Jesus Christ: The True Vine
John 15:1-2 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Jesus Christ is the “true vine.” Israel, as it looked in Jesus’ day, was a corrupted, diseased vine. The outward manifestations of Judaism, like the temple sacrifices, the feasts, and other rituals, were powerless to save this broken vine. But Jesus Christ came as the very embodiment and incarnation of all the institutions and symbolisms that marked Israel. So when He says, “I am the true vine,” we should quickly respond by saying, “I will abide in you” (See verse 5). Attached to the true vine, the followers of Christ find deep, and abiding, and meaningful life, and they are capable of bearing fruit worthy of his name, since he is the One flushing His branches with the powerful sap of His Spirit.