament the imagery of a grapevine is used to describe Israel. But it does not just designate Israel as a nation. It describes Israel in its relationship to God. For example, in Psalm 80:8 Israel is described as a vine that God brought out of Egypt and planted in the land of promise. In verse fifteen the nation is then compared to a vineyard belonging to God. In this lament psalm, where the Psalmist prays to God to restore the nation, his emphasis is on God’s relationship with the nation as the one who cares for it. Isaiah used the same imagery to describe Judah’s relationship with God. In Isaiah 5:1-7 the nation is described as the “vineyard of the LORD of hosts and “the men of Judah” as “His pleasant plant.” But in Isaiah, the nation is guilty and unfruitful, facing judgment. In Jeremiah 2:21 God addresses the nation and says that He planted them “a noble vine” but they had turned from Him and become a “degenerate plant of an alien vine.” Thus, the Old Testament imagery of Israel as a vine repeatedly focuses on God’s care for the nation in light of their failure.
A vinedresser is a phrase that technically relates to an occupation in the grape cultivation and wine-making industry. A vinedresser cares for the grape vines in a vineyard. It’s their responsibility to cultivate and prune the vines.
The vinedresser is integral to the wine-making process. He stays with his vines for decades, usually a lifetime, and knows each vine individual needs and works to provide for them. Vinedressers are employed by vineyards.
A vinedresser, or husbandman, is more than a mere farmer. Grapes are more than an annual crop. The vinedresser’s grape vines remain with him for decades. He comes to know each one in a personal way, much like a shepherd with his sheep. He knows how the vine is faring from year to year and which ones are more productive or vigorous than others. He knows what they respond to and what special care certain one’s need. Every vine has its own personality. And the vinedresser comes to know it over the years. The vinedresser cares for each vine and nurtures it, pruning it the appropriate amount at the appropriate times, fertilizing it, lifting its branches from the ground and propping them or tying them to the trellis, and taking measures to protect them from insects and disease.
Jesus is also warning the disciples that not everyone who followed him was a believer (Judas) and they will be “taken away” (verse 2). Also, in this verse Jesus speaks of pruning branches that are fruitful. “He prunes” would give the disciples a painful picture of the removal of interests or activities in order to become more fruitful.
Verse 3 may still be more of Jesus speaking about Judas. In Chapter 13 when Jesus washed all of the disciple’s feet, he said in verse 10 “And you are clean, but not every one of you.” At this point now Judas has left and the remaining disciples are now being called spiritually “clean”
Verse 6 picks up Jesus warning from verse 2 with being “cast out”, but he speaks of the punishment of being thrown into fire and burned. Fire was a common Jewish symbol for divine judgment.
The word “fruit” shows up six times. The disciples are to bear fruit. The fruit-bearing branches, it would appear from the text of this verse, represent true believers. But to whom does the text refer when it says, he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit?
This passage is capable of dangerous interpretation, especially when the idea of fruit-bearing centers in evangelism. Some people teach that those who do not win others to Christ will themselves be snatched out of the vine. Such an idea is against the teaching of the New Testament. Perhaps Galatians 5:22-23 helps us here: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
How should we view the unfruitful branches? The interpretation of cuts off (airo) is “lifts up”. This translation makes better sense and is much better theology. First, the emphasis of this opening section of the parable is the care of the vine by the Father. It would be strange if the first thing mentioned is the carrying away of unproductive branches. But it is not at all strange to emphasize that the vinedresser first lifts the branches up so that they may be better exposed to the sun and so the fruit will develop properly.
The disciples, however, needed neither cutting off nor trimming clean (a nice handling of the Greek word by the NIV) because they had already been cleansed by the Lord’s word. One thing is clear at the outset of the chapter: this is not a passage on salvation, a topic John covered in earlier chapters. Here he dealt with requirements for a fruitful life on the part of believers.
Finally, the word “abide” shows up eight times in this discourse. The Greek word “meno” means to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy). The disciples are to stay in Jesus and the words of Jesus.
Moving to the theme, purpose and structure of this discourse in the beginning of chapter 15, we are able to see that this is in the middle (chapters 14 – 16) of Jesus’ farewell discourse. Judas has already left the group to do what he is going to do. Jesus is beginning to prepare his remaining disciples for the coming of the Holy Spirit. In John 15:1-8, Jesus is teaching the disciples to abide in him. Just as a branch gains substance from the vine, so they will bear fruit by staying close to Him. Abiding in Jesus is going to be essential because of the hostile environment the disciples will be living in.
This Farewell Discourse appears to be modeled after Moses’ in Deuteronomy 31 – 33, the last words of a great leader, summarizing his life, making prediction about the future, appointing a successor and calling their followers to live by a certain standard.
These chapters are the private teachings of Jesus to His disciples. Jesus is describing the coming role of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is describing his departure and promises to send the Spirit to take His place. The Spirit will mediate the presence of the Father and the Son to the disciples, teaching, guiding, and comforting them. The disciples can only succeed if they “abide” in him. Just as a branch gains substance from the vine, so they will bear fruit only by staying close to Him.
Chapter 15 and 16 are the words Jesus is speaking to the disciples on the way to Gethsemane. Jesus is telling the disciples that they must love one another, and that they must abide in Him. The disciples must also expect pruning and persecution, and that the Holy Spirit would be taking His place.
Well this concludes the 7 “I AM” statements of Jesus. I pray that these blog messages are helping you to getting closer with our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.