We Will All Die “Apart” from Jesus
When Jesus said, “I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser”, He is telling those listening, those crops will fail if their source of nutrition does not originate in Him. John 15:1-4 (17), displays MANY metaphors that describes the vital association between Jesus, GOD the Father, and true (obedient) followers.
Yeshua is the "True Vine". He is the genuine and Sole Source of spiritual life and sustenance. When we look at this in the CONTRAST shown in the TANAKH, Israel, though chosen and planted, failed to (consistently) yield the fruit of righteousness and covenant faithfulness. In light of Her waywardness, “the vine” became a symbol of unfaithfulness, corruption, and judgment when detached from GOD’s prescribed lifestyle for them.
Jesus told us Who His Father is. His descriptions were “Husbandman” and GOD the Father is the "Gardener" (or vinedresser/husbandman). He tends to the Vine, nurturing it and ensuring its fruitfulness.
Believers (Israel & nations) are the "branches". They will be labeled as the obedient ones, thus they are spiritually 'connected' to Jesus and MUST remain in Him, (by the Holy Spirit) to live a fruitful life.
NOTE: In a (grape) vineyard, a "true vine" is the central, life-sustaining plant that provides the necessary nourishment and structure for all the branches to thrive and bear fruit.
NOTE: In John 15:1-8), He represents the GENUINE Source of spiritual life and fruitfulness, in CONTRAST to 'UNFAITHFUL' or 'UNPRODUCTIVE' vines.
An allegory is essentially a story within a story, operating on two distinct levels of meaning: a literal surface meaning and a deeper, symbolic meaning.
How would an ALLEGORY be used to show the importance with JESUS as the True Vine, the FAITHFUL BODY being the branches and GOD being the Vinedresser would be the transformative focus in John 15?
NOTE: This symbolic relationship must move from being a simple association or a set of rules to stress a vita and continuous union that redefines the existence and purpose of that branch (person). The need is for every branch (person) to move from self-sufficiency to essential dependence.
2 Sam 7:28-29 states, "…and now, O Lord GOD, You are GOD, and Your Words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord GOD, have spoken [it], and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever."
Gen 49:9-11 states, “Judah [is] a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him [shall be] the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.”
Isaiah 11:10 speaks these words: “…and in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a Banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious."
I spoke to another brother on this topic, and he provided his insights to the above Scriptures he offered up. “What I am seeing is that many had been born to David and many had been born king in David's line, but He [Yeshua] was and is the True Heir of promise. Maybe this is the answer to the question asked, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, ‘The LORD said to my Lord…’ If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
In this we see a connection to the Kingdom. The true Kingdom. If you look at it from the other side, it’s a message against antichrist. There are many counterfeits in the world and if you try to learn all of them you won’t. As soon as you learn them all one more will pop up. It is best to learn of just the True One. True vine.
The core Message is, apart from Yeshua, we can do nothing of eternal value. The allegory (symbolism) dismantles human pride and self-reliance, revealing that spiritual life and productivity flow entirely from our connection to Christ. This shifts the focus from our own efforts to a total reliance on His power and residence in our lives.
The Messiah was expected to be David’s descendant (a son of David). Yet David acknowledges Him as superior. This would be a paradox unless the Messiah is more than human lineage. Yeshua being the True Vine would connect all of this together. every king to include David is part of the vine that is Israel though.
Jesus pressed the pharisees to make a point and to get them to see that the Messiah is not merely David’s son but David’s Lord. what a proclamation! Was it a subtle one? You decide.
Either way, this claim was to His own identity. “…both son of David (human lineage) and Son of GOD (divine authority).
QUESTION: Is it really possible to have a mutual indwelling? Does the term “abiding” make you want to learn more? If we are abiding in the Spirit, and the Spirit dwelled in us, would that be the same? Yes? If that is the case, should our lives be transformed? Should we be different and learn to be willing and willingly submissive to the Truth the Spirit of GOD brings?
Would the flaky approach to holiness and the lackadaisical approach to Scripture become a whole lot more intentional, GOD-focused and life-changing?
Since Yeshua is the “True Vine”, the spiritual makeover is not a one-time event but a continuous process of "abiding" (remaining, staying connected). This concept of mutual indwelling is supposed to transform our daily lives by calling us to be immersed in Scripture, be in constant prayer and obedient to the Words we were given.
NOTE: Being sucked into and being absorbed (immersion) by His Word, will cause us to be spiritually unsoiled. Jesus says, "You are already clean because of the Word that I have spoken to you.” You can’t walk away from that statement with any other understanding that, the cleansing and abiding are directly connected to His Teachings.
Obeying His Instructions is demonstrated by the faithful student keeping His Commandments, which are summarized by the order to "love one another".
What about vine pruning? In English, a vine would seem like Jesus would be the One getting pruned. I am happy that we do not live on presumptuous beliefs <wink>. The role of GOD as the Vinedresser introduces a rather telling perspective on life's difficulties.
How does the Vinedresser help the True Vine and the branches to grow and mature and produce fruit? Did you know that fruitful branches are pruned?
Removing fruitless branches (extension of the True Vine) serves as a stark warning about the eternal consequences of merely professing faith without a genuine, life-giving connection and resulting fruit.
GOD "prunes" or "cleanses" those who are already bearing fruit by employing the following methods: trials, challenges and the stripping away of worldly attachments. This painful process serves as a positive purpose to foster greater spiritual growth, toughness, and increased fruitfulness. In the end, these things make us branches more like His Son, the True Vine.
In principle, Israel was the vine that weakened, Yeshua is the vine that meets the requirements of the Vinedresser.
REMINDER: Pruning applies to all branches. In John 15:2, Jesus says the Father prunes the branches that bear fruit so they will bear more. This is another metaphor.
REMINDER: Jesus is the Source of life, not a branch. Branches (extensions) are dependent on another vine. The Vine itself is not pruned, because It is the Living Root and Stem that sustains all branches.
REMINDER: The perfect Son, Yeshua, did not need pruning for sin or failure. He is the Flawless Vine, the One Who embodies covenant faithfulness where Israel (spiritual leaders) failed.
REMINDER: The Bible inscribes in Its historical pages in Hebrews 2:10, “He was made perfect through sufferings.” This doesn’t mean He was sinful or defective, but that His obedience was tested and fully demonstrated. In that sense, His earthly trials functioned like pruning. Every struggle he faced, refined His Father’s Mission in Him. That maturity revealed to all of those listening and watching that Yeshua was showing His complete dependence on His Father.
REMINDER: Every faithful and connected believer is pruned to remove what hinders fruitfulness. Jesus, however, bore the full weight of obedience and suffering, not as pruning for imperfection, but as the path to fulfill His role as the True Vine
Are you connected to the True Vine? Are you one of those branches who represent individuals or communities connected to the vine? By faith, Judaizers and Christians alike are extensions, not independent entities of the True Vine.
REMINDER: Every trusted individual has fruit-bearing responsibility. In Hebrew symbolism, branches exist to bear fruit. That fruit looks like — righteousness, justice, covenant faithfulness. A branch without fruit is cut off (John 15:2), echoing Israel’s warnings in the TaNaKH.
REMINDER: Branches and very dependent and cannot survive apart from the Vine. Overall, and SHOULD to us all, stress dependence on GOD’s Scriptures (Covenant).
The Word is NOT divided. That is a “man thing.” Man is what is divided!
REMINDER: The Scriptures are One, just as Yeshua and his father are One. Jesus prayed that “the talmedim (disciples in English) would be one, as He and His father are”.
EVERY Word in the Scriptures is dependent on what GOD said and what His Son Did. Lest we forget, “Jesus said what He heard His Father say” and “The doctrine He spoke was NOT His, but His Father’s.”
These passages show that Yeshua’s speech and actions were perfectly aligned with the Father’s will.
John 12:49–50: “…for I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father Who sent Me gave Me a Command, what I should say and what I should speak.”
John 5:19: “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”
John 8:28: “I do nothing on My own but speak just what the Father has taught Me.”
These verses show that Yeshua’s teaching was the Father’s doctrine, faithfully communicated (one duplicated).
John 7:16: “My doctrine is not Mine, but His Who sent Me.”
John 12:49–50: “…for I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father Who sent Me gave Me a Command, what I should say and what I should speak.”
John 14:10: “The Words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father Who dwells in Me does the works.”
The True Vine is the Covenant Root. The branches are the Covenant participants.
Yeshua as the True Vine embodies the faithful Covenant, and His disciples as branches must remain in Him to bear fruit. The Vine represents the whole (Israel, Messiah), while branches represent the parts (disciples, tribes, individuals).