The Grapevine

Right before he went to the Cross, Jesus introduced a metaphor to his disciples. God’s family is like a grapevine.

Father is the farmer. He prepared the ground, planted the seed, and cares for the plants. He weeds, waters, and fertilizes.

Jesus is the vine. He is the means of supplying life, nutrients, and energy to the rest of the plant. The branches grow, because they are connected to the vine.

God’s family are the branches. The branches are where fruit is produced. Fruit is produced, because the branches are connected to the vine. The quality of the connection matters too. If the branch is clinging to the vine by one, scrawny strand, almost breaking off, not much life can flow to it.

The purpose of the grapevine is to produce grapes. Fruit is the whole point to have a grapevine.

Fruit is essentially the effects of God’s family in the world. Because the fruit is connected to the branches, and the branches are connected to the vine, the fruit should have the nature of the vine in it. In other words, the fruit should have the nature, and the character, of Jesus.

Jesus walked perfectly with the Father. As branches, we will walk with the Father, not perfectly, because of sin. Be we should walk with Father in increasing perfection.

Jesus walked in perfect obedience to Father, in perfect love, and complete faith. So, his life showed the world, who God is, and what he is like. By his words and deeds, he moved people to desire to know God like he did, and choose to follow God like he did.

And this life, that was in Jesus, not only should be in us, it is in us. When we gave allegiance to Jesus, we were connected to the vine. The sap of the Holy Spirit is flowing into us, and, in some measure, out of us.

To give a simple definition: the process of growth, and sanctification, is a process of enabling, and allowing, the Holy spirit to flow through us, and in us, more freely, and easily. To connect us to the vine, securely, and truly, without hindrances, to allow the sap of the Holy Spirit complete, and undisturbed access to every last molecule of our lives.

There are experiences that hinder our ability to receive. They warp our view of God, his abilities, his love, and his intentions. Some of these are abusive. Some if these are honest presentations of what someone thought was the truth, but was a misunderstanding of God’s intentions, filtered through their own experiences.

That is why we need to remain connected. This is why, we need to continue to seek Father, to renew relationship, to obey more completely, to be open to Father’s input. He will cause life to flow, where it is needed most, to bring growth, perfection, and a greater impact in the world.