Christ is the Vine by Lane Jordan Burday
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).
As we begin to decorate for Thanksgiving, many of us use dried wine branches for door wreaths or laid on our tables along with colorful pumpkins, acorns, and fall leaves.
Seeing ourselves as a ‘branch’ can be hard to understand. But in biblical times, the wine orchard was one of the most important parts of the culture. The wine was drunk at meals because water could be impure. The disciples understood that a healthy vine in an orchard was extremely important for the product to be good.
They also understood that, at times, old branches would be cut off, and a healthy branch from a strong plant would be ‘cut into the vine.’
In the verse above, Jesus talks to the disciples as they walk through a vineyard, so they completely understand the concept. He then compares the vines to Himself. If a branch is not producing, it is cut off—just as a person who does not follow Christ. If a branch follows Jesus, it will be attached to Him, the true vine.
Jesus is our source, the only One who can provide the spiritual sustenance and vitality we need to be useful believers. We need to be a part of Him daily, not just once a week at church.
And when we are attached to Jesus, His character will flow through us by His Holy Spirit. People will see Him in you! And your witness will be true to all who ask, “What do you have that’s different?”
I pray that during this Thanksgiving month as well as the rest of the year that you will be attached to the Vine of Jesus and your life will be full of His presence.
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