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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. – Jesus in John 15:5
“Abide” is the keyword here:
The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives this meaning:
intransitive verb
1: to remain stable or fixed in a state: a love that abided with him all his days
2: to continue in a place: SOJOURN will abide in the house of the Lord
Abide is used 190 times in the Bible, in one form or another,
The idea always carries with it the sense of resting, comfort, and safety.
In the Old Testament, we see it in the wonderful 91st Psalm:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Verse 1
Here it is accompanied by two other words that emphasize its connotations of life and residence, “dwelleth” and “place.”
We see the place reference again in
Psa_61:4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: and
Psa_125:1 A Song of degrees. They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed but abideth forever.
Jesus uses this place concept when He identifies Himself with the vine. Why does He use this metaphor? Because it is a symbol of His people:
Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it. – Psalm 80:8
For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: – Isaiah 5:7
Jesus knows His listeners see themselves as God’s vineyard, which He planted, nourished, tended, and expected to be fruitful.
Alas, that was not so, they were neither faithful nor fruitful.
God sent His Son into the world to save His people from their sins, to restore them to fruitfulness, and to give them all the promises associated with the vine in the Old Testament.
The parable of the vineyard
Jesus told this parable regarding the vine and His role in its care. It is recorded 3 times in the synoptic Gospels. Here it is in the Gospel according to St. Luke:
A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.
And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him and sent him away empty.
And again, he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
And again, he sent a third: and they wounded him also and cast him out.
Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
So, they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Luke 20:9-15
This is a foretelling of Jesus’ ministry and death. Sadly, the husbandmen were the religious leaders of that day. They will face judgment and the vineyard will be given to others.
That Old Covenant vineyard was transformed into the Church of Jesus Christ, His bride, and you and I are in the vineyard of the New Covenant, sealed with His blood.
We have a vital role in the vineyard, we are the branches through whom His saving grace and blessing flow.
Through us the lifegiving power of Jesus’ Spirit flows, delivering salvation and blessing to others. Jesus calls this “fruit.”
How do we Abide in the vine?
First, you will see, Jesus says “and I in him.” Before Jesus can abide with us, we must abide with Him! And this is simple; Only believe!
All we need do is come to Him believing to receive the everlasting life He promises in John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
He wants us to believe and to ask Him to come into our hearts!
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me. – Revelation 3:20
Abide with me
So, before Jesus can abide in us, we need to abide in Him. He wants to abide in us and will once we give Him our hearts. An old hymn expresses the thought well:
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
Henry Lyte, 1847
This song is based on the request of Jesus’ disciples on the road to Emmaus. They did not know who He was, but they asked, and He did. And He will abide with us when we ask Him. Praise God!
Constantly Abiding
And just as those disciples’ lives were changed when Jesus came in and ate with them, ours is changed too, when Jesus comes to stay!
There’s a peace in my heart that the world never gave,
A peace it cannot take away;
Though the trials of life may surround like a cloud,
I’ve a peace that has come here to stay!
REFRAIN:
Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;
Constantly abiding, rapture divine;
He never leaves me lonely, whispers, O so kind:
“I will never leave thee,” Jesus is mine.
Anne May Sebring Murphy, 1908
His meal with us is not just a single occasion, He wants to dwell forever with us as we dwell with Him.
Abide or Nothing!
How peaceful it is to have the life and power of Jesus abiding in us, flowing through us, and bearing fruit. We need to do nothing, rest in Him and allow Him to work. Why would anyone NOT want to abide?
Because we have a mortal enemy, the devil.
Jesus told this parable about how we are saved:
A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. – Luke 8:5-8
This is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God.
The seeds that fell along the path stand for those who hear, but the Devil comes and takes the message away from their hearts in order to keep them from believing and being saved.
The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who hear the message and receive it gladly. But it does not sink deep into them; they believe only for a while but when the time of testing comes, they fall away.
The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear; but the worries and riches and pleasures of this life crowd in and choke them, and their fruit never ripens.
The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit. – Luke 8:12-15
We need a good and obedient heart to “abide” in Him in the vine and the fruit will naturally, or rather supernaturally come as we rest in Him.
How does the devil lure us from abiding in the vine?
Jesus provides the answers in the passage above:
“The Devil comes and takes the message away from their hearts.”
How does he do it? The same way he did it in the beginning, with Adam and Eve. He came as a serpent and questioned God’s Word:
“Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?” Genesis 3:1
Today his questions might take the form of
“Can you really believe the Bible?”
Others believe only for a while but when the time of testing comes, they fall away.” We leave the safety of the barn and try to meet the test in our own strength. Wrong! Jesus warns us
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. – John 16:33
Others allow the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life to crowd in and choke them, and their fruit never ripens.
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – Matthew 31-33
Helps to Abide
The section above demonstrates our most important help, the Bible. When the devil tested Jesus for 40 days in the wilderness, His every response was a citation of Scripture.
As we live in the Bible, reading it devotionally daily, meditating on it day and night, His Word will strengthen us and defeat the devil.
Jesus is the Vine and as we abide in Him, we become His church. He has a place for each one, and each one is there to abide and love one another.
As we abide in Him, we abide in His church and are strengthened and comforted.
We all need to be a part of a local church as well to be in communion with Him and other believers.
Here we share the Lord’s Supper and enjoy the fellowship and strength of our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
The church stands in opposition to the world, which we are to avoid. The devil is the god of this world and friendship with the world has dire consequences,
Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. – James 4:4
The devil never ceases to draw us away from the Vine. He has allies in our flesh, i.e., our natural bodily desires, and the world.
We simply cannot do what we desire. As we abide in the vine, the fruit of the Spirit will begin to flow through us:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. – Galatians 5:22-24
Abide in the Vine: a parting word
Why does Jesus say He is the Vine? Because He came into this world to restore all things and accomplished His work on the cross of Calvary.
Through that cross, we are welcomed into His kingdom, a vineyard that supports us completely.
Resting in His love, we are surrounded by His grace, abiding in His vineyard and allowing Him to build His kingdom through us.
Here we are forever safe and blessed and daily learning that having completed His work on the cross it will be completed in us as we abide and learn that He is All and in all.
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Abiding, oh, so wondrous sweet! listen HERE:
I’m resting at the Savior’s feet;
I trust in him, I’m satisfied,
I’m resting in the Crucified!
Chorus:
Abiding, abiding,
Oh! so wondrous sweet!
I’m resting, resting
At the Savior’s feet.
He speaks, and by his word is given
His peace, a rich foretaste of heav’n!
Not as the world he peace doth give,
’Tis thro’ this hope my soul shall live. [Chorus]
I live; not I; thro’ him alone
By whom the mighty work is done: —
Dead to myself, alive to him,
I count all loss his rest to gain. [Chorus]
Now rest, my heart, the work is done,
I’m saved thro’ the Eternal son!
Let all my powers my soul employ,
To tell the world my peace and joy. [Chorus]
Charles B. J. Root, 1885
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