I Am The Vine
Entering Conversation
Ivan said that in Africa, there are many well-known proverbs and sayings. This is how the wisdom and stories of generations is preserved and passed on. Many of us know a similar dynamic from our own families. Go around the room and share a saying or expression that is unique to your own family.
Read this Sermon Recap
I Am The Vine: John 15:1-5
As Jesus and his disciples leave the upper room where they ate together (see John 14:31), Jesus seems to take advantage of the sights around them as they walk to the garden where Jesus will eventually be arrested. As they walk, Jesus continues preparing them for his leaving by saying to them, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”
To the disciples, this would have been initially jarring. The “vine” was a familiar symbol of national Israel (e.g., Isaiah 5:1-7). Belonging to Israel meant belonging to God. Jesus now displaces that identity by claiming to be true Israel Himself. Now, belonging to Him means belonging to God. The disciples are to belong to Him in the same way that branches belong to a vine.
Jesus continues by saying there are branches in him that will never bear fruit (like Judas). These branches will be moved. Other branches will be tended, pruned so that they will increasingly flourish, growing from “bearing fruit” to bearing “more fruit” to bearing “much fruit.” This work of pruning is accomplished by Jesus’ words (John 15:3). Letting the words of Jesus “abide” or “be at home” in us will keep us connected to Jesus in a way that leads to fruitfulness.
Abiding in the vine as Jesus uses the image is multi-faceted. When Jesus calls his followers to “abide in Him”, we hold to Him (and are held by Him) by letting his words be a constant presence among us. We hold to Him (and are held by Him) by praying, by sharing in the conversation of relationship.
But also: we hear Jesus speak not just of vines but a vineyard. He has so many vines! So we share life in this vineyard by living in purposeful community. This community is here, locally present and shared. It is also found by sharing in relationship with the global church as well, as the Spirit makes possible.
This Evenings Practice
(Leaders: Before going into the questions, you may want to give your group a minute or so of silence, reflecting on and listening to the Spirit around the question, “What is Jesus inviting you to notice tonight?”)
Tonight, we are going to use this set of questions to guide our discussion. You may want to pull up the guide on your phone to help you process and reflect.
1. If you’ve been raised in the church, this chapter in John’s gospel has a few sayings that are very familiar to us. “I am the vine.” “Abide in me.” Invite 1-3 people to share how they’ve understood or felt the expectations of these sayings in their experience in the church.
2. If Jesus came and spoke these words to your small group, would our understanding change if we understood them to be primarily addressed to a community together and not primarily to individual followers? How so?
3. Think about your life together as a small group or as members of Refuge Church. Name the ways you see us already abiding in Jesus as you understand Jesus’ teaching. Do you feel a longing for anything more?
Close your time in prayer together, inviting the Spirit to help us learn how to abide in Jesus together.
Practice for the Week
If you’re able, attend the Good Friday service and consider trying to sit together as a group. If you’re not able to do so, you can either take in the service online (even afterwards) or perhaps find room to read through the events of Holy Week in John’s gospel (chapters 12 thru 19) ahead of our Easter celebration on Sunday.