Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

He continued, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:1-8 NIV)

Early this August, my wife and I were confronted by a tremendous real-life illustration of this passage. We were visiting family in Ontario and we accompanied them on a tour of several wineries in the Niagara-on-the-Falls area. At one of the wineries, the guide showed us the rows of wonderfully plump and ripening grapes similar to those that this photo demonstrates.

These were the grapes that were well connected to the vine and totally under control of the sap running from the root to the branches. Charles Stanley in his book, “The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life” made a great analogy based on this passage that the vinedresser is the Father (as Jesus indicated), the branch is the Son (Christ), we believers are the fruit, and the sap is the action of the Holy Spirit who brings about the fruitfulness in us. Using this analogy, the fruit has been very fruitful because it has abided in the vine and received all the guidance and nutrition that was provided by the sap flowing through it.

The guide then passed picked off a part of a branch and passed it around the group. These are fruit that did not abide and become fruitful as they should have.

Is it that they were not properly formed? No, the fruit are all there in a nice, little bunch. Was it that there was no opportunity for them to receive nutrients? No, everything is a healthy green. In fact, these were attached right next to branches that produced luscious grapes. They just did not…produce. They absorbed “just enough” to stay green but refused to grow.

Jesus’ words ring true. Everyone has the opportunity to accept Him as Lord and Savior. All of us who do have the opportunity to bear fruit. In fact, we are formed in Christ to be successful. What can make us fail? Not abiding in Him. Not letting His words remain in us. Trying to form our own fruit in our own way. In other words, not surrendering our wills to Him.

So the choice is ours to make. What kind of fruit will we be? Will we be pleasing grapes for God’s glory or will we be stunted and useless chaff to be cut off and burned?

In closing, let me recall the words of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians: “These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.” (Col 2:17-19, emphasis mine)

I certainly do not want to lose connection with the Head! What about you?