What a Grapevine Tells us About a Relationship with Jesus

2 min read

Of all the metaphors in the Bible that can help us better understand our relationship with God (Shepherd/sheep, Potter/clay, Father/children), one of my all-time favorites is that of the Vine and branches. For some reason, this comparison just helps me get it.

When Jesus taught His disciples about how important it would be for them to stay close to Him, to remain in a zone of close fellowship, He used the grapevine and branch illustration. He said:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Visualize this and think about it for five seconds. Jesus is the vine and you are the branch coming off that vine where the fruit will appear… Jesus made it plain and simple that fruitfulness does not depend on having the perfect conditions in life, but on proximity to the Vine. Stay close to Him and bear fruit. Or drift away and dry up.

As Warren Wiersbe put it, “This abiding relationship is natural to the branch and the vine, but it must be cultivated in the Christian life. It is not automatic. Remaining in Christ demands worship, meditation on God’s Word, prayer, sacrifice, and service…”

Nothing will bring meaning and satisfaction to your life like the fruit of fellowship with Jesus. But be advised, while this fruit is free, it isn’t fast. It is plentiful, but not necessarily low- hanging.

It seems like every day there are a thousand things trying to rip us apart from the Vine. Hectic schedules, worries about an unresolved issue, rude people – all of these can make it difficult to abide in Christ. But it is these very things that can also serve as reminders of how much we need Him!

Christian, may your most fruitful days still be ahead of you!

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.