Today’s Sermon on “Jesus is the Vine and the Father is the Gardener” is the central message of this Chapter.
It is worth noting is that only this Gospel of John has this important message. Its central message is Relationships and Responsibilities.
Historically, the cultivation of vineyards was important to the life and economy of Israel. For example, a golden vine adorned Herod’s temple.
When our Lord used this image He was not introducing something new, but spoke of something that meant life, connection and unity of the people of the time.
The interwoven character of the relationship between what Jesus spoke of as “The Vine who is Jesus and the gardener who is His Father” illustrates how we, as branches should be one and united with Christ to bear fruit. Just as the branch cannot produce its own life, it must therefore draw the life from the vine. In this context it is our communion with Jesus Christ through the Spirit that makes possible the bearing of the fruit. The children of God know that abiding in Christ calls for worship, meditating on God’s Word, prayer, sacrificial giving and service, all done through and in Christ.
The second important point about the message is, the role of the Father Jesus refers to that role as that of a “Gardener.”
Such a role of the Vinedresser is pruning the branches so they will produce more fruit. The point is not just producing fruit but more fruit (John 15: 5) and many fruit (John 15: 8) “More” and “Many” fruit comes at the pain of pruning by the Father. The Father sometimes cuts away the living tissue so that the life of the vine will not be so dissipated that the quality of the crop will be jeopardized. The Father knows when and how to start pruning. Also, the whole desired enterprise comes from the Father’s pruning process.
The Church of God must prophetically discern when God prunes it for better mission. That pruning however hurting at times, cleanses the Church for more healing and giving.
Blessings Jacob