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This "vine" or "tree" theme goes back to the beginning, to the Garden of Eden. It's in reference to "obeying God's voice" -- the one thing God has commanded of His "special creation," man, from the start -- and the one thing that those who have pleased Him have done.
"...I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because that Abraham OBEYED MY VOICE, and kept My charge, My Commandments, My statutes, and My laws." (Gen.26:4-5)
"...Now therefore, if ye [Abraham's children] will OBEY MY VOICE indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: and ye shall be unto Me a Kingdom of Priests, and an Holy Nation..." (Ex.19:5-6)
"Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you... these things I command you, that ye love one another." (John 15:14-17)
"And the Lord God commanded the man..." (Gen.2:16).
The "trees" in the Garden account are a type of the "vine." They "bear fruit"... which symbolizes our "works"... the deeds we do in our lives [in the Garden account, the works {fruit} that Adam and Eve bore]. Jesus tells us that our "works" [the 'fruit we bear'; or lack thereof] indentifies us!
"...Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit... Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." (Matt.7:17-20 NIV)
The "fruit" Adam and Eve bore was "disobedience" to God's command!
Nothing has changed, regarding God's expectations of His creation. Man's choice was never to decide "what is good and evil." The only choice God ever gave man was "obey Me"... 'choose the good, and reject the evil."
"...what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach... the Word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it... For I command you today to LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD, to walk in His ways, and to KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
"But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient... you will certainly be destroyed... I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children may live." (Deut.30:11-19 NIV)
That's what Jesus is -- the "Truthful Vine."
He has always obeyed His Father... and their expectation and command to us is to obey them.
"...and My Father is the Gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He Prunes [trains, teaches and disciplines] so that it will be even more fruitful...
"Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the Vine... 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." (John 15:1-5 NIV)
"...Now REMAIN IN MY LOVE. If you obey My Commandments, you will remain in My Love, just as I have obeyed My Father's commands and remain in His Love." (verses 9-10)
A vine... a tree... is a "living organism." The "sap" within it is the lifeblood that flows through it. It's the unifying, life-giving source that causes it to work as "one," to bear its fruit. In this biblical analogy, the Holy Spirit of God is the sap that flows through this Living Spiritual Organism -- the unified Family of God.
"When the Counselor comes [Paraclete; parakletos: an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter -- the Power and Holy Spirit of God], whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about Me. And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning." (verses 26-27)
The "Family of God" is like as He created the human family... intended to grow and increase... to be fruitful and multiply [Gen.1:28].
We each have a "family tree" from which we grew, "branched" out and increased. So, it is with the Family of God, that has been branching out since the beginning... with Abel, being the first recorded among God's "faithful Children" [see Heb.11:4].
To the utter ignorance of this Satan-blinded world... the first generation of God's Children have been growing and increasing over the centuries since man's creation... under its very nose.
God is doing it... not man.
Separated from God, which man did in the Garden of Eden through his selfish disobedience, man cannot bear the Righteous fruit of the "Truthful Vine" -- genuine love and out-going concern for others [not to mention give Eternal Life].
That's what Jesus means by the "vine and branches." God is bringing Love and Salvation to this earth... through the eventual birth of His Family... to whom the earth will be their inheritance.
"It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the Promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the Righteousness that comes by faith." (Rom.4:13 NIV)
"Understand, then, that those who believe [KJV: which are of faith] are the children of Abraham." (Gal.3:7 NIV)
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all One in Christ Jesus [the Truthful Vine]. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the Promise." (verses 28-29)
Apart from God, each man is his own dying tree. But when grafted into God's "Truthful Vine"... we come out of our selfish nature and enter into God's Selfless Love... and His Salvation.
Speaking to the Gentile church in Rome, regarding the Jews who rejected Christ, Paul wrote:
"...If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share the nourishing Sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the Root, but the Root supports you.
"You will say then, 'Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.'
"Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either.
"Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
"And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree [the children of Abraham, cultivated by the Gardener], how much more readily will these, the natural brances, be grafted into their own olive tree!
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.'" (Rom.11:17-27 NIV)
That is just a little of what Jesus means by the "vine and the branches."
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What are two images of Jesus used for God's teachings?
There are several images of Jesus used by the Church, namely: The Good Shepherd, The Vine and the Branches, and The Bride of Christ. The Good Shepherd image uses the metaphor of a flock of sheep for the people of the Church. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and he takes care of his sheep. The Vine and the Branches says that Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, God the Father is the planter of the vine. We all stem from Him. The Bride of Christ shows how Jesus is so devoted to the Church (his bride) that he gave his life for her. Hope this helped.
What plant did jesus say he was?
He said that He was the vine, and us regular people were the branches and leaves.
I am the vine you are the branches?
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abide in me, and I in Him. For without me you are nothing
Why do many Christians belong to a worshipping community?
The founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, instructed it. He said where two or more are gathered together in his name, he is in the middle of them. Jesus referred to himself as the vine and his followers as the branches of the vine. Jesus said no branch can survive on its own, but must be attached to the vine. That means no Christian can be an island where it's possible to worship in a community of Christians.
What does The Bible say about branches?
there are many things in the bible that speak about branches. although, the most famous one is a verse said by Jesus: "I am the vine and you are the branches." i do not know the verse at the top of my head, but i am pretty sure it is i the book of mathew
How john potray Jesus as the true vine?
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."Jesus often used the vineyard as an analogy for the kingdom of God (Matthew 20:1-16, 21:28-32 and parallels). Ultimately, Jesus Himself is described as the "true vine" and His disciples (Christians) as the branches (John 15:1-11). Interestingly enough, vines were pruned (Lev. 25:4; Isa. 18:5) to produce stronger branches and a greater fruit yield.
What does the vine mean in christian religion?
In the Bible, John 15 Jesus is talking about how he is the vine, and we are the branches, some of the branches need to be cut off, and some of them can grow strong and long. He is also saying that we are nothing withought him. We cannot be withought him, if we fall from the vine, we will wither away and die. If you want to know more grab a Bible and go to John 15. To understand what it's saying you should read what comes before, and what comes after the verse.
What does the image of the vine and branches represent in John's gospel?
Jesus is the vine and his followers are the branches, while God is the one who tends the plant. He sometimes brings about actions that are intended not to harm Christians, but to help them be more productive spiritually. It establishes the relationship between Christians and Christ, and is the last of the ' I Am' statements.
Who came up with the idea as the body of christ?
Jesus said "I am the vine, and you are the branches". The first person to use the actual term "Body of Christ" was Paul.
Does a cherry grow on a vine?
no, it grows directly from the branches of the tree.
What fruit is Jesus referring to in St John 15?
Jesus often used the vineyard (fruit of the vine) as an anology for the kingdom of God. Jesus Himself is described as the 'true vine' and His disciples as the 'branches.' The fruit He speaks of is another anology for someone's 'works.' That is to say one evidence of saving faith is the existence of good works in the lives of believers. Those who do the works of the devil show that they are of the devil.
What's the meaning of John 15.1 i am the true vine in the bible?
Like many of Jesus' teachings it is an illustration from everyday life about the indispensibility of depending on Jesus Himself, and ultimately also on the Father, to live as a Christian, just as the vine depends on the vineyard worker to look after and prune it. Jesus is the true vine in the sense that He is the only way, the only one true means of salvation, since "If a man abide not in me he is cast forth..." (verse 6).ANDIn the OT, the nation of Israel was depicted as a vine planted by Jehovah - Jer 2:21. But the nation proved unfaithful and unfruitful, so the Lord Jesus now presented Himself as the true vine, the perfect fulfillment of all the other types and shadows. God the Father is the vinedresser.Matthew Henry says:"Text:- Ver.1-8 Jesus Christ is the Vine, the true Vine. The union of the human and Divine natures, and the fulness of the Spirit that is in him, resemble the root of the vine made fruitful by the moisture from a rich soil. Believers are branches of this Vine. The root is unseen, and our life is hid with Christ; the root bears the tree, diffuses sap to it, and in Christ are all supports and supplies. The branches of the vine are many,yet, meeting in the root, are all but one vine; thus are all true Christians, though in place and opinion distant from each other, meet in Christ..." (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: John 15:1- )
