Christian Art | Easter To Pentecost | Jesus Is The True Vine
John 15: 1-8 | King James Audio Bible | Daily Verses
I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
In the Old Testament, the chosen people of Israel have been compared to a vine. We may think, for example, of Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7 – Audio Bible Verses Spoken Word), in which God complains that, despite the care he has lavished upon it, his vineyard has only produced wild grapes:
NOW will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus uses this imagery of the vineyard in his parable of the tenants, who injure and murder the messengers of the lord of the vineyard, this signifying the rejection of Jesus by the Jews and the call to the Gentiles to follow Christ. Here Jesus develops our understanding of the symbolism, explaining that he is the true vine and that, to be fruitful in our lives, and to receive the gift of eternal life, we as the branches must be joined to him. In short, we can do nothing without him. Jesus is the air that we breathe. Our very existence is through Christ.
We are to abide in Christ, and to welcome and rejoice in Christ as he enters to abide in us. Through this, Christians then become part of one body. Our faith, then, goes beyond our private experience of God; it is communal, each member of Christ’s body, the Church, working for the good of others, and exhorting one another to greater faith.
The vine, Jesus tells us, is good only if it bears fruit. It is not fit for carpentry. Should a branch not bear fruit, it is then only fit to be burned. Through the parable, we are additionally taught that through pruning we may be brought to bear more fruit. Jesus speaks here of the ways in which we may suffer for our faith, and of sacrifices that may be entailed. Through this discipline of faith, we may come to full fruition in Christ Jesus.
‘Have you not heard the Master himself tell the parable of the vine and the branches? Here we find consolation. He demands much of you, for you are the branch that bears fruit. And he must prune you… to make you bear more fruit. Of course, that cutting, that pruning, hurts. But afterwards, what richness in your fruits, what maturity in your actions.’ St Josemaria Escriva
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
I Am The Vine And Ye Are The Branches | The Word Of Jesus In The Gospels
John 15: 1-8 is a beautiful and profound passage in which Jesus uses the metaphor of a vine and its branches to describe the intimate relationship between himself and his disciples.
This metaphor of the vine and the branches is rich with meaning. One of the most important aspects of this metaphor is the idea of unity and interdependence. Just as the branches of a vine cannot survive without being connected to the main vine, so too must we be connected to Christ in order to bear spiritual fruit.
Saint Augustine wrote about the metaphor of the vine and the branches in his commentary on John’s Gospel. He emphasized the importance of staying connected to Christ, writing, ‘If we do not abide in Him, we are withered; but if we abide in Him, we bring forth much fruit.’ Saint Augustine also noted that the vine metaphor is a powerful image of the Church, in which Christ is the head and we are the members.
Martin Luther, founder of the Protestant Reformation, wrote about the vine and branches in his commentary on John’s Gospel. He highlighted the importance of faith in Christ as the means by which we are connected to the vine. Luther wrote: ‘Faith alone is the power that unites us to Christ, and this is the reason why faith is so highly praised in Scripture.’
In addition to unity and faith, the metaphor of the vine and branches also speaks to the process of spiritual growth and purification. Jesus says that every branch that bears fruit is pruned by the Father so that it may bear even more fruit. This process of pruning can be painful, but it is necessary for spiritual growth.
Catholic theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote about the idea of spiritual purification in his Summa Theologica. He argued that the process of purification is necessary for us to become more like God, writing, ‘By purifying the soul, we become more like God, who is perfectly pure.’
Abide In Me And I In You | Spiritual Commitment With Jesus
Jesus goes on to say, ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’
These words of Jesus speak to the importance of abiding in Jesus, of remaining in Jesus’ presence and cultivating a deep and intimate relationship with him. When we abide in Christ, we allow his life to flow through us, and we become fruitful in our spiritual lives. Without him, we can do nothing.
17th century Anglican bishop Jeremy Taylor wrote: ‘Abiding in Christ is not a single act of faith, but a continued course of holy living, begun and maintained by faith, hope, and charity.’
Catholic mystic Saint John of the Cross wrote about the importance of abiding in Christ in his book, The Ascent Of Mount Carmel. He wrote: ‘To abide in Christ means to be united to Him in such a way that one lives in Him and He lives in one. This is the essence of spiritual life.’
In order to abide in Christ, we must cultivate a relationship with him through prayer, study of his Word, and participation in the sacraments. We must also seek to live in obedience to His commands, as Jesus says in John 15:10, ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.’
When we abide in Jesus, in the Word, in his words, we experience Jesus’ love, his joy and peace in our lives. We become more like Jesus and are able to bear fruit for his kingdom. As we reflect on these words of Jesus, may we be encouraged to deepen our relationship with Jesus and to abide in his love.
King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version King Herod There were several individuals named Herod who played significant roles in ancient history, particularly in the history of the Roman Empire and the region of Palestine. Here is a brief overview of the most notable Herods: Herod the Great: Also known as Herod I, he was a Roman client king of Judea, ruling from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. Herod Antipas: Also known as Herod II, he was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. Herod Agrippa I: Also known as Herod III, he was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned the apostle Paul. Herod Agrippa II: Also known as Herod IV, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over parts of Palestine and Syria from 50 to 100 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who heard Paul’s defence before the Roman governor Festus. These rulers, who were known as the Herodian dynasty, were not Jewish but rather descended from a Greek family that had converted to Judaism. Despite this, they were appointed as rulers by the Roman Empire and were generally unpopular among the Jewish population due to their collaboration with the Roman occupation and their often brutal methods of rule. Herod The Great Herod the Great, also known as Herod I, was a Roman client king of Judea who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was born in 73 BC in Idumea, a region in southern Palestine, and was the son of Antipater the Idumean, an Edomite who had been appointed as a governor of Judea by the Roman general Pompey. Herod rose to power after the Roman general Julius Caesar appointed him as king of Judea in 40 BC. He consolidated his power over the next few years by defeating his rivals and establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of the region. As king, Herod embarked on a massive building program that included the expansion and renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of the port city of Caesarea Maritima, and the fortification of several cities in Judea. He also commissioned the construction of a number of palaces and other buildings, including the famous Herodium, a palace-fortress located south of Jerusalem. Despite his many accomplishments, Herod was a controversial figure who was known for his harsh rule and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. He was married several times and had a large number of children, several of whom he had executed when they posed a threat to his rule. One of the most famous stories associated with Herod is the biblical account of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was saved by his parents, who fled to Egypt, and later returned to Palestine after Herod’s death. Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 70, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Palestine. Herod Antipas Herod Antipas, also known as Herod II, was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was born in 20 BC and was named after his father’s patron, the Roman emperor Augustus. Like his father, Herod Antipas was known for his ambitious building projects, including the construction of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known for his political cunning and his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist, a prominent religious figure who criticized Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias. According to the New Testament, John was eventually beheaded at the request of Herodias’ daughter, Salome, who danced for Herod and his guests at a banquet. Herod Antipas is also mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. Although he initially wanted to release Jesus, he ultimately handed him over to the Roman authorities at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders. Herod Antipas’ rule came to an end in 39 AD when the Roman emperor Caligula exiled him to Gaul, modern-day France. He died in exile a few years later. Herod Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I, also known as Herod III, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was born in 10 BC and was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, two of Herod the Great’s children. Herod Agrippa I was well-educated and fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and he was highly regarded by the Roman authorities for his loyalty and his ability to maintain order in Judea. He was appointed as king of Judea in 41 AD by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was impressed by his abilities and saw him as a reliable ally in the region. As king, Herod Agrippa I continued the building projects of his grandfather and expanded the Temple in Jerusalem. He also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the lives of the […]
Saint Andrew of Crete reflects on Christ’s coming by drawing together three interconnected themes: Christ’s humble entry, his continual approach to the soul, and the revelation of his glory upon the cross. His starting point is the Church’s memory of Palm Sunday, but he immediately shifts our attention from outward gestures to the inward dispositions that welcome Christ rightly. The ‘palm branches’ he asks us to offer are works of mercy; the ‘garments’ spread beneath Christ’s feet are the thoughts and intentions of the heart submitted to him. In this way, the historical event becomes the pattern of the Christian life: Christ desires to enter not only a city, but the whole being of each believer [ … ]
Jesus tells us that, from the beginning, a man and a woman joined in marriage would become one flesh. There is this complementarity of man and woman in sexual union. Divorce marks a falling away from God’s intentions for men and women in marriage. It is an aberration, a failure of docility before God. Jesus tells us that Moses’ command (see Deuteronomy 24:1) was because of the hardness of people’s hearts in rejecting God’s initial ordering of male and female sexual relations. Indeed, it can be seen as a liberal command, protective of women, in that it required the husband to write out a certificate of divorce, freeing the woman rather than merely excluding and rejecting her. There is no real trap here for Jesus, as the Pharisees tempt him; God’s creation of man and woman to become one flesh in marriage remains truth [ … ]
