John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?

There has been a lot of emphasis of imitation from Jesus to His disciples. As Jesus prepares to depart, He is reinforcing them with what they must do in order to continue Jesus' mission of bringing the Kingdom of God forward. To this effect, Jesus brings up an analogy that they would have a decent amount of understanding about. Vineyards and vines were a major part of the ancient Mediterranean life. Not a lot of elaboration is needed for the message Jesus is trying to make to become clear. The disciples are dependent on Jesus for their life and can do nothing to produce fruit that is pleasing to God by themselves.

An interesting note is that Jesus introduces Himself as the true vine. He specified that this vine is true, indicating the potential for other vines which would be false. He is not just any vine. He is the only vine that can provide the sustenance needed for the disciples to be fruitful individuals. The Father as the vinedresser takes upon one of the most important roles in this analogy. It is the Father's responsibility to ensure the proper growth of the vine. Of all the fruit plants that may exist in a garden, the vine requires the most attention. As such, the Father is attentive to this vine. He prunes, waters, and trains the vine to grow in the direction He wishes. Note then that these things are the responsibility of the vinedresser, not the branch. It is the Father's prerogative to prune. It is His to lead one in a different direction. It is the branch's prerogative to simply abide in the vine.

The analogy is not a complex one and so the connection is not a complex connection. It is a simple reality reinforced by a simple analogy. The complexity comes from our own resistance to the truth.

What connections are you seeing?