Final Discourse

Final Discourse
Final Discourse
John 15:1

1 I [ego] am [eimi] the true [alethinos] vine [ampelos] , and [kai] my [mou] Father [pater] is [esti] the husbandman [georgos] . KJV-Interlinear

1 'I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. NASB

Called by some the upper room discourse, is more apparently a discourse taught by Jesus either while on the way to the Mt. of Olives, or spoken by Christ, after the group of apostles and Christ had reached the Mt.

From there they would continue on to the Garden of Gethsemane It is in the Garden where the formal arrest of Jesus will take place. So that event is just a matter of a few hours away.

What is going on at this time? Judas has already left the dinner table and is arriving at the place where the Temple leadership was obviously assembled. We know from the first couple of trials, that some of the Sadducees were already assembled together because they will sit in judgment against Jesus in His second trial (Annas will be the first trial). It is interesting that on this holiest of feasts of the year, that the temple high priests and scribes would be gathered together plotting (or at least discussing) the demise of Christ.

They were probably having their Passover dinner just as everyone in Jerusalem and Judea were at this time. Judas would know where to find them.

Not the full assembly was now gathered together mind you, but just a small group who have obviously dedicated their efforts toward getting rid of Jesus. The full assembly of the Sanhedrin (which is there form of Jewish Supreme Court comprised of 71 members of the Priests and Scribes of the Temple) will all gather in the morning (for the third trial out of six) to condemn Jesus and send him off to Pilate for execution.

Remember that Passover is a holy feast celebrated on one day, then it is immediately followed by the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread. This is not typically a time for holding court. All civil or criminal matters would normally have been put off until after the feast celebrations were over - the following week.

Judas is making his way to where the priests and scribes are located. Jesus and the eleven are making their way to the Mt. of Olives. Soon the Priests and scribes will be discussing, debating, and arguing over their next move after being notified by Judas that Jesus will be in the Garden (a place where Jesus often frequented).

Simultaneously, Jesus will be teaching the eleven, more principles of doctrine in these next three chapters.

Jesus Christ is the vine. But not just any vine, He is the true vine of life. Anyone who is a part of this vine (we the church are its branches) will live as an integral part of Him, and therefore will be forever associated with God forever. Anyone who is not a part of the vine will whither and die into oblivion.

The church or the true nation of Israel is a part of the vine, Psa. 80:8, which was removed from sin (Egypt) and delivered to and planted deep into the rich soils (Bible doctrine) of the promised land (spiritual maturity).

Jesus Christ came into this world not an especially attractive man, not one that people would be inordinately drawn to, Isa. 53:2, but He is the foundation or the main vine root and the life blood of all living things in existence. Nothing goes to the branches that does not come first from the root of the vine, and therefore nourishment is distributed to the branches from the root.

Our life in this world depends entirely on Jesus Christ and no other.

The Father is the cultivator of the garden and the one who keeps and prunes the vine in order that it produces a great deal of fruit. The vine branches' purpose then is to produce fruit. More on that in the next couple of verses.

The wild vines (false philosophies etc.) of life are those who deceive themselves as well as others, 2 Kg. 4:39. The vines (those that embrace compromises in life) that do not produce fruit are liars, Hab. 3:17.

Christ is the true vine illustrated by Judah's vine, which enriched him, Gen. 49:11, by Joseph's vine, the branches of which ran over the wall with tremendous prosperity of growth, Gen. 49:22, by Israel's (Jacob's) vine, under which he dwelt safely, 1 Kings 4:25.

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