Have you ever seen a disconnected vine branch or that of any fruit bearing tree? It’s a sad sight. Once vibrant and full of potential, it’s now bent and withering. Jesus paints a powerful image using the vine and its branches to describe our relationship with Him.
The Vine represents spiritual good in the Bible. Jesus is the true vine, the real goodness, the source of life and nourishment, and we are the branches, dependent on him to bear fruit. God cuts off unproductive branches and prunes fruitful ones to encourage even greater growth. This might seem harsh, but it illustrates how He removes things that hinder our spiritual progress and refines us to bear more fruit. Life’s challenges, the “pruning,” may seem difficult, but they are meant to refine us and increase our capacity to bear fruit.
Stay connected to Christ to remain alive. Be full of the-vine life through prayer, the Word, and fellowship with other believers ( Paul started bearing fruits when connected with the believers by Barnabas). This is a humbling truth: we can strive and struggle, but without connection to Christ, our efforts are ultimately fruitless.
