“Vine and the Branches” found in John 15:1-17?

Read the allegory of the “Vine and the Branches” found in John 15:1-17. Explain how the symbol of the “vine or vineyard” has been represented in the Old Testament, the New Testament and in our Present Day. Explain the allegory of the Vine %26amp; Branches in detail. Elaborate on how this allegory connects with our spiritual lives, our relationship with God and with each other even to the present day.

“Vine and the Branches” found in John 15:1-17?
Vine in the OT was representative of Isreal (do a keyword search on www.biblegateway.com).





There's a big theme in John (as with Matthew) about Jesus fulfilling everything it meant to be Jewish - so he is the New Moses (coming out of Egypt, going through the waters (of baptism), going up a mountain to recieve the law (the sermon on the mount where he takes each of the hallmarks of Jewish holiness and ups the bar so it's about thoughts not just actions), he gives his followers bread from heaven (and calls himself manna) in John 6 in the feeding of the 5000, I could go on...


He's also the new David, the new Temple (his body), the new law, the new sacrificial lamb of passover ... I could go on more - John and Matthew take everything that it was to be Jewish and show how Jesus was the fulfillment.





He was the perfect Jew - the true vine.


So to be the people of God ... with a perfect relationship with him - that is about internal holiness not just external, we have to be IN CHRIST (abiding in the vine).





Hope that helps,


Great question - I'm studying theology at Oxford University and we spent most of my first year looking at this!
Reply:I'm not sure how it's has been represented in the Old Testament.





A vine connects the branches of a plant with the nutrients it needs to flourish. A branch cannot survive if it is not connected to a vine. Jesus is that to us. He is the nourisher. He is the provider. He has everything we need. We cannot flourish and prosper without him. He are nothing alone. So if we have Christ in our lives, our lives will bear fruit. If we have Christ in our lives, our branches will grow and new branches will form. Just as Christ nourishes me through his love, I can nourish another by loving them.





Christ enabled us to bear fruit. The greatest fruit of the spirit is love(charity). Because he did for us, we have to do for one another. That's what people forget. It doesn't stop with you, you have to love the next also.