The Vine
In the first part of John 15, Jesus calls himself the “True Vine.”  He creates a vision of a metaphor with Him as a vine, believers being the vine’s branches and the Father being the gardener.  Why is Jesus calling himself the “True” vine?  In the old testament, Israel was often refered to as a vine or a vineyard.  Jesus is now looking forward to the new “spiritual Israel” – the True Israel.

Indeed he had, a few days earlier, in the temple told the Pharisees as story referring to them as “renters” of the vineyard.  Luke 20:14 (CEV) “When the renters saw the owner’s son, they said to one another, ‘Someday he will owne the vineyard.  Let’s kill him!”  In verse 15 Jesus says, “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do?  I’ll tell you what.  He will come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard.”

Matt 21:41
Then he will rent out his vineyard to people who will give him his share of grapes at harvest time.

Matt 21:43
I tell you that God’s kingdom will be taken from you and given to people who will do what he demands.

Christ is telling the disciples that the vineyard now belongs to those who are in Christ.

Producing Fruit
Next Jesus tells them that branches that don’t produce fruit will be trimmed away but those that do produce fruit are pruned.

What is the Fruit? Could this mean “converts?”  Galatians 5 talks about the “Fruit” of the Spirit.  Fruit in old testament terms generally referred to Righteousness and this is likely what Jesus has in mind.

Isaiah 32:7
The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

Amos 6:12
Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness-

Hosea 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.

And in the new testament:
Ephesians 5:9
(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

Philippians 1:11
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

The fruit reflects the righteous behavior of Christ.  We know if we are truly in Christ if we have the right behavior.  Fruit can also be linked to Galatians 5 where Paul writes of the fruit of the spirit: peace, love, joy, patience, gentleness, kindness.

Those attributes that Paul writes of are probably the outward expression of having Christ’s righteousness in us.  They are the fruits of the fruit so to speak.

What does it mean to “Remain” in Christ?
He is the ENTIRE VINE (not just the stalk) and we are parts of the vine and thus PART of Him.    If you put your entire trust in Christ and put ALL your trust in him and believe in him, you will remain in him.  If you remain in him, HE will produce the fruit of the spirit in you automatically. 

If you don’t produce fruit by remaining you can be removed from Christ.  You’ve got to REMAIN in the vine.  Rom 11:17 “if some of the branches were broken off….because of unbelief they were broken off, if you CONTINE in his goodness, other wise you will be cut off.” 

How do we remain in Christ’s love?

John 8:31
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings.”

John 13:34
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

Three Ideas to Take Away

1.      Love Jesus
2.      Do what he says
3.      Ask for God's help when you falter (he will prune you)

The Secret of the Vine:
The vine’s job is to produce the fruit, the branches job is to hold the fruit out to the world and the gardener’s job is to harvest the fruit.

Producing Fruit = Christ producing righteousness in us
Holding out the Fruit = Us displaying the fruit to the world through peace, love, joy, kindness, patience
Havesting the fruit = God being glorified

God is glorified when we walk in the spirit but disgraced when we don’t.  We are walking ads for Christ.