Jesus’ seventh “I AM” statement is made in John 15:1 where He says, “I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” Similarly, He reiterates in vs. 5, “I AM the vine, you are the branches.”
The vine is the life-giving part of the plant. The sap flows through the vine to the branches so they can bear fruit.
Interestingly, Israel was called an unfruitful vine in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 5:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved
A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:
My Well-beloved has a VINEYARD
On a very fruitful hill.
2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with THE CHOICEST VINE.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He EXPECTED IT to BRING FORTH GOOD GRAPES,
But it brought forth WILD GRAPES.
3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more could have been done to My vineyard
That I have not done in it?
Why then, WHEN I EXPECTED it to bring forth GOOD GRAPES,
Did it bring forth WILD GRAPES?
Vs. 7 tells us who this unfruitful vineyard is:
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the HOUSE OF ISRAEL,
And the men of Judah are His PLEASANT PLANT.
He looked for justice, but behold, oppression;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
So Israel is likened to a vine that produces wild grapes, unprofitable and unfruitful. The problem/need here would therefore be unfruitfulness. Man would need the I AM to provide fruitfulness.
In Isaiah 27, He prophesies of a time when His vineyard (His people) would be fruitful again, “In that day sing to her, “A VINEYARD of RED WINE! I, the Lord, KEEP IT, I WATER it every MOMENT; Lest ANY HURT IT, I KEEP it night and day. Fury is not in Me. Who would set briers and thorns against Me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.” Those who come He shall cause to take root IN JACOB; ISRAEL shall BLOSSOM and BUD, and fill the FACE OF THE WORLD with FRUIT.” (Vv. 2-6)
Observe vs. 6. Yahweh says that those who will bear fruit would bear fruit IN JACOB (that’s another name for Israel). So, through Israel, fruit was supposed to fill the Earth (see Gen 12:1-3). But Israel failed in this task, so the responsibility is then transferred to the TRUE Israel of God. The Jacob/Israel through Whom God’s people would bear fruit is the Christ! Only IN HIM do God’s people bear fruit!
And that’s why He says in John 15:1, “I AM the TRUE Vine.” He is saying “I AM the True Israel of God,” through whom God’s people bear fruit!
Then we begin to see fruitfulness through Him, just like God said:
John 15:2-5 (NKJV)
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He TAKES AWAY (airo- lifts up); and every branch that BEARS FRUIT He PRUNES, that it may BEAR MORE FRUIT. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 ABIDE IN ME, and I in you. As the branch cannot BEAR FRUIT of itself, UNLESS it abides in THE VINE, neither can you, unless you abide IN ME. (EXACTLY what God said in Isaiah 27:6!) 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who ABIDES IN ME, and I in him, bears MUCH FRUIT; for without Me you can do NOTHING.
So not only does He save us, He also makes us fruitful—He empowers us to serve God!
Thus, for EVERYTHING man became in sin, Jesus is the antidote. Where man is in darkness, Yahweh will be what we need Him to be—Light!
Where man is dying of spiritual hunger, He is the Bread of Life.
Where we need entrance and guidance, He is the door and the Good Shepherd.
Where there is death, He is the Resurrection and the Life.
He is the true way that leads to Life, saving us from trying to get to God by our works. And where there is unfruitfulness, He is the TRUE Vine. Whatever we need Him to be, He is—HE SAVES US FROM OUR STATE IN SIN! He is God’s solution to man’s transgression.
© Josh Banks Ministries. 2022.
