Branching Out

Jesus knew His botany, and then some. One of His final lessons given to His disciples during the Last Supper is one of His most significant for us today.

The timing of this lesson was important too. Judas had already left to betray the Lord, who moments later told the 11 disciples that He would soon be leaving them. They were quite disturbed, so Jesus gave them this metaphor to let them know they would never be without Him.

John 15, verse 5, puts it this way: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing.”

Let’s talk about what that means. Did you know plants have a vascular system like a human does? A human’s vascular system is made up of arteries and veins that carry blood throughout the body. The system delivers nutrients and oxygen to the body’s tissues and takes away waste matter. A plant’s vascular system performs similar functions to keep the plant healthy.

A plants vascular system strengthens and nourishes the plant

A plant’s water and nutrients flow up from the roots and outward from the vine to the branches. Seeds of Scripture’s website says the nutrients are used by the branches to grow and produce fruit. Excess water evaporates through the leaf’s surface. As you may already know, a branch withers if its connection to the vine is damaged or severed because that flow is interrupted.

It's a safe assumption that no branch can live, let alone produce fruit by itself. Gotquestions.org simply says, “Cut off from the trunk, the branch is dead.” Just as the vine’s branches rely on being connected to the trunk from which they receive their energy to bear fruit, Jesus’ followers depend on being connected to Him for the strength of their spiritual life and the ability to serve Him effectively.

Moving on to verse 6, it says, “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up and thrown into the fire and burned.” Christian Courier.com says, “Those who choose not to remain in Christ are to be thrown away, for they are of no further use in a vineyard.”

He’s talking about the pruning process, something we all have to go through from time to time on this side of eternity. Pruning encourages a plant’s growth and strengthens its structure.

Removing the dead, diseased, and injured parts of plants maximize their vigor and aesthetic qualities. The Ground Guys website says removing vulnerable parts of the plant also minimizes the potential for pest damage. Plus, it encourages good growth patterns and air circulation. In other words, the plant benefits and grows stronger and healthier.

A real life example of a vine and its branches

Verse 7 then says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

First things first: This is not a blank check. It’s not a health and wealth, name it and claim it guarantee. That’s the worst kind of heresy because God is not a genie here to grant our every wish.

How do we abide in the True Vine? You may already have an idea or two. Prayer. Talking to the Lord every day. Spend time with Him by reading His Word. If you’re new to the Bible, there are study guides available to help you begin to understand it at a deeper level. Saying no to sinful behaviors that everyone else seems to be doing. Attending church.

One of my favorites is worship music. Praising the Lord is amazing in its ability to make everything else go away, including all the junk the world tries to throw at you. Nothing brings joy to a believer’s soul like praising the Lord.

Back to the Seeds of Scripture website. Visualize the love of Jesus flowing through us as nutrients flow from a vine to the branches. If we remain in Him and His words remain in us, we grow healthy, stronger, and we produce fruit. Remember how excess water evaporates from a leaf back into the atmosphere? Jesus’ love can evaporate through us into the world in the same way. Kind of a cool word picture, isn’t it?

What kind of fruit do we produce if we stay connected to the Vine? It’s the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5: 22-23. “But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

What do you think the world might look like if more people showed the Fruit of the Spirit in their lives? There’d be a lot less darkness, I promise you that. Jesus is the Light this world needs desperately.