July 15, 2025

The gospel of John (Ch15, 5)

Jesus, the vine

Jesus speaks: 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.

Dear Reader,

These are inseparable: New York and the Statue of Liberty, San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, Pisa and the Leaning Tower, and Italy and wine. The stamp for today's short sermon comes from Italy and shows a noble vine with a vineyard. 

Jesus' last “I am” word is about wine. Wine or the vine are images that we find throughout the Bible. For example, the first thing that comes to mind is the wedding at Cana, when Jesus turned water into wine. Or we Christians celebrate Holy Communion with bread and wine.

Now Jesus says of himself that he is the true vine and we Christians are the branches. I think he is talking about inseparable fellowship with all women and men who love and trust him. They belong inseparably to him. From this living connection, much fruit grows for God, the vine grower.

The apostle Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia about the fruit that grows from this intimate fellowship with Jesus. In chap. 5, 22 f he describes it like this:

„But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.“

These spiritual fruits transform the heart. They reveal a new nature. They positively change our behavior in everyday life. Jesus allows these spiritual fruits to grow in us through the Holy Spirit. Conversely, however, it is also true that those who detach themselves from the Lord Jesus Christ can no longer bear fruit and will wither spiritually.

An intimate bond with Jesus Christ honors God the Father. We Christians honor God when we remain in intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jesus explicitly calls on us Christians to remain in this fellowship. The apostle Luke reports in Acts 2:42 what this abiding looks like in practice:

„They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.“

Jesus Christ wants us to remain in this community and thereby mature spiritually. The Christian community is the body of Christ, and each individual is a member (1 Corinthians 12:27). Through intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, a new lifestyle matures in us that is good for other people. In this way, we become a blessing for each other and for others. When we do what Jesus Christ wants us to do, we honor God the Father. We honor God not only with what we say,  but with our whole life, at every hour, in every place.

Please stay with Jesus Christ like the branch on the vine. In your intimate connection with Jesus Christ, you will receive his life force every day. Stay in his word and sacrament, in his church and in prayer. Everything else will then grow all by itself.

Thank you very much for visiting me and listening to me. May the Holy Spirit cause much fruit to grow in your heart and may he bless your abiding in Jesus Christ and in your congregation. I look forward to seeing you again at the next short sermon on August 1, 2025.