“30 Pictures of Jesus” 30 Day Planਨਮੂਨਾ

Today we see Jesus as the True Vine.

The image of a vine runs all through the Bible. In the Psalms and prophets, Israel is often pictured as a vine God planted in his land. He cared for it like a gardener, clearing space, giving water, and watching for fruit. But the vine of Israel grew wild. Instead of bearing fruit of justice and righteousness, it yielded corruption and bloodshed (Psalms 80:8–9; Isaiah 5:1–7; Jeremiah 2:21). Israel was supposed to be God’s fruitful vine for the world, but it failed.

Against that backdrop, Jesus tells his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” (John 15:1). Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeds. He is the vine that bears the fruit God has always wanted. And now those who believe in him become branches, joined to his life. The life of the vine flows into the branches, producing fruit that lasts.

This is good news for weak and ordinary disciples. On the eve of his death, Jesus tells them that they will still bear fruit—not because of their strength, but because his Spirit will live in them. Just as branches only grow by staying connected to the vine, so the church grows and bears fruit only by abiding in Jesus. His words, his Spirit, his very life flow through us.

But this also means pruning. Branches that do not remain in the vine wither and are cut off. And even fruitful branches are pruned so that they will bear more fruit (John 15:2). Abiding in Jesus means letting the Father shape us, even through suffering, so that the life of Jesus shines more clearly in us.

This is good news. Israel’s story showed that human effort cannot produce the fruit God desires. But Jesus is the True Vine. He has borne the fruit of righteousness in our place, and by his Spirit he now fills us with his own life. If we remain in him, our lives will become living evidence of God’s love, joy, and peace—fruit that will last forever.