Jesus - I Am The Vine
So far in this blog series, we’ve seen Jesus to be the Light of the World, illuminating our path and offering the light of life; the Bread of Life, nourishing us and eternally satisfying the hunger of our souls; and the Door, the only means by which we find true, abundant life.
In John 15, Jesus also says, “I am the Vine. You are the branches.” As the Vine, Jesus is solid, unbreakable, and strong. He is the life source of the branches. And we are those branches. Our strength and nutrients come from our connection to Him. We cannot survive apart from the Vine.
“Whoever abides in me and I in him, it is he who bears much fruit…” If we cut ourselves off from the life source, we will shrivel up and die. But when we root ourselves in the Vine, we grow strong and bear fruit. A branch is not able to produce its own life – that life must come from the Vine. When we abide in Christ we will grow. When we remain connected and continue living in trust and obedience to the Father, the fruit of our lives will bless others and glorify God by furthering His kingdom.
“For apart from me you can do nothing.” Without Jesus as the Vine in our lives, we are unable to produce anything of eternal value from our lives. But when the strength of the Vine holds us and feeds us, our lives can’t help but produce fruit; fruit that will last. This fruit is evidence of a life sourced by the Vine. Some of the fruits of the Spirit at work in our lives are known as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But none of these in their purest form are possible without a strong connection to the Vine. Where there is fruit, there is life.
What does the fruit of your life say about your connection to the Vine? Do you know Jesus as the solid, unbreakable life source, who continues to nourish you and grow you? Jesus is the light of life, the bread of life, the door to life, and as the Vine, He is the source of life. Abide in Christ. Grow strong. Bear fruit. Let your life point others to the source, the true Vine.
