After a strong storm we sometimes see branches from trees and bushes that have broken off of the main plant and are strewn on the ground. Often they still have their green leaves still on them. Within a day or so, though, those leaves have withered up and died. The wood, too, dries up and quickly becomes dead wood, as well. We see this in all plants. When cut off from the main plant, the branch quickly dies. This occurrence in nature is something that the Lord Jesus spoke about to His disciples, which we read in our Scripture for today.
One plant that was fairly common in the countryside during Biblical times, and one we see a lot today in various parts of the world, are grapevines. When I was a child, our next-door neighbor grew grapes in his backyard, and even made his own wine. The scenario that Jesus described for His disciples was one that they could easily understand. Grapes were a very significant commodity at the time of the New Testament, as production of wine was very important.
Jesus’ disciples knew that having fruitful vines was vital. A good vinedresser, gardener, and those who care for fruit trees know the importance of keeping the plants or trees well-pruned. A branch that isn’t producing well is often cut back so that it will produce more, and one that doesn’t bear fruit is cut off. Sometimes when we see a gardener working on a plant or tree, pruning back fruitless branches, or ones that aren’t doing as well as they could, we might think that they will kill the plant, but they know what they are doing. By chopping away here and cutting back there, a good vinedresser can bring about a fruitful crop through his careful pruning.
In our Scripture, Jesus told His disciples that He is the vine, and that His followers are the branches. God wants His children to bear fruit for Him. The fruit we bear is what we do for His kingdom, such as witnessing and leading others to Christ, doing the work that He has given us to do in His Church or for His kingdom. God the Father is the vinedresser, and He is always looking over the plants to make sure that each branch is doing what it should, which is to be producing fruit.
As a good vinedresser, when God sees a branch that is not bearing any fruit, He gets rid of that dead wood so that the living fruit-bearing branches can thrive (vs. 2). The dead wood is a picture of apostates, those who presume to be Christians, but don’t have true saving faith. They will be taken away in judgment. They have never had the life of Christ flowing through them, just as the fruitful vines do have His life in them. Unfruitful branches can infect the plant. They must be removed.
The Lord God also does pruning on the branches that do have life in them, but which are not producing fruit up to par. Just like the vinedresser and gardener, God removes all things in the believer’s life that hinders fruit-bearing. He cuts away sin and hindrances that drain a spiritual life. God cuts back branches to promote growth. He also sometimes disciplines us to strengthen our character and faith.
How do we remain a fruitful vine? Jesus tells us that to be fruitful we must abide in Him (vs. 4-5). A branch cannot bear fruit on its own. People cannot sanctify or save themselves on their own. The branch must stay rooted to the plant. We must be rooted in Jesus. We must allow Jesus to live His life in and through us. Stay close to Jesus, like a branch attached to the vine. Apart from Him we will only be unfruitful, and even wither and die. He is the vine, our support, the stability of our faith. If we cut ourselves off of the root system, our faith will shrivel.
The abiding believer is the only legitimate believer. Judgment awaits the branches that are cut off, the unbelievers (vs. 6). A strong and healthy branch, securely connected to the vine, may bend under trials, but it will never break. Look exclusively to Jesus and what He has done for us at the cross, and you will abide and stay securely on the vine.
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