I AM THE TRUE VINE, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Of all the teachings of Jesus, this one is certainly one of the most profound. There is much to this parable. The primary functional principle of the Parable of the True Vine is that of ABIDING within the Anointed One, Jesus Christ. ABIDING is mentioned repeatedly by Jesus, Jesus abiding, the Father abiding, the believer abiding - all abiding together through the Word. The word translated as »abide« in the parable is the Greek verb menô, which means "to stay in a given place, state, relation or expectancy" [#3306G]. Jesus wants his people to STAY in his presence and word.

Jesus identifies himself as the TRUE VINE. The word translated as »true« here is the Greek word alêthinê. It does mean 'true', but not in exactly the same sense as our English word, which comes from a Germanic root which carries the notion of 'faithfulness'. In fact, the English word 'faithfulness', when translated into German, is often translated as 'Treue'. Historically, 'Treue' is the exact same word as 'true'. Reconstructed with morphemes found in English, alêthinê comes out as unlatent, that is, 'unhidden'. Sometimes, we mention a person's latent talent or abilities in reference to something seemingly hidden within one's personality, but not manifested in any great way. Thus, the force of the Greek word is 'true', but refers to that which is not hidden in the natural man, not latent within him, but displayed and openly revealed within and through Jesus. As the Scripture says, »Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him... even so the things of God knoweth no man... But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God« (1C 2:9-14). Jesus is the TRUE Vine. Whatever other vines there may be, he is the only one which is TRUE. Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. He revealed the heart of Yahweh. He revealed the nature and work of God unto humanity.

Jesus identifies his Father, Yahweh, as the HUSBANDMAN. The word translated as »husbandman« is the Greek noun geôrgos. geôrgos literally means 'farmer' or 'vinekeeper'. Yahweh cared for Jesus in the days of his earthly life and ministry as a loving father cares for his only son. Any farmer knows that great care is taken to prepare the soil, to plough it, fertilize it, to sow seed, to weed it, to water it. As the 'vinekeeper', Yahweh was caring for Jesus unto the end that the very best fruit be borne on this choicest vine. Jesus talks about this further down in the parable. However, if one break geôrgos down into its component morphemes, ge- meaning 'earth', and -ôrgos meaning 'worker', a great truth is revealed, for it reveals the Father as the earth-worker, the one who tills the earth and works with it for planting this True Vine in the earth. And Jesus was planted in the earth, literally, in his burial and 'sprouted' out of the earth in his resurrection from among the dead. In this day, the Spirit of God works in the earth to plant Jesus into the 'earth' of men and women, that seed that fell into the earth and died being planted in their hearts, that they might become sons of God, walk in newness of life, and attain unto the power of his resurrection. Note what Paul wrote concerning resurrection:

Jesus, the Second Man, the Lord from Heaven, the Heavenly, said of himself, »I am the resurrection and the life«, and the Spirit of God is now active sowing him who is that Quickening Spirit into the earth, into human hearts, indeed, into the earthy hearts of the descendents of Adam, who was made of earth. And the Father is busy 'earth-working' through the Spirit of Truth to tend this True Vine planted in the earth.

This verse briefly describes the work of the Holy Spirit in vinekeeping the True Vine. He is not interested in branches which bear no fruit, but in those who do. Note Jesus' teaching about fruitbearing: »the earth bringeth forth FRUIT of herself; first the BLADE, then the EAR, after that the FULL CORN IN THE EAR«. If the fruit you are bearing is only a blade or leaf, it is nevertheless a bearing of fruit, howbeit with the intention of Jesus being that full corn in the ear should eventually develop. This FRUIT is what Paul called the »fruit of the Spirit«, that is, »love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance«(Ga 5:22-23). This fruit is the nature of God manifested in the believer, even as it was manifested in Jesus, and is the image of the Heavenly Man. Jesus displayed all of these characteristics in fulness without contradiction or discrepancy, both unto God, his Father, and unto humanity, the fulness of God dwelling in him bodily. This bearing of this fruit was his 'unlatency', the revelation of God which had previously remained hidden in the heart of God. And those who are abiding in him Yahweh intends to fill with the fulness of the Spirit of God.

In the days of Noah, the fruit borne of Adam was corrupt fruit, that is, they bore not the fruit of the Spirit, and Yahweh brought the Deluge upon the earth which TOOK them all AWAY, and they were killed by the rising waters. But Noah found grace with Yahweh, and he believed when Yahweh spoke to him to build the Ark unto the salvation of himself and his family. He had FAITH, and faith is a component of the Fruit and likewise a gift or manifestation of the Spirit. We can relate this to individual Christians and their organizations as well to the inner man. Every extension of the True Vine which fails to bear fruit, the Spirit of God removes from the True Vine. The 'believer' who, like Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for money, does not bear fruit will be removed from the Body of Christ. With regard to those who bear fruit, those thoughts and emotions and desires within one's heart which bear not the fruit of the Spirit shall be removed from that one's heart. This removal of inward things is that purging of the believer unto the bearing of more fruit, even unto a superabundant bearing of fruit.

And here is the means of that purging. Paul wrote that the church was to be sanctified and cleansed with the »washing of water by the WORD«, that Jesus »might present it to himself a glorious« Vine (Ep 5:26-27). The things which Jesus had said to those closest to him had changed them forever. He had sown the Seed, even himself, into their earth, into their hearts, speaking as the Father gave him the word to speak. And he is still speaking into our hearts, through the Scriptures being energized by the Holy Spirit as we read or hear them spoken, through the mouths of his people, and through the Spirit of God speaking directly to our spirits.

It is Jesus' intention, for he is God, even Yahweh, that we should dwell in him and in him live, and move, and have our being... And also that we should be the Temple of God, that habitation of God through the Spirit, that he should live in us simultaneously. Paul called this reality »Christ in you, the hope of glory« (Co 1:27). It is primarily through faith and prayer and belief in the Truth, all generated and energized by the Spirit of God, that we abide or remain in him. The basic truth here is that no fruit can be borne apart from this. The fruit of the Spirit cannot possibly be borne in one who does not remain in Christ. Jesus lived by every word which the Father spoke to him, and so must we if we are to abide in the True Vine. When one lops a branch off a tree or other plant, that branch is no longer sustained by its intimate internal connection with the trunk of the tree, with its heart. Jesus wants people to understand that »love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance« cannot be generated of us if we become disconnected from him.

Ye that are borne of the same Holy Spirit of God who conceived Jesus in Mary's womb, that believe and trust in him, ye are the branches. I am a branch of the True Vine, intimately connected with him through the Spirit, partaking of the same nature. What and Who flows through Jesus flows through me, for the Spirit of Christ works in my life. Because I abide in him and he in me, I am bringing forth much fruit of the Spirit though his working and dwelling within my heart, the fruit growing from a small blade to ripened seed-bearing fruit as my Heavenly Geôrgos cares for me as one of the branches. Without Jesus, I cannot bear any of the fruit of the Spirit, or any other kind of good fruit.

This is sad, but we must know the alternative to dwelling in his Presence. Casting forth and withering, whether natural or spiritual, have grave consequences. The one who does not remain in the True Vine, Jesus, falls to the earth, dries out, and becomes useless for anything but fuel for a fire.

So many words dwell in us which are HIS WORDS. The word of the Father not only abode in Jesus, but he was the Word, who came to us, saying, "Change your mind, for the Kingdom of Heaven is within your reach!" He became flesh, and tented among us, full of grace and truth. By grace through faith are we saved, and as we abide in him, in HIS WORDS, we come to know the Truth, and are thereby set free. Noah abode in Yahweh's word and lterally inherited the earth. Gradually bearing more and more of his image, growing, we become full of grace and truth, and he becomes flesh or manifest in us. We partake of his nature, and out of that nature, we call upon our Heavenly Father, and the Spirit of God does it unto us. HIS WORDS abide in us as they become flesh, as we are changed from glory to glory, from strength to strength, from grace to grace ad infinitum. This abiding of his words speaks of a changed mind, one not conformed to this world, this cosmos, this ordered system, metamorphosed by the renewing of the mind through the action and effect of the Holy Spirit in and upon our lives. Out of this we pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".

Hallelu Yah! Herein is Yahweh glorified, in that we bear the fruit of the Spirit. And it is in the bearing of this fruit that we are his disciples, not in the performance of dead works unto selfish and prideful boasting. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews spoke of those who come under God's discipline as afterward bearing the »peaceable fruit of righteousness«. And so the discipline or instruction of the Lord through the Spirit is a means by which we bear fruit. And so, as the Spirit of Truth energizes his sons, more of the Kingdom of God is generated within us, for the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy within the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of God rested and remained upon Jesus. Yahweh was with him and within him in every aspect of his life. The Spirit of God was given to Jesus without measure, without limitation. How did Jesus love them? Paul puts it well: »God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us« (Ro 5:8) and »I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me« (Ga 2:20) and »Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it« (Ep 5:25). Jesus gave himself completely to the will of the Father. Read the Gospels. All that he did and said was the manifestation of his love toward them, the way he loved them unto the end. Selah.

The Greek word translated »commandment« is the word entolê. While entolê does mean 'command' and 'commandment', it also means 'entrustment'. We are expected to keep these entrustments, to keep hold of them in our hearts. These entrustments may be things to do, changes to make, visions, revelations, gifts, insights, etc. The Psalmist said to Yahweh »Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee«. Jesus seeks to make us into faithful stewards of the mysteries of God. He wants to entrust us with HIS things, those unlatent things. When he speaks to us, he desires that we keep those things and handle them as he does.

Remember, the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and JOY in the Holy Spirit. In Hebrews, it says concerning Jesus »But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS, and HATED INIQUITY; therefore God, even thy God, hath ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS above thy fellows« (Hb 1:8-9). Jesus tells us these things for a wonderful purpose - to tell us how to have his joy, even the Joy of Yahweh remaining or abiding within our beings, and how our joy might be FULL. It is "Joy unspeakable and full of glory", the old song says.

And here is his entrustment, that we love one another as he has loved us. He encourages us give ourselves for one another, dying to our own wills, that we might do the will of the Father in our dealings with one another. Paul described this love:

This was and is the manner in which Jesus loves us. And this is the way in which he desires that we love one another fervently with a pure heart. John reiterated this to his readers:

We could use this passage of John's First Epistle to paraphrase the Parable of the True Vine. Abide in the Vine, believe him that speaketh from heaven, love one another, keep his entrustments.

The grace and faith and love of our Lord Jesus Christ be within you, saturating you, unto everlasting life! Amen!

Abbreviations & Sources

Reference Works

Bibles