The Vine and the Branches

John 15:1-17/ 2-21-2020

What have we been learning so far?

The last supper Luke 22:1-20

Jesus washes the disciple’s feet John 13:2-20

Jesus betrayal foretold John 13:21-38

The way the truth and the life John 14:1-14

The promises of the Holy Spirit John 14: 15-31

Today

The Vine and the Branches

The Vine and the Branches John 15:1-17

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[fn] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

ATTENTION GRABBER!

Soak It Up!

About twenty-four hours before your class, prepare a cut stock of celery into two pieces. Take one piece place it in a clear cup of water that has been heavily dyed with red food coloring. The celery will soak up the food coloring, exhibiting what it has been abiding in. Leave the other piece of celery out of the water without refrigeration. Exhibit the two pieces of celery to your class. Explain that the one-piece has been left out and has not abide in anything. It should now be limp and beginning to discolor. Explain that the other has been abiding in the colored water. Show the class how it has taken on the characteristics of what it has been abiding in.

LESSON TIME!

Listen to this story closely. Decide if it’s true or false. Don't call out, but raise your hand when you think you know if it’s true or false. At the end we will discuss it together:

One day a little girl by the name of Laura was visiting with her grandma in Napa Valley, California. Napa is famous for its splendid grapes grown in its plentiful vineyards.

It was summer and the vines were heavy with green leaves and long branches. Laura and her grandma took an early morning walk through the vineyard across from the house. As they walked Laura heard a groaning and moaning sound. She looked with alarm up at her Grandma, "What’s that sound? It’s all around us," Laura cried. "Oh, don't be alarmed!” her grandma said, “That is just the branches working hard moaning and groaning to produce grapes. They really have to sweat and strain to get those grapes to bud and mature. It's very exhausting work. That's why they groan that way."

“Is this story true or false?”

Have the children say why they think it is true or false. Of course, we know grapevines don't groan. They are just abiding and their fruit naturally grows because it is connected to the vine.

Today we will hear Jesus speak of the true vine, the vinedresser, and the branches that bear the fruit.

1. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

Jesus Himself is this present true vine. He meant He was the original vine, the source of life. Jesus was giving us this picture to help us understand our relationship with Him. We see that Jesus is the large strong vine out of which the branches grow.

Repeat this:

I can do all things with Christ and without Him, I can do nothing.

The vine is the source of life and the branches growing there belong to the vine. The vine supports and nurtures and feeds the branches. Without the vine, the branches would not live. Without Jesus, we could not live spiritually. The vinedresser or gardener is the Father.

2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Jesus' Father is our gardener. Part of His job is to prune the branches.

Pruning is when the gardener trims a plant.

Pruning is God's loving way of getting rid of the bad, but even the ones that are not producing fruit so good fruit can grow.

Pruning seems bad, but God is never nearer to us than when He is pruning us. We may not enjoy it, but we need it.

Some might ask how does God prune us?

He may use His word to convict and cleanse us.

Sometimes He chastens us (Hebrews 12:1-11).

He may remove something precious from us to provide something better.

He might allow various trials in our lives to draw us closer to Him.

If we weren't lovingly pruned, we might produce bad fruit.

Galatians 5:22-23 says

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.

3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

Jesus mentioned Remain in me, as I also remain in you. Ten times in verses 1-11. Wow! It must be important. Abide means to stay continually, dwell, settle down and make me at home. It is a relationship word of intimacy. A branch was made for a relationship with the vine. We can do nothing without Jesus.

In our story earlier the branches groaned and moaned. Branches don't really do that! They are just connected to the vine and it is the vine that causes the fruit to grow. To live in Christ means to keep in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work through and in us to produce fruit.

How can we tell if we are "abiding in Christ"? There is no special feeling, but there is special evidence that is unmistakable. When we abide in Jesus, we produce good fruit. We also experience the Father's loving and tender pruning. Our love for Christ and others will keep growing, and our prayers will be answered because our will matches that of Jesus. We will also have joy.

Abiding doesn't just happen; we have to have a healthy attachment to the vine which means we worship, meditate on God's word, pray and serve. Remember the branches don't eat the fruit, others do! We aren't producing fruit to please ourselves, but to serve others!

We will also desire to win others to Christ. We will grow in holiness and obedience. Even our worship of Jesus is actually a fruit.

10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

When we are obeying we are living in Jesus. The bible says to obey His commandments.

What are some commandments we should obey?

As we abide (enjoy our relationship with Christ and obey Him) the Holy Spirit who lives in us will bring forth the fruit of Christ through us. We can't do it ourselves apart from the Holy Spirit. God does all the beautiful works.

Before we can “abide” in the Vine, or be in Christ, we have to be connected to Him through salvation.

What is salvation?

Ask more questions then lead them in a alter call!

Pray the class out