The Parable of the Vine was a narration given by Jesus in John 15 that comes to explain what life is like for a person in the God’s Waymaking an allegory of a tree that is pruned by a vinedresser, and its branches bear a specific fruit.
In this sense, making this comparison Jesus explains that He is that tree that bears the fruit, While God is the vinedresser, and the branches become each one of the believers, some will bear fruit and be pruned by the Father while others will wither and have to be removed.
Parable of the Vine John 15
In the Bible there are a diversity of literary figures that allow embellishing each of the stories that are told in it, in order to be able to understand God’s plansand in this case Jesus makes a metaphor or allegory regarding natural elements that were easy to associate with all his listeners.
In this case, Jesus wanted to show his disciples and all his listeners the importance of being united with God, and through him they could achieve it, as he says. John 15:
«I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he will take away; and all that bears fruit, he cleanses it, so that it bears more fruit. Now you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, if it does not abide in the vine, so neither can you, if you do not abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, this one bears much fruit; because apart from me you can do nothing.
Whoever does not abide in me will be thrown out like a branch, and will wither; and they gather them up, and throw them into the fire, and they burn. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. In this my Father is glorified, in that you bear much fruit, and so be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; stay in my love If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; just as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be full.
This is my commandment: That you love one another, as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I will no longer call you servants, because the servant does not know what his lord is doing; but I have called you friends, because all the things that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.
You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. This I command you: Love one another” (John 15:1-17).
With this allegory, Jesus emphasizes the equality that He had with God, which he had manifested before this meeting by saying the following:
- “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)
- “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)
- “I am the path” (John 14:6)
- “I am the door” (John 10:9)
In this sense Jesus explains that He is the vine and his branches are the believersMeanwhile he Father is that vinedresser, so it is understood that that branch that bears fruit represents a true believer in God, since they have an identity that is not allowed to fall into doubt.
On the other hand, those branches that are barren can be known as believers who do not give a spiritual fruitand they have not had a real encounter with God so they have been separated from his teaching, which is what produces the necessary fruit.
And it should be noted that when Jesus gave this teaching, he had all his disciples before him, and he revealed to them the importance of abiding in him, being them those branches of which the allegory speaks, and eleven were those fruitful branches while one was fruitless, and this was Judas who did not follow the teaching of the Lord.
you can also read Parable of the Straw and the Beam
Symbology of the Parable of the Vine
In this parable you can see how Jesus addressed all his disciples directly, which is why even today this allegory resonates in the ears and hearts of all his followers. That is why a brief explanation of each of the elements that make up this narrative will be given below:
Jesus is the True Vine
The first thing this allegory says is that Jesus on the Vinethat is to say, that tree that could provide food and nutrients so that the branches bear the desired fruit, and can be solidly supported in its growth.
“I am the true vine”
This happens product that in the Old Testament the vinedresser was God and the vine was the people of Israel, the Lord blessed everyone who was connected to its source, took care of them and cut the branches that did not bear fruit, but that vine was discarded and did not give the full fruit that God so longed for.
God found the way Israel could bear the fruit that he was longing for, but he did not give it, that is why he removed that wall and left unprotected. Therefore it was trampled underfoot by all foreign nations, and it suffered heavily since it had lost the privilege of their covering.
It is for this reason that Jesus becomes that new vine, it is a new covenant through the only begotten of God, who is the close and permanent source that gives life to all the branchessince from Him comes all the nutrients sufficient to be able to complement the life of every believer, both spiritually and physically.
God is the Labrador
Another important symbol seen within this metaphor given by Jesus is that the vinedresser or farmer is the Heavenly Fatherthis arises from the real work that a farmer has with that tree, who becomes his son whom he cares for, in the same sense that God does with his child being a true association to how the Heavenly Father seeks the well-being of his son.
“and my Father is the husbandman”
Jesus takes the case of the vinedresser since the disciples were familiar with the work of this man, therefore when planting a vine the vinedresser would have several duties, and among those was cutting those branches that did not bear fruit, in addition to trimming those fruit-bearing branches so that the sap would will concentrate on each of the fruitsand look for the way in which the tree would grow in the best way.
In this sense, this farmer is the one who supplies the fertilizer and everything that this tree needs so that it can grow. the branches grow and they can be supported, and thus be able to see it grow and have an abundance of fruits.
The Branches of the Vine
As previously said, the branches become those believers in God, which is why, since this branch is really connected to the vinewhich is Jesus, will remain safe and can never be removed, since it will be able to bear the fruit how much is waiting.
«As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, if it does not abide in the vine, so neither can you, if you do not abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, this one bears much fruit; because apart from me you can do nothing”
That means that the branch that only has the surface bonding it will be eliminated, that is why what happened to Judas, because he was not connected to the vine that was Jesus, and succumbed to error and sin.
The Branches that do not bear Fruit are Uprooted
Another point that should be touched on is that those branches that they do not bear fruit they are taken awaysince when the branches that are bearing fruit grow, they prevent them from expanding and can damage that amount of fruit that is sprouting from the branch that is fruiting, so it is essential to remove it from the tree.
“Whoever does not abide in me will be thrown out like a branch, and will wither; and they gather them up, and throw them into the fire, and they burn.”
In this sense, he is addressing all those believers who may be attending church, but They don’t have that direct connection to Jesus.have a superficial relationship and that is not bearing fruit in their life, which is why in that case they must be careful not to fall into that separation that this teaching mentions, and the Bible in another passage refers to it.
“You will know them by their fruits. A thorn tree does not produce grapes, right? If the tree is good it will bear good fruit, but if the tree is bad, the fruit it will bear will be bad” (Matthew 7:16-17).
Branches that bear Fruit are Pruned
In the case of the branches that are bearing fruit are cleaned by the vineyard so that it can bear even greater fruit, this being necessary in the spiritual life of any believer, since this refers to the fact that the Father removes all sins and those things that limit the believer in bearing new fruits of justice and truth.
“And every one that bears fruit, he will cleanse it, so that it may bear more fruit. Now you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you»
When talking about pruning or removing things from the believer, these They can be material, they can be friendships, they can be things that the person practices and distances them from life.it is for this reason that it is purple so that it can bear all these fruits that the vinedresser is so longing for, that is, God.
you can also read Parable of the House on the Rock: Two Types of Believers
Finally, it can be said that Jesus is the Vine truth and through this teaching one can see that it is necessary to seek it in Spirit and in Truth, with the heart, to be those branches that give the right fruitand not become those fruitless branches that will be cut, and God does not want his children to be lost but to be able to arrive before his presence.