On the way from the supper table to the garden of Gethsemane, or while still lingering in the upper room, our Lord spoke this wondrous parable.
John 15:1. I am the true vine,-
All other vines are but shadows of Christ. They represent Christ, but he is himself the substance. the essence, the one great reality. He is the truth of all things that exist: «I am the true Vine.» Does anybody ask which is the true Church? All who are vitally joined to Christ are in the true Church, for he says, «I am the true Vine,»-
John 15:1. And my Father is the husbandman.
He cares for the Church with infinite wisdom and love. No one else can care for that true Vine as the Father-the Husbandman-does.
John 15:2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:
If there be any, who are only nominally in Christ, and who therefore bear no fruit, their doom is to be taken away; for, in order to final perseverance and eternal safety, there must be fruit-bearing.
John 15:2. And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Pruning, then, is for fruit-bearers. If the branch were dead, what would be the good of pruning it? Say not, dear friends that your afflictions must be caused by your sins; nay, rather they may come in consequence of your virtues. Because you do bear fruit, it is worth while for the Husbandman to use his knife upon you, that you may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:3-4. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you.
Give good heed to that sweet word, beloved brethren, «Abide in me.» Do not seem to get into Christ, and then depart from him. Add constancy to all your other graces.
John 15:4-5. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing.
You know how the branch is in the vine, it is a component part of the vine; but do not forget that the vine is also in the branch,-that the sap, which is the very life of the vine, flows into every living branch. So we are in Christ, and Christ is in us, and he says to us, as the marginal reading has it, «Severed from me, ye can do nothing.» What! not even a little, Lord? Can we not do something good, something acceptable apart from thee? No; «Without me, ye can do nothing.»
John 15:6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
That is all that can be done with fruitless vine-branches. You cannot make anything of them. Other trees yield timber, and are useful for various purposes; but, with the vine, it is as the prophet Ezekiel says, «Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?» It is useless if it is fruitless; and so is it with us, if we do not bear fruit unto God, we are of no service to him whatsoever.
John 15:7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Here is the secret of prevailing prayer. It is not every man who chooses to pray, who shall have whatever he asks of God; but the successful pleader is the man who abides in Christ, and in whom Christ's words abide. God will not hear our words if we disregard his words. We cannot expect our prayers to be prevalent if we are severed from our Lord.
John 15:8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
«Much fruit» should be produced by the disciples of the much-doing Christ.
The true Vine was full of fruit, and it scarcely can be believed that we are branches of that Vine if we exhibit only a little fruit. It is «much fruit» that proves our union to this Vine.