![[Photo of grape vine]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/vine_and_branches.jpg)
| [Jesus said,] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” |
| —John 15:5, 8 |
If you look closely at the photograph that appears at the beginning of this blog post, you will notice that each plant in the grape orchard has three distinct parts: the vine, the branches, and the cluster of fruit. The fruit depends on both the vine and the branches.
In the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post, Jesus shares with His followers an important truth. This teaching comes at the period of time immediately before Jesus will become arrested, beaten, crucified, resurrected, and ascended. He is trying to teach His followers very important truths to which they can cling when they experience watching their leader suffer and die for their sins.
Jesus tells us that He is the vine. He is the One who is planted deeply into the nourishing soil. He is the one who draws nutrients from the earth, along with the moisture from the rain that will give the vine its sustenance and strength. He also tells us that we, His followers, are the branches. We are the ones who draw our sustenance and strength solely from the vine. We are totally dependent on the vine—on Jesus—for all that we need to grow and prosper.
This intimate relationship that we have with Jesus allows us to grow and become strong in our faith. Totally dependent on Him, we prosper because of Him. It is by Him, and in Him, and through Him that we are ultimately able to bear fruit. And, the fruit that we bear because of Jesus will feed the world around us.
As we begin another new day, let’s experience joy at the realization that God has created an intimate relationship between us and Himself through His precious, only Son, Jesus. It is that intimate connection that gives us all we need to survive and thrive in this place where God has planted us. The fruit we bear for Him will come only as a result of our unbreakable connection to Jesus. Thus, all the glory and praise for what He does, in and through us, flows back to Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith.
