“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 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. 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. 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. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
John 15:1-8
1. Why are vines and the branches so ugly?
The vine uses 100% of the nutrients for growth and fruit. When looking at a vine and its branches, there is nothing aesthetically pleasing about them. That is because all of the nutrients are used for fruitfulness. This reminds me of Isaiah 53:1-3 which tells us Jesus used all of his resources for fruitfulness as “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him” and “nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Jesus’ primary use of resources was for growth and fruitfulness. As his disciples, we need to do the same.
2. Why are their branches at the bottom of the vine?
Those branches on the lower portion of the vine are not to be cut-off. Though they look like they are out of place or in the way, they are the future! Eventually, those lower branches will rise to the top and be very fruitful branches. We are taught from 1 Corinthians 12 that weaker disciples are indispensable. As well, Romans 14 and 15 teach us that the heart of a disciple is to bear with the failings of the weaker more faithless disciples. Every disciple can change and grow to be more alive in Christ. In fact, eventually, those disciples will raise up and be very fruitful!
3. Why are different branches different colors?
The color tells you everything you need to know. The greener a branch is the more alive it is. When it turns fully brown it is dead and must be cut from the vine. A dead branch has no chance at bearing fruit but it will continue to suck up nutrients in vain. During the pruning season, the color of the branch is the only way to tell if it should be pruned or cut-off. But every branch will be cut. The green ones will live and bear more fruit next season. This parallels to the disciples in God’s church being somewhere on the spectrum of very green and fruitful or very brown and dead.
4. Why are there branches on the branches?
Every branch must bear fruit but also must bear more branches. Actually, if a branch takes too long to bear another branch it will be pruned down to its base and forced to start growing all over again. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must bear fruit but also bear more leaders who will also bear fruit. We certainly do not want our training to be in vain and have to be cut down to our bases.
5. How do you work so fast, just snipping away at every vine with great speed?
The gardener must work fast. They cannot be sentimental with the branches because pruning season only lasts two months. Equally important is the preciseness of every cut as there cannot be any mistakes made which will harm the future harvest. We serve an awesome God who works quickly and precisely. God loves the vine and the branches and thankfully never makes mistakes while pruning the vine.
6. How important is each cut?
Every cut is for the future harvest. The gardener must calculate the greatest possibility of fruit for the vine and make the cuts necessary to see the greatest outcome. God is the lord of the harvest and although we don’t see immediate results during the times of pruning in our lives, God is preparing us for our best-yet harvest every year. If you a disciple who is remaining in Jesus than the Father believes you are the best hope of bearing the upcoming harvest of souls. It is God’s will that every faithful disciple will be fruitful.
7. When none of the branches seem to be doing well by bearing fruit or branches how does the gardener decide which ones to prune or cut-off?
The gardener always needs a harvest. Some harvest is better than no harvest. The gardener will leave the best branches on the vine even if the best branch isn’t producing a satisfactory amount of fruit. Our Father in heaven reigns over his kingdom that will never be destroyed. As Jesus says in Matthew 21:43, God will give his kingdom to those who will produce the most fruit. We produce God’s fruit for God and not for ourselves.
8. Does the gardener get confused by those branches that are cut-off yet still hang off other branches?
The gardener must clear the area of any debris so that the remaining branches are unhindered from bearing their fruit. To do this the gardener swings their cutters briskly around to knock the cut-off branches to the ground. It is a vicious, but necessary, process. It requires the trust of the gardener in the remaining branches for them to handle the force. When God cuts disciples off of the church it can sometimes be painful for the remaining disciples because of the relationships. But God trusts the disciples that they can handle the process and remain strong in Jesus as their greatest loving relationship.
9. What is the expectation of the gardener for the future harvests?
The gardener expects each harvest will be greater than the previous. The gardener will even sacrifice a small current harvest by pruning living branches so that in the following season each branch can be even more fruitful. As disciples, God is always disciplining us because we are his legitimate children (Hebrews 12:8). When disciples persevere through the painful pruning of God he promises “harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). Be trained by the pain.
10. Will the gardener ever cut down the vine because of its low quantity of fruit?
No, the gardener will not cut down the vine. In fact, no matter how bad it gets, the gardener will always leave at least two branches stretching out to the right and left. Even if there is very little green and it looks nearly dead, the gardener will only prune it so that it will become even more fruitful. If a disciple feels lonely, they do not understand the love of the Father who always gives friends. Jesus sent disciples out in pairs in Mark 6 and God promises his presence to groups of at least two disciples in Matthew 18. You are never alone.
We are the branches which are connected to our vine Jesus. God has commanded us to remain faithful in the vine and he promises us fruitfulness. Now that we have been pruned by God, let us become the fruitful branches that God believes we can be. In 2019 make the decision to use your resources for fruitfulness. Remain in the vine by staying connected with God through powerful prayer times all year long. When you feel like you’re losing strength allow God to prune you and be trained by his loving discipline.
We are entering the greatest year of our lives. Every year is the greatest year of our lives because God our Father is the perfect gardener constantly preparing us for the future of his kingdom. I pray that every disciple allows themselves to be used by God in fruitful labor this year and to God’s glory we will show ourselves in the PNW to God as disciples of Jesus Christ!
We are family…To be even more fruitful,
Joel Parlour