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In speaking about His relationship to the Redeemed, Yahshua used a number of symbolic images. One of the more notable ones, from which the title of this study is taken, is found here: “I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” (John 15:1-4)
This was clearly a very important parable in the mind of the Savior, because He interjects that the words He is using will make its hearers “clean.” He then continues, repeating the same idea from a slightly different angle to once again emphasize its importance: “I am the Vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me,and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:5-7)
So, there are several direct points of truth we may gain from the parabolic statements here. Yahshua is the source of our life, and only by our connection to Him do we live. As we live, and all who live, will bring forth fruit naturally; however, the word “naturally” does not mean “automatically.” There is a process; there is work done, and while it is Christ who works in us to accomplish the perfect will of the Father, the Father also “purgeth” the vine, shaping it and cutting off unnecessary parts, so that the fruitfulness will be maximized.
There is also an element of judgment here. Those who abide in their connection to the vine will bring forth this fruit, but those who do not will dry up and be good for nothing more than fuel for the fire to come. We will look at what it means for the Father to “purge” the good branches in a little while, but first I want to share something with you that I noticed for the first time only this past week.
Yahshua says, “I am the true Vine,” and again, “I am the Vine, ye are the branches.” Up until just a few days ago, I always read that passage as if it were saying, “I am the vine stem (that is, the central stalk), and ye are the branches.” The difference is subtle, but that difference makes all the difference in the world. If I were to show you a stem only, without any branches, and then branches only, without the stem, you could easily see the difference. But if I show you the whole vine, both stem and branches, and ask, "How many plants do you see?" It is only and all one thing. Now, the stem is not the branch, and the branch is not the stem, but they are both the vine. They are one… and Yahshua says, “I am the Vine,” the whole thing, not the stem only, and you are a part of Me.
We are the branches, but Yahshua is the whole vine, which includes the branches; this is a supremely intimate relationship in which the difference between the stem and the branches vanish as we consider the totality of the Vine.
As individuals, none of us is Yahshua the Christ. We are members of His Body, so in flesh, in individuality, we are separate. But at the same time, just as the branch is its own thing, but still a part of the whole that is just “the Vine,” not “the Vine and some branches,” so we are truly One with Christ, and not a separate spiritual organism. There is one spiritual concept that represents Christ and His people as a unit, and as strange as it may sound, the best word for that in human speech might be “Church,” if it is properly understood as being One with Christ, and not separate from Him. In this sense, the Son of Yahweh is a member of the Church, as its Head and its Redeemer, as the Chief Cornerstone. Who, then, would not want to be a member of the Church, of which Christ Himself is a part? It may also be called “Spiritual Israel,” although there are some who may not understand the significance of being a spiritual descendant of Abraham.
So, what does it mean to be a part of the Vine? For one thing, it means to be of the same “kind” of living thing. If you cut the stem, you get sap. If you cut one of the branches, you get exactly the same sap. The same life, the same essential substance, is in both, and if I were to give you some of that sap, you could not tell if it was taken from the stem, or from the branches. You can take this analogy as far as you like, and it still works; except for His physical form, everything that was in Christ is also in us. Everything the vine can do, growing, bearing fruit, climbing a wall, each branch can also do.
When the Gentiles were converted, and salvation went from the Jewish Church to the entire world, Paul described it in the following way: “For if the Firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches [the Jews that resisted Christ] be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree, boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.” (Rom 11:16-18)
This same process is described by Paul elsewhere, so you can see the parallel: “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Un-circumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, but now in Christ Yahshua ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” (Eph 2:11-16)
Some have misunderstood this passage in Ephesians 2, reading where Paul says that Christ “abolished … the law of commandments contained in ordinances” to be indicative of the 10 Commandments. However, there are a few things wrong with that understanding. First, the 10 Commandments are not contained in “ordinances;” they are a unique and separate code of conduct given directly by Yahweh, which Adventists have come to call “the Moral Law” as opposed to the “Ceremonial Law” that guided the conduct of Israel under Moses. Second, these commandments contained in ordinances is called “the enmity” by Paul, which means hatred, hostility, or separation.
But here we see the life-giving properties of the True Vine. There were certain laws, well known to both Jews and the Gentiles of that time, that separated the two groups of people. What Paul is addressing here has nothing to do with the 10 Commandments, because the Gentiles became commandment keepers, and were sent to the Synagogues to learn about the Law, (Acts 15:21) but rather the rituals and ceremonies that made a visible distinction between the Hebrews and those from other nations. Like a branch grafted into a different vine, the Gentiles had come to be partakers of the same divine nature as the Jews that accepted the Messiah, and now – despite their diverse origins – they were all Spiritual Israel, all one Vine, the vine which is the fullness of the Son of Yahweh.
Notice how Paul uses this very intimate association. He did not say that Christ, by His death on the Cross, proceeded to made a new nation, but rather “to make in Himself of twain one new man.” By being part of the Vine, we are one spiritual Body, one spiritual unit, though consisting of various individual members.
These are words we have all no doubt seen before, but – for me at least – understanding that Christ is the True Vine, and not just the central stem, brings me a sense of closeness with both Him, and all who join themselves to Him, to a greater degree than any previous mindset. Truly, as it is written, we abide in Him.
Now, I said before we would be looking at this verse, John 15:2, which reads, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit [The Father] taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” Both those that bear fruit and those that do not will face a pruning, a purifying, a cutting away. Those that do not bear fruit are themselves cut away from the vine, because they did not reveal a living connection. They appeared to be attached, but the sap did not flow through them to bring forth new life.
Those that do bear fruit are also purged. They are trimmed, so that unnecessary parts do not restrict their proper growth and productivity. These branches are not cut away, but things are cut away from them, and they endure this purging, because it is worth everything to remain on the Vine, and they trust that all that they experience is being done to them by the Father, by the Husbandman, for their best good. A part of being in the Vine is cultivating discipline, and this means that sometimes the Father will do “operations” on us, bringing us into proper order by removing false thoughts, detrimental attachments, and erroneous ideas.
This is exactly what the Book of Revelation is talking about when it says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent.” (Rev 3:19) Vines are good, but grow out of control if left on their own. This is why our Father is a Vine-dresser, in charge of directing our growth in the right way. He does so through a variety of means, such as by direct insights, by life experiences, and (very critically) by fellowship and interaction with His Church.
We read the following of the conversion of Saul the Pharisee to Paul the Apostle: “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heaven. And he trembling and astonished said, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ And the Lord said unto him, ‘Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.’ And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Behold, I am here, Lord.’ And the Lord said unto him, ‘Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus; for behold, he prayeth,’” (Acts 9:3, 6, 10, 11)
As educated and insightful as Paul was, it was Yahweh’s purpose to unite him with the disciples, so that he might learn exactly what the word “disciple” entails – discipline, the right understanding of truth, and the right use of the talents with which he had been blessed. There were certain aspects of his past as a Pharisee that could not be brought into his Christian experience; therefore, Yahweh connected Paul to those who had learned the Way of the Savior in order to show him what must be purged from his old life.
For all who come into contact with the Vine, the fruitless branches are cut off, and the fruitful branches are cut on, so that they may be better and better branches. This is so that the Vine in its entirety may be beautiful and healthy.
There is a parallel to this concept in human origins that even the fallen angels have missed, but that the 144,000 must understand. When Lucifer was in Heaven, beginning to nurture the seeds of sin, one of his chief controversies took the form of a question, which may be expressed in the following way: “If we angels are holy, created good and perfect, why do we need rules? Why do we need commandments telling us what to do, seeing as we are naturally inclined towards all that is virtuous and right?”
It is a good question, and one that the Father answered in the creation of mankind. If only those angels that would become demons had been less focused on their own ideas, and more focused on listening to what the Creator was saying.
When mankind was created, the first job that Yahweh ever gave him was indicated in the following verse: “And Yahweh Elohim took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” (Gen 2:15) Man was to tend the plants of the Garden of Eden, and that first word “dress,” means to labor with, to work with, and to cause to work. Adam’s labor was to ensure that the Garden grew in the right way, to be a perpetual monument to the beauty of life and what Yahweh had made; and it was necessary that Adam do this labor, otherwise the Garden would lose its orderly, divinely appointed perfection.
And you might ask, "Why would Yahweh make plants that could grow out of control?" It was as an object lesson to the universe, that even good things, even perfect things, must be disciplined and skillfully regulated in order to fulfill their destined purpose. You see, Lucifer asked a parallel question about the nature of free moral agents, “If we are holy, why do we need the Law?” Yahweh gave an answer to this question for Lucifer – such is the love of our Father – and if the Enemy had observed mankind, he would have learned a deeper level of holiness that now the 144,000 must understand. The fact that Adam and Eve, created perfect in the eyes of a holy God, could fall into sin, is an even more dramatic reply – even that which is “very good” must be kept safe, guarded, because genuine freedom includes the potential to transgress, to go against that which is right. This is not a flaw in freedom, it is the very thing that gives freedom its value and separates it from what would otherwise be slavery with invisible chains, a thing intolerable to our loving Father.
What is true of vines is true of character. Growth is good. Zeal is good. But if they are not disciplined and skillfully regulated, they will go out of control. Without the purging of the good branches, without correction and even rebuke at times, zeal can become imbalanced, and eventually degenerate into a Luciferian Chaos. This is a thing that our Adventist pioneers feared more than any apostasy or false doctrine – the idea that a good teaching, a proper practice, could become imbalanced, and lead people astray. Fanaticism among the saints is a far greater danger than any attacks from the outside, and so – come what may – we submit ourselves to the discipline that the Father administers to the good and fruitful branches.
Now, the Bible says this of discipline: “Whom Yahweh loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son (and daughter) whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Heb 12:6-11)
The true vine is Christ; the nature of the true vine is its Character. That character is natural for us, but it is not automatic. It requires the skill of the Father and Son to bring us to our full potential, to our holy destiny. Those who endure chastisement, who endure correction, will find life. There are times when this process will feel unpleasant to our senses, but is then that we must remember these teachings, these promises, and acknowledge that we are being treated as sons and daughters, and not as fruitless branches.
For my part, I strongly urge the brethren, and all who study with us, to learn the lesson of the vines in Eden, to see what Lucifer did not, because it is this, and only this, a recognition of the need for discipline and pruning among those that are being sanctified, that keeps zeal from becoming fanaticism, and exaltation in the service of Yahweh from becoming pride.
John writes this: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1John 2:19)
The true vines want to be corrected. They want to fulfill their divine potential so that they glorify the Father, the Husbandman, in the best possible way. It is this characteristic, or its absence, that Yahweh’s purging reveals… those who are the true branches, that endure the heat and sharp edges of correction, remain with the Vine. Those who do not go off on their own, offended and embarrassed, to start their own independent ministries or isolated worship.
We, who have been in the service of the Master for some years now, have seen faithful souls endure correction and become stronger because they did so. We have seen some who let their carnal sensibilities overcome their desire to stand in the judgment, and they went out into the darkness, never to reconnect with the True Vine. My attitude and advice has been this: learn what you can from every opportunity to be corrected. Be appreciative of every rebuke. And here is the secret, I think, that will disarm some of the most convincing arguments of the flesh: Even if the rebuke turns out to be uncalled for, like the result of a misunderstanding, or even if your feelings tell you that the reproof was too direct, or too harsh, you can still trust that the Father permitted it for a reason, and there is something He wishes you to learn. You may remain connected to the Vine, because love endures all things, and there will always be some lesson to learn, even if it is how to use communication tools more effectively in order to clarify misunderstandings.
We trust that our brethren love us, and that our Father is directing all things to work together for our good, therefore we fear nothing. The Father, the Son, and the Church all guard our souls, and protect us from any unnecessary pain. What is permitted is only permitted for our sanctification, and we ourselves may not always understand until afterwards the things from which we have been saved due to our experiences with our Father and His people.
It is only when people reject the discipline of Yahweh, the pruning of the Vine by the Father, that they “shut down;” they stop trying to come into agreement, and they begin to harbor bitter feelings. Bitterness is another kind of vine, a very dangerous species, and one that we can never allow to take root in the garden of our characters. May this never be so for any who hear these words.
Let me conclude our study today with the following passage: “I have forsaken Mine House, I have left mine Heritage; I have given the Dearly Beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies. Many pastors [false teachers] have destroyed My Vineyard, they have trodden my Portion under foot; they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto Me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.
“Thus saith Yahweh against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit, ‘Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My People, to swear by my name, Chay-Yahweh (Yahweh Liveth), as they taught my people to swear by Ba’al; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.’” (Jer 12:7, 10, 11, 14-16)
David.