![]() Abiding in Christ is, as such, a response to the person and work of the true vine, not so much a rigour involving this or that spiritual discipline. And because the true vine will not fail to produce fruit, all who are in the vine partake of its fruitfulness. It follows that one must be part of the true vine to belong to the people of God. Moreover, unlike Israel, Jesus is true to the vine’s purpose, that of producing the fruit that the vinedresser expects (see Isa 5:7). Most significantly, now Jesus, not Israel, is the vine. Sensitivity to this allusion informs and enriches the interpretation of John 15:1-8 in three ways.įirst, Jesus’ claim to be the true vine (John 15:1) not only recalls but redefines the Old Testament symbol for the people of God. This, along with John’s use of the Old Testament and the wider Old Testament vine imagery, calls for the vine language of John 15 to be understood as an allusion to the Old Testament, not just as a horticultural metaphor. The vine, vinedresser and fruitfulness motifs intersect in both Isa 5:1-7, 27:2-6 and John 15:1-8. Instead of producing bad fruit, Israel the vineyard will take root, blossom and fill the whole world with fruit (v. He is no longer angry with the vineyard instead of subjecting it to briers and thorns, the LORD fights against them (v. The LORD now watches over and waters the vineyard continually (27:3). Isaiah 27:2-6 shares the imagery of Isa 5:1-7 but reverses its message of judgment. However, judgment is not the final word, neither in history nor in Scripture. Historically, the LORD’s judgment did fall on his vineyard, most evidently in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile in 586 B.C. The LORD expects justice and righteousness of his people, only to find bloodshed and an outcry. ![]() Verse 7 explains that the LORD of hosts is the owner Israel and Judah are the vineyard. The owner announces judgment on the vineyard, depriving it of protection and cultivation (vv. In Isa 5:1-7 the vineyard owner does everything a vinedresser would do to cultivate good fruit, but the vineyard produces only bad fruit (vv. Two passages in the book of Isaiah seem especially relevant to appreciating the vine imagery in John 15:1-8. In the Old Testament, the vine or vineyard is a symbol for Israel (e.g., Jer 2:21 Ezek 19:10-14 Hos 10:1) and the vineyard owner, Yahweh the God of Israel (e.g., Ps 80:8-16 Jer 12:10-13 Ezek 15:1-8, 17:5-10). ![]() What tends to be overlooked is the context introduced by Jesus’ allusion to the Old Testament in John 15:1, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” Interpreters typically draw on viticulture to explain what abiding in Christ means and how doing so results in fruitfulness. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” ![]() Jesus tells his disciples in John 15:5, “I am the vine you are the branches. Abiding in Christ is a familiar theme to Christians. ![]()
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