The True Vine

John 15:1-8

Albertville

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5/10/08

Due to my interest in gardening, and because of my experience in growing grapes here in Minnesota, I have spoken on this particular text more than once I think. But it’s more than just my own interest that leads me to talk about it. It’s a very vivid picture that Jesus paints! If you’ve ever seen grapes ripening on the vine, you know how awesome it can be. If all the conditions are just right, a grape vine will produce an almost miraculous amount of fruit; weighing many times more than the vine itself. And this, if the vine is tended properly, will continue to happen year after year! Grapes are be among the most productive plants on earth.

They are also among the oldest of cultivated crops too. According to archaeologists, grapes have been under cultivation on earth for at least 5000 years! The grape vine is a grand, old ancient plant that is celebrated around the world as much today as it was so very long ago. Grapes come with much history, tradition, and lore. When you see a grape vine, proudly spreading it’s branches in a vineyard, you are seeing not only the genius of our Lord in that he created them in the first place, but also the combined efforts of hundreds of generations of people around the world who have carefully grown, cross bred and grafted grapes with a passion. In one grape vine you are seeing the work of the loving creator along with the history of mankind! It is indeed one of the coolest plants there is.

This kind of tells us something doesn’t it? Tells us a little something of how Jesus thinks of our relationship to him. For it was he who said, “I am the vine, you are the branches!” Notice he didn’t choose another plant. He didn’t, for instance, choose a canadian thistle or cactus in describing us. Nor did he choose dandelions or buckthorn or any sort of noxious, prickly wild weeds to describe us and him. No No. He picks one of the most celebrated plants in all the earth: The grape vine! This is how he sees us and him together! He sees us bearing fruit together! Fruit that is good! Fruit that will be a blessing to the world! Yes a blessing!

What is this fruit? It’s the honesty and integrity in which you conduct yourself in your dealings with others. It’s love and discipline in which you raise your children. It the pruning back of the natural self-centeredness and self-gratification that comes with your sinful nature for the sake of others. It’s the redemptive way in which we regard others. Instead of seeing people as obstacles that prevent us from getting what we want, we see them as people in need of forgiveness.

These are the fruits that grow quite naturally out of our connection with our Savior; fruits, that our nation, whether it wants to admit it or not, has depended on to make it great. If all the Christians were to suddenly be removed from this nation, as some seem to wish, the earth would soon become a sorrowful place. The fruits of our relationship to Jesus has made us better neighbors, better parents, better children, better citizens, better friends. The world has benefited from our presence. We should not be ashamed of this vine in which we remain. We should not hide the fact that we are connected to Jesus. And we dare not apologize for him either, as if he were some crazy uncle we keep in a closet somewhere. He is the great life giving vine..... who would give life to the world. To the world.

As he says, “I am the true vine” as opposed to false vines. Yes yes, the world has seen lot’s of false vines come and go; even in recent memory. We’ve seen world leaders rise up declaring to all the world that they were going to bring about some sort of utopia on earth. Soviet Russia was supposed to be, as they called it, “a workers paradise” but it ended up being a hellacious place to live. Millions upon millions of people were put to death there for not falling in line with the great leader. Hitler also, spoke in glowing terms of how his third reich would recast the world in a most wonderful way...but he only succeeded in bringing some of the worst atrocities that the world has ever seen. In virtually every instance when an earthly government starts talking big and comes up with a grand scheme to make heaven on earth, it ends up making hell instead. History has shown that to be true. Again and again and again. Government is a false vine; it does not give life; it does not cause people to bear fruit.

We’ve also seen the false vines of philosophy and psychology in recent memory. Do you remember when we were told that the wonders of self-esteem would solve all the world’s problems? During this time we were told that we must constantly build up our self-esteem? Children were endlessly praised for doing even the slightest of correct things and they were never scolded. It was said to be the answer to everything...if only we could learn to esteem ourselves, the world would be a much better place. And so after many many seminars and self-help books...the self-esteeming of America began sometime in the mid seventies As a result we now think very highly of ourselves. We love ourselves. Why, the sun moon and stars revolve around each us now. And a funny thing happened in the course of all this esteeming: We became self-centered, self-focused, self interested, and self satisfied. The world is not a better place as result of this philosophy of the self. Again, more like hell than heaven. Another false vine.

Every time. Every time. We try to be our own life-giving vine we fail. That’s because mere human beings cannot really address the issue that is at the core of humanity’s failure which is sin. . It saddens me that this word “sin” has fallen out of favor these days. It’s considered an antiquated and negative term that damages self esteem. But it is the real problem. We are born as children of Adam and Eve. We are born sinful and at odds with our creator. No human vine of any kind can truly address this spiritual problem.. The only answer is Jesus the true vine Jesus dying and rising again. He carried our sins. He forgives the sins of the world and thereby injects new life into humanity. We are grafted into him.

You might not be aware of this, but the majority of the grapes in france are grown on American root stock. You see, in about 1860, they lost almost all of their vineyards from an infestation by a aphid like insect that kills the plants. But the grapes that were found in America, were immune to the effects....so today, most of the proud french grapes are actually grafted to American Rootstock.

In a similar way. Humanity was infested with sin. It was killing us and making it impossible for us to even think about bearing fruit or think about thriving. Humanity needed new rootstock if ever it was going to truly live and thrive. God sent Jesus the vine. He is firmly rooted in the soil of obedience and love. We are grafted into him. From him flows forgiveness, life, and eternal salvation. As result, we are changed We bear that fruit that our world is blessed to behold.

We are branches...connected to the vine... Producing fruit. Great picture of who we are in Jesus. AMEN