FRUITFUL LIFE ON THE VINE (6 OF 9)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: John 15:1-13
This content is part of a series.
Fruitful Life on the Vine (6 of 9)
Series: The Great I Am
Jeff Strite
John 15:1-13
OPEN: About a 35-minute drive SW of London is a tourist attraction that was once a royal palace. It's called Hampton Court. It was built over 500 years ago and was a favorite residence of Henry VIII. A couple hundred years later, during George III's reign (the King who had problems with the American colonies), someone planted the shoot of a grapevine outside the palace. And that vine has grown and grown for the past 250 years. It's been pampered and pruned for so long that the stem is now about 13 feet in diameter and some of its branches are over 120 feet long. Despite its age, the vine still produces 600 to 900 lbs. of grapes per year. Some say it's the oldest living grapevine in the world.
If you noticed, I said ''SOME SAY'' that it's the oldest grapevine in existence... but that's not true. There is a vine that's older than that. The oldest vine... is Jesus. Jesus said ''I am the true vine...'' (John 15:1) and ''I am the vine; you are the branches....'' John 15:5
Throughout the Bible, God referred to His people as being His vineyard.
Isaiah 5:7 says ''The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight...''
And in Isaiah 27:2-3 God declared ''Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no-one may harm it.''
When Jesus wanted to tell us about the fact that salvation not based on works, He told a parable that started this way ''... the kingdom of heaven (the church) is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.'' Matthew 20:1
Those who belong to Jesus (saved) are the vineyard.
We're the BRANCHES and Jesus is the VINE.
One commentator I read noted that the Jews of Jesus day were looking for the Messiah. And one of the terms used of Him was that He'd be THE VINE. (John Gill) ...
Series: The Great I Am
Jeff Strite
John 15:1-13
OPEN: About a 35-minute drive SW of London is a tourist attraction that was once a royal palace. It's called Hampton Court. It was built over 500 years ago and was a favorite residence of Henry VIII. A couple hundred years later, during George III's reign (the King who had problems with the American colonies), someone planted the shoot of a grapevine outside the palace. And that vine has grown and grown for the past 250 years. It's been pampered and pruned for so long that the stem is now about 13 feet in diameter and some of its branches are over 120 feet long. Despite its age, the vine still produces 600 to 900 lbs. of grapes per year. Some say it's the oldest living grapevine in the world.
If you noticed, I said ''SOME SAY'' that it's the oldest grapevine in existence... but that's not true. There is a vine that's older than that. The oldest vine... is Jesus. Jesus said ''I am the true vine...'' (John 15:1) and ''I am the vine; you are the branches....'' John 15:5
Throughout the Bible, God referred to His people as being His vineyard.
Isaiah 5:7 says ''The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight...''
And in Isaiah 27:2-3 God declared ''Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no-one may harm it.''
When Jesus wanted to tell us about the fact that salvation not based on works, He told a parable that started this way ''... the kingdom of heaven (the church) is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.'' Matthew 20:1
Those who belong to Jesus (saved) are the vineyard.
We're the BRANCHES and Jesus is the VINE.
One commentator I read noted that the Jews of Jesus day were looking for the Messiah. And one of the terms used of Him was that He'd be THE VINE. (John Gill) ...
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