Connected to Jesus: “I am the vine; you are the branches.”

May 3, 2015


GOSPEL LESSON: John 15:1–8
1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

The vine and the branches image is a wonderful way to see our relationship with and connection to and dependence on Jesus. We are connected directly to Jesus. That is where we get nourishment for salvation and for sanctification and for spiritual growth and life. We are directly connected to Jesus through faith, and so we get the fullness of his love and grace and mercy.

If we are not connected directly to Jesus, then there would be no fruit. If you cut a branch off a tree in the springtime, it will not produce fruit in the fall. The same is true with our spiritual lives. The fruit is love. The fruit, the harvest of the Christian life is love. The purpose of our lives is love. If we stay connected to Christ, his love will be in us and it will produce love in our lives. We will live the life as a disciple. It is not that this love saves us, as if saved by good works. Love in our lives is evidence that we are connected to Jesus. If we have no love, then people will not believe that we are Christians. In the same way, you know that a tree is an apple tree because it bears apples. The fruit of the vine or the apple of the tree is the purpose of that vine or tree. If there is not fruit, then the tree or vine is worthless to the farmer. A branch that bears no fruit is worthless, it is cut off. The purpose of our lives is love. A life that has no fruit of love is worthless.

I used to help my father in the yard. We had a couple of apple trees. In late winter, my father cut off all the branches that were not connected directly to the big limbs, because they would not produce apples. The branches that were cut off would fall to the ground. My job was to pick up all the branches that were cut off and put them in a big pile to be burnt. Then the ashes were thrown into the compost heap. Jesus said, vs.6, “6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” This is a parable, and from other similar parables in the Bible, the meaning is quite clear: that fire is hell. To be separated from God is damnation. There is no life apart from God; there is no fruit acceptable to God when separated from Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, 1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” God is the Gardener. God loves and takes good care of his garden, his vines, his trees, his creatures and us. He loves even those braches that are pruned off. And that is why he sent Jesus to this world that he loved. Not to burn but to gather and heal and make alive. And just as Jesus was born a child to be like we are, on the cross he became like the withering and dead branches that we are. With the sin of the world upon himself, he was pruned. When dying on the cross, he felt that agony and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Then in his death and resurrection, he gathered us, not to be burn and destroyed, but to be forgiven and made alive and to bear fruit.

When we believe in Christ, we are connected to the vine. This is how Christ gives us his love. His love is first of all forgiveness. This forgiveness is stronger than all our sin. To be connected to Christ is to know that forgiveness. Even though we may continue to sin, even though we feel unworthy, God’s grace is greater than our sin. That grace is so great and forgiving that he does not cut us off as we should be. That is because he has hope in us. That is what love is. That is what love does.

Love can take many shapes and forms. Using the images in today’s Gospel reading, love is being connected to other people. Therefore there is kindness and concern and forgiveness and dialog and help and charity. It overcomes our selfish self-centeredness that would not share fruit with others. It is a love that does not want to cut others off, but even wants to restore those who have fallen away.

And so our life as a Christian, our life as a human being in this world, has its power and purpose and blessing in the words of Jesus Christ. “I am the Vine, you are the branches.”

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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