Christology Through Figures
By Jerry Batson, Th.D.
Special to The Alabama Baptist
The last of the seven “I am” sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of John is this week’s focus for Theology 101. Christ said simply, “I am the True Vine” (John 15:1). A grape vine is not a decorative plant intended to adorn the premises. Its purpose is the bearing of grapes. Fruit-bearing is at the heart of this week’s figure of Christ as a vine. Through His person and work He is the source of all true fruit-bearing.
By the addition of the definite article and an adjective, Christ specified that He is “the true Vine.” A number of Old Testament passages refer to Israel as a vine. However, Israel failed to be the fruitful vine God intended.
‘Seed of highest quality’
The prophet Jeremiah records this prophetic word from God, “I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me into the degenerate plant of an alien vine” (Jer. 2:21)? The reality of human failure became the setting for the coming of a Redeemer.
In place of the failed vine, God sent forth His Son to be the true Vine. The quality of this vine is not in question. The issue in Jesus’ use of this figure to refer to Himself centers not on the vine but on its branches. The matters of interest and importance in this figure of a vine center on its individual branches. Jesus was quite direct in saying to His listeners, and to us, “I am the Vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5).
At the risk of being overly precise, we must acknowledge that branches do not produce fruit. The vine produces fruit. Branches bear what the vine produces. This observation reminds believers of our responsibility to abide in the Vine so He might produce spiritual fruit through us. Branches do not struggle or agonize to force fruit to emerge on them; they simply abide in the vine and the fruit of the vine shows up in due season.
Abide in Him
The application of Jesus’ figure of Himself as the Vine and us as the branches simply instructs us to abide in Him.
However, He pressed His own analogy further in the reminder that God as the heavenly Vinedresser attends to the pruning of the branches in order to increase their fruit-bearing. Sometimes that which seems like harsh or negative experiences through which we pass may be part of God’s ongoing pruning process.
The pruning has the goal of branches bearing “more fruit” (John 15:2). The ultimate goal is important. Jesus expressed it, “By this My Father is glorified that you bear much fruit” (John 15:8).
Share with others: