⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Metaphors are more powerful than similes, both figures of speech. Similes, using words like “as” or “like” compare something with something else, though implicitly acknowledge the comparison is not complete – “I am like a vine.” Metaphors, on the other hand, strengthen the comparison by stating it in more definitive terms – “I am the vine,” as we have in our passage today. Not just being a lesson in literary style, this distinction serves to stress the weight Jesus puts on the analogy of Himself to the inter-workings of a vine plant and its branches. The comparison is a very close one.

Jesus is the vine. We as His followers, are the branches. And in particular, we as branches can only bear fruit (what ever that might be) if we abide in Him. To do anything else would mean separation from the vine, from which we get our life-giving “sap.” The imagery is clear. The question also is clear. What does it mean to abide?

First, notice the definite article “the.” Jesus is not just any vine, or even one of a number of options. He is “the” vine, the one and only. This reminds of us of Jesus’ exclusivist comments earlier, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (14:6). Just as Christ is the only way to God, He is also the only way to fruitfulness. There is simply no other way. We can read all the Christian self-help books that fill our shelves, but apart from Christ we “can do nothing.” Could it be that the “fruit” many Christians exhibit is more like paper images of Crayola colorfulness, taped onto the tree branches? The artistry may impress, but the results are nothing but colored paper. Not real fruit.

At the root of any Christian endeavor to promote spiritual growth and service, must be a live, active, organic (as it were) connection with Christ. As Paul wrote, the path out of fleshly, unfruitful living for the carnal Corinthians, remained the same as when he first preached the gospel to them, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). He wrote the Colossians, “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Col 2:6). The Christian begins his spiritual life through Christ and serves God through Christ. This analogy of abiding is similar to the analogy Jesus uses of building a house on the rock, and not shifting sands. It comes back to our ongoing relationship to Him. We must abide in Him.

Lord, I come to You every day and abide, continually drawing on Your “every spiritual blessing” (Eph 1:3)