"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that bears not fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit." (John 15:1-5)
The Passover supper had been eaten. Jesus had performed the last loving act of humble service for His disciples, the closing hymn had been sung, and now they were on their way to the garden that was to be the scene of the Saviour's greatest struggle with the powers of darkness.
Nothing is more common than a vine forming an arbor; and Jesus, who was always ready to impress a lesson by the things that were before Him, took advantage of the sight of a vine that they passed to teach His disciples an important lesson on the reality of things. He would have them know that: "The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are [real and] eternal," (2 Corinthians 4:18) so that they might endure "as seeing Him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27)
Jesus is the true vine. All vines that we gee growing out of the earth, and bearing fruit, are but visible proofs of the presence or the invisible vine--the reality. The seed of everything that grows is the Word of God. "The seed is the word of God." (Luke 8:11)
In the beginning, when the earth was first created, and there was nothing in it, God said: "Let the earth bring forth grass, the yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind...and it was so." (Genesis 1:11)
God's word was the seed whence every plant of every kind sprung. Just as He sent His word out into darkness, and light shone forth, so He sent His word into the vacant earth, and vegetation appeared. But Jesus is: "The Word of God." (Revelation 19:13) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God. ... All things were made by Him." (John 1:1,3)
Hence Christ is the Seed. This is true in the most comprehensive sense. Our confidence in Him as the righteous seed that shall beget righteousness in us, is made perfect by seeing the efficient working of that seed in all creation. "The Word was made flesh, [dwelling among us] ... full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
And the possibility of this is shown to us, even before we experience it, by the fact, seen everywhere, that the word was made grass, herbs, and tress. The life that is able to bring the vegetable creation to perfection, is also able to make our way perfect, when faith is given free course.
Evidence of the truth of the statement that Christ is the true vine was given at the very beginning of His ministry. At the wedding in Cana Jesus turned the water into wine. Water was put into the jars, and wine was drawn out. The same miracle is wrought every year. Water falls from heaven upon the ground, and is drawn up into the vine, and comes out wine. The miracle wrought in Cana was for the purpose of letting us know that every particle of water that is turned to wine in all the vines on earth, is changed only by the presence and power of Christ, the true vine.
The water that makes the earth fruitful is the water of life from the river of God. "You visit the earth, and water it: You greatly enrich it with the river of God, which is full of water: You prepare them corn, when You have so provided for it. You water the ridges thereof abundantly: You settle the furrows thereof: You make it soft with showers: You bless the springing thereof. You crown the year with your goodness; and your paths drop fatness." (Psalm 65:9-11)
The water comes from the slain Lamb in the midst of the throne: "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." (Revelation 5:6) "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17) just as the water which the Israelites drank in the desert came from Christ: "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4)
The Spirit of God is the water of life: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of hisbelly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe onHim should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" (John 7:37-39)
And the Spirit and the water and the blood agree in one: "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." (1 John 5:8)
This is shown by the water and the blood that flowed from the pierced side of Christ as He hung on the cross: "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bore record, and his record is true: and he knows what he says is true, that you might believe." (John 19:34-35)
The blood is the life. Thus we see that when Jesus gave "the fruit of the vine" to His disciples, at the last supper, He stated the literal truth when He said, "This is my blood." (Matthew 26:28)
The fruit of the vine, which refreshes man, imparting to him life, is the blood of Christ, the true vine!
But this is not all. We can never exhaust the wonder that Christ is the real vine. But more wonderful still to our comprehension is the fact that we are the branches, and as such are to bear fruit. It is the branches that bear the fruit. This is no cause for boasting, for it is the vine that bears the branches, and the branches produce nothing, but are wholly dependent on the parent stock; but when they are joined to the vine by a vital connection they bear the fruit. "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." (John 15:16)
From this we see that Christ expects us to do the work that is done on this earth, or, rather, that He expects the work to be done through us. He himself said, "I can of my own self do nothing." (John 5:30) "The Father that dwells in me, He does the works." (John 14:10)
So, "[The] miracles and wonders and signs [were what] God did by Him." (Acts 2:22)
So we can do nothing apart from Him. He is the motive power, and we are the ones in whom the results are to be seen, and the fruit that is seen is counted to us as ours. God has placed us here in this world instead of Christ, who is with the Father. The Father is the keeper of the vineyard whose root and stock are in heaven, and the branches on the earth. "Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit." (John 15:8)
The fruit borne is "the fruit of the light." (Ephesians 5:9,RV)
Therefore we are exhorted, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
The last message that goes forth--the last proclamation of the Gospel, which announces the hour of God's Judgment already come--is a message exhorting to fruit-bearing, in these words: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His Judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven, and earth and the sea, and the fountains of waters." (Revelation 14:6-7)
God is glorified by us only as we bring forth fruit; and it is by His power that is manifest in all creation, that we are to do this. Thus it is that the last message to mankind calls special attention to God as Creator.
When the Lord comes His glory is to cover the heavens, uniting with the glory that fills the earth. The glory of the Lord is to be revealed so that all flesh can see it together before the Lord comes. "The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. ... O Zion, that bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!" (Isaiah 40:3-5,9)
The cry, "Behold your God!" will be sounded in the ears of all, and they will be directed to the things that He has made in order to see it. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:18-20)
When they see Him working in the rest of creation, those who wish to bring forth fruit to the glory of God will be convinced that He is able to work as mightily in them, to cause them to bring forth the fruit for which He created them.
But in spite of the fact that what may be known of God is manifest in all men, and that the invisible things of Him, even His everlasting power and Divinity, are clearly revealed in the things that He has made, people are apt to get so absorbed in themselves that they will walk in the midst of the revelations of His life and power as though they were blind.
Therefore God has given us a memorial of himself, that His wonderful works--and so He himself--may be remembered. "The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them thathave pleasure therein. His work is honorable and glorious: and His righteousness endures for ever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion." (Psalm 111:2-4)
He says, "I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifies them." (Exodus 20:12)
This memorial endures to all generations. Week by week the Sabbath calls our attention anew to the fact that God is the Creator of all things, and that He creates all things very good. Thus we are continually reminded to put our trust in Him for salvation. He is the husbandman, and He keeps His vineyard day and night, watering it every moment: "In that day sing unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." (Isaiah 27:2-3)
Friends of the Lord
"You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you." (John 15:14)
And what does He command us? To bear fruit. Strange that immediately after reading the first part of this chapter, in which the conditions of fruit-bearing are so clearly set forth, and it is shown that we ourselves do nothing of ourselves, but simply bear the fruit which the life of the parent stock begets in us, men will read this fourteenth verse, and imagine that they must by their own power do something to recommend them to the Lord, and gain His friendship! "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." (John 6:29)
His commandment to us is fulfilled by our trust in Him; "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." (Galatians 3:6) "Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11:6)
Abraham our father was justified by works when he had offered up Isaac, his son upon the altar, because: "Faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called the Friend of God." (James 2:22-23)
God was Abraham's friend before this, but Abraham thus became God's friend. God is the Friend of all men, the Friend of sinners; but the sad fact is that very few will consent to be friendly with God. They have no confidence in Him. "The friendship of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant." (Psalm 25:14,RV, margin)
As other versions have it, God's confidential association is with them that fear Him. To such He makes known secrets about himself, that only those can know who come close enough to Him for Him to whisper in their ears.
Friendship must be mutual. Friends exchange confidences. Jesus says: "I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." (John 15:15)
Whoever has friends must show himself friendly. If we wish to retain the friendship of God, and have a share in His secrets, we must not withhold from Him anything concerning ourselves. We must not have any secrets from Him. We must tell Him all, confessing all our sins. Not that He does not already know them, but this is the proof of our friendship. Then He reveals to us the secret of His salvation. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
He will not betray our confidence. No; not only will He conceal our sins from public gaze at the last day, casting them into the depths of the sea, so that although they are sought for by our adversary the devil, the accuser, they cannot be found. "In those days, and in that time, says the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve." (Jeremiah 50:20)
But even He himself will forget them: "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8:12)
What a wonderful inducement to make friends with God! Delay not; for now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.--Present Truth, April 27, 1899--John 15:1-14.