Understanding John 15:1-8

John 15:1-8 (NIV)

 The Vine and the Branches

 [15:1] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. [2] He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. [3] You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. [4] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

 [5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. [7] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. [8] This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

This passage has been misused and misunderstood, mostly by those who think that true Christians can lose their salvation by being "cut off" by the Father.  It is also a very important reminder of how true Christians are supposed to live - bearing fruit.  It is interesting how many will claim to be true believers and yet live lives opposite the life and teaching of our Lord.

So allow me to dissect and explain this verse as simply as possible.

Jesus is the true Vine.  He is the source of life, true life.  

In that vine there are many branches.

Who knows who the true branches are?  The Gardener.  Our Heavenly Father is the Gardener.

He knows which branch should be cut off, and which branch should remain.

What are the branches He cuts off?  Those that bear NO FRUIT.

What are the branches that He chooses to remain?  Those that bear fruit.  He prunes them so that they will be EVEN MORE FRUITFUL.

     These are the branches that REMAIN - the branches that bear fruit.

     Who are these branches that bear much fruit?  Jesus' disciples.  We see that in verse 8.

     Bearing much fruit gives glory to the Father.  These are the true disciples of our Lord.

The branches that do not bear fruit - NOT DISCIPLES.  This is why they are thrown away, because they are not bearing fruit.  The Father cuts them off from the true Vine.

The true branches are those that are "clean".  The clean branches are the Lord's disciples, as He says in verse 3.

Remaining in the Vine is not the work of a disciple.  Because no matter how we try to remain we always seem to let go.

When Jesus tells His disciples to "Remain in Me", He is not telling them to try with their own effort to remain.  He is simply reminding them of who they are, that they are those whom the Father has not cut off and has chosen to remain so that He can prune them to bear much fruit.

It's like God telling them "live the life that I have chosen you to live".  

Christians live out the life that their heavenly Father has chosen for them to live.

True disciples bear much fruit.  This is what God is working out in our lives.  There is no true branch, true disciple, that is not bearing fruit.

Again, not because the disciple is trying hard, but because our Father is continually pruning us so that through our bearing much fruit we can glorify His name.