Forgiven by the Vine
John 15:1-17
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text for this morning comes from the Gospel lesson. Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Jesus identifies himself with a vine. He does not identify himself with the grapes that are harvested, or the branches from which the grapes are picked. He is the vine itself, which provides life to the branches and the nutrients for grapes to grow. The illustration is going to fall apart if I try to identify someone else as the roots that pull the nutrients from the soil.
But I can push the illustration by using 1 Corinthians 12, St Paul writes, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ... Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." We do not just talk about the stem as the vine separate from the branches and roots, but we also call the entire plant the vine. Jesus is the vine and you are the branches, which are individually members of the vine.
St Paul uses this connection to encourage us to take care of and look after the other branches in 1 Corinthians 12. In Romans 11 though, St Paul uses the illustration of a tree, into which you have been grafted. In Romans, St Paul is illustrating that you can be cut off from the tree on account of unbelief, and others can be grafted in through Faith.
St Paul is only further illustrating what Jesus says here in John 15. Those who are members of the Body of Christ, find their strength, encouragement, and life from the Vine. Those who reject the Vine and the forgiveness of sin, are cut off and will be gathered together and thrown into the fire. "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned."
For if you do not bear fruit the vinedresser will take you away. How do we identify fruit? Is this good works? Is this just faith? Or is it as James would say, "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." How do we identify fruit? It is by what we can see.
So all of you who have not borne good fruit this last week, you are cut off. If you have not followed the Lord's commandments, you are done. Jesus says, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." In order to remain, or abide in the Vine you need to bear fruit.
Let us think back though to the words of St Paul. St Paul reminded us that the gentiles have been grafted in. You have been joined to the Vine by the Vinedresser. Therefore, in both Romans 11 and here in John 15 there appears to be time for the branch that is cut off. It may be thrown aside, separated from the vine or tree, but the Vinedresser still can graft it in again.
I don't know how this would work with an actual branch, but I know how it works with God's forgiveness. God continues to strengthen you, by his word. The Holy Spirit continues to call us by the gospel. He continues to help us to abide in God's love.
Here we need to remember, Jesus said, "I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, For Apart From Me you can do Nothing." Let us not be so quick to feel rejected. Apart from God we can bear no good fruit. Apart from the Vine we are unclean and unworthy.
Thanks be to God that he loves us so much that he sends Jesus Christ true God and true man to die for the forgiveness of our sin. He is the one who shows the love God has for you, "Greater love has no one than this that someone lays down his life for his friends." Jesus claims you to be a part of his own Vine, or Body. He claims you through his sacrifice to be his friend.
Even though we continue to fall away. We continue to live a life of sin. We know the evil and continue to walk in the ways of darkness. Therefore, the vinedresser continues to prune his Vine. He cuts away at the vine. God will even up root the vine and cast it away, only to replant it once again. In so doing he has cut off all the branches, putting them all to death. He then brings the vine new life, and with it all its members. You have died and risen with Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus even reminds his disciples, "Already you are clean because of the Word that I have spoken to you." Therefore, in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I speak those same words of Forgiveness to you, I Forgive you all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment