You're so vine!

I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. John 15:5 Amplified Bible

A portion of the Hampton Court grapevine

At Hampton Court, near London, England, there is a grapevine which is about 240 years old. This grapevine has one stem which is at least two feet thick, this single stem has grown more than 200 feet long…. in either direction away from the root. Despite its age the vine produces several tons of grapes each year, even at 200 feet from the stem, the grapes are still sweet and delicious, because they are connected to the vine. Life flows from that single stem and throughout the vine bringing nourishment and strength to the very tip of the plant. View a YouTube video of the vine here

The grapevine is unique in the plant world; it has only one stem, and all the leaves of that vine are connected directly to that one stem. In effect, the leaves are the branches. This is what differentiates a vine from almost every other type of flora. There are no intervening branches, connected to other branches, linked to others still which ultimately fuse to the trunk. All the leaves of a vine are connected directly into the one stem.

The accord that Christ gives us is an accord that flows out of a shared life… the life of Christ. It’s not something that is imposed from the outside, nor is it a system of rules, rather its something which comes as naturally as breathing.

A Jewish coin minted 1949

Down through Israel’s history the vine has been the emblem of the nation. During the time of the Macabees, (about 150 years before Christ) the symbol of the vine was on the coins of Israel. It was engraved over the main doors of the synagogues. Josephus, in describing Herod’s Temple in Jesus’ day says, “Under the crown–work was spread out a golden vine, with its branches hanging down form a great height, the largeness and the workmanship of which were an astonishing sight to the spectators” (Antiquities of the Jews, 5.5.4).

The single purpose of the vine is to bring forth fruit. The whole emphasis of Jesus’ allegory of the vine is fruit bearing. God expected Israel to produce luscious, beautiful, rich choice grapes of righteousness. Rather, she produced sour, rotten, stinking, useless grapes. God was looking for justice and righteousness; instead He found oppression, cruelty, exploitation of men. Jesus said the purpose of the vine was “that it may keep on bearing more and more fruit.”

The woody growth of the vine has no use as building material, there is little strength in the branches, and left to itself the vine becomes a mess. It is, as my sainted grand-mother used to say, "neither use nor ornament".  Usually once a vineyard owner has finished pruning his vines, the cuttings are burnt, releasing a little potash into the soil of the vineyard.

We need to ask ourselves, what fruit is God producing in my life? The fruit of the vine will be the natural outflow of the life of the vine. Jesus is the Vine. When we are united with Him we are identified with Him. We produce His wine. We reproduce Christ. He works into us what He wants us to produce.

There is however, a problem with grapevines…they would rather produce shoots and leaves than grapes. They end up looking lush and green, but ultimately they are only good for making wreaths and decorations. Grapevines must be pruned radically, and often. The gardener must be merciless, cutting them back each year as far as he possibly can. Branches with no fruit must be removed so they don’t draw nutrients away from the grapes. And fruitful branches must be pruned back to produce even more in the following year.

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. John 15:8

 

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