The Vine and The Branches

John’s Gospel is very different from the other three. It would have to be seeing the others were well known for over 20 years by the time John wrote his. So why write another Gospel? It was because John wanted to draw out another aspect of Jesus’ life and ministry that needed greater emphasis; that a personal relationship with Jesus is at the heart of this new abundant life. As my faded bumper sticker says, “Jesus is life- the rest is just details!” John would have been proud to have that on his donkey.

So John intentionally focuses on a mere handful of stories that he tells at great length. (Jn 20:30-31) These stories are usually summarized by a single saying of Jesus about himself beginning, “I am…”
I am the Bread of life, the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the Gate for the sheep, the Resurrection and the Life, the Way the Truth and the Life, the Vine. And the ultimate one, “I am”(Jn 8:58), which was the Greek equivalent for “Yahweh” the holy name of God himself.

John simply won’t allow us to see Jesus as merely another spiritual rabbi with profound teaching who points to God. Instead, a positive reaction to Jesus brings abundant life in every story in John. The whole Gospel of John is an evangelistic pamphlet aimed mainly at interested non-Christians.

So today’s reading about Jesus being the Vine and we Christians being the branches is part of a series that reinforces that you can’t be a Christian without the person of Jesus. This image of the Vine adds two unique aspects. Firstly, that Jesus the vine nourishes the branch and not the other way around. In other words the quality of your Christian life and faith does not sustain you as a Christian- Jesus does. Once you have been joined to Jesus he sustains you. Phew! What a relief for those of us whose faith is as reliable as the Melbourne weather!

Secondly, the nature of our symbiotic partnership with Jesus means that producing good fruit comes naturally like grapes on a grape vine. If we just allow Jesus to work through us each day then all sorts of good will naturally follow. Unfortunately, for many of us we live in a secular society that encourages us to forget about God in public places like work, school or taking the kids to sport. Perhaps we should place little physical reminders of the Vine in these so-called secular places to remind us of Who we are connected to… these reminders will prompt us to make ourselves available to Christ and what ever he may want to do in that place. Then the fruit comes as naturally as Spring draws the flowers …

Graeme