"Abide in the Vine" (Sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, on John 15:1-8)

About a year and a half ago, some friends and I went up to western Michigan, and, among our stops, we visited a vineyard. We walked over to where the grapes were growing, and saw them up close. Clusters of big, juicy-looking grapes hanging from the branches! Just beautiful! And what did all these clusters of grapes have in common? They were all on branches that were attached to the vine. There weren’t any broken-off branches lying on the ground that had beautiful grapes on them. No, just the branches that were attached to the vine. And this is like the comparison our Lord Jesus makes in our text today about how we will bear lots of beautiful fruit in our lives. It comes down to this: “Abide in the Vine.”

“Abide in the vine.” In other words, stay connected. Remain where you are, connected to the vine. The idea of remaining where you are could sound kind of boring. But when it comes to the Christian life, nothing could be further from the truth. Far from being dull and lifeless, for the Christian, abiding in the vine--that is, remaining connected to Christ--is dynamic, active, and productive.

Here is the key. It’s in what Jesus says: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. Friends, this is your basic identity. Jesus gives you your identity, and it is in relation to him. The relationship that Jesus establishes with you gives you your basic identity in life.

Is this how you see yourself? We may have many identities in life: teacher, student; employer, employee; husband, wife; parent, child. But first and foremost is your identity in Christ. In baptism you were connected to Christ. You were joined to Jesus. Now your life is linked to his. Jesus gives you your identity. And here’s what he says it is: “You are the branches.” Branches are defined by their connection to the vine. Jesus is the vine, and so your identity is defined by your connection to Christ. It is in that relationship that you will bear fruit in your life.

Fruitful branches. That is who we are, connected to Christ. But that’s not who we were before, apart from Christ. Apart from him, we were fruitless, faithless, lifeless. But it was for dead ones like us that Christ came. For us he died. For us he rose again. By his death he destroyed death and cleanses us from our sins. By his Easter victory, Jesus assures us of new life, eternal life. He is the true vine, the living vine, who gives life to the branches. He sustains our life and causes us to be fruitful.

And so now, in Christ, connected to him and drawing your life from him, you will bear fruit--much fruit, good fruit. What is this fruit that we’re speaking of? The fruit of faith consists in all the good works that Christians do, works done according to the Ten Commandments, for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor. Love and good works--this is the fruit that you will bear.

Now make no mistake: Your works will not save you, any more than bearing fruit causes a branch to become attached to a vine. No, it’s the other way around. It’s not that the branch bears fruit on its own and thereby earns its way onto the vine. No, the branch is attached to the vine, and that is why and how it bears fruit.

What’s the secret to bearing fruit, to doing good works? Simple: Abide in the vine, and you will bear much fruit. The secret to being fruitful is really no secret at all. Christian fruitfulness comes from abiding in the vine. Jesus says: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” “Apart from me, you can do nothing.”

You see, it is absolutely vital that we abide in the vine. If we become detached from Christ, we cut ourselves off from the only source of life there is, both for our own eternal life and for our ability to produce good fruit in this life. But as we do abide in Christ the vine, staying connected to him, we will be nourished with an abundant source of life and fruitfulness.

Friends, Christ supplies you with all you need to bear abundant fruit. How does he do it? Through the gospel, the good news of God’s grace in Christ. The gospel causes the life of Christ to flow from the vine into us branches. The gospel refreshes our soul. It strengthens our faith. It enables our love and energizes our service. The gospel assures us of God’s love toward us. It moves us into doing good works for others. This gospel comes to you in Word and Sacrament. It’s the preaching you hear in church. It’s the teaching you receive in Bible class. It’s living in your baptism. It’s receiving Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament. This is how the life of the vine gets into us branches.

So to abide in the vine, to draw our life from the vine, we need to be where the gospel is. That’s why it is vitally important for you to stay connected to Christ here in church. This is where Word and Sacrament happen. This is the place that Christ himself has established, in order for you to stay connected to him.

The danger in all of this is to loosen or even lose your connection to Christ. The danger is in detaching yourself from Christ and his church. Some people seem to think you can have one without the other, that you can have Jesus without his church. But you can’t. It doesn’t work that way. Christ has brought us into his church, and he wants us to stay here, because this is where the life is. This is where branches draw life and nourishment from the vine. Apart from the vine, you will die. Abide in the vine, and you will live and bear fruit. But stay away from the vine, stay away or stray away from Christ’s church, and you are in grave danger of dying.

This is a real temptation for so many people these days. It’s the “I don’t need to go to church” syndrome. “Oh, I don’t need to go to church to believe in God,” some folks say. But such a statement will never come from the Holy Spirit. Never. The Holy Spirit never leads a person to pit the church against Jesus. Christ is the one whose church it is. Unfortunately, this “I don’t need church” mentality has gotten into the heads of so many these days. But this is as foolish as a branch thinking it’s better off apart from the vine. To say, “I don’t believe in organized religion,” is like a branch saying, “I don’t need organized plant life.” It’s utter foolishness.

So instead of seeing how little of Christ you can get by with, try seeing how much of Christ you can get. For Jesus has tied the promise of his presence to the Word and Sacrament ministry he has instituted. “Abide in me, and I in you,” he says, and he adds, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you. . . .” Notice, Christ abides in you through his words. So let the words of Christ abide in you, words like: “I am the bread of life”; “I am the light of the world”; “I am the good shepherd”; “I am the resurrection and the life”; “I am the vine; you are the branches.” These life-giving words of Jesus will abide within you. They are your source of life and fruitfulness.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you rejoice in your Baptism and you receive the body and blood of Christ in Communion. Let God’s word transform your mind and sink deep into your soul, as you sing the liturgy and hymns of the church and hear the preaching and teaching of God’s word. Let Jesus’ words abide in you.

How can you be the most productive and fruitful Christian you can be? Simply remain where Christ has brought you today: here where you draw your life from Christ the vine; here where you are connected to him, in the life of the church, through the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Receive from Jesus. Abiding in the vine is the secret to a fruitful life of love and good works.

Abide in the vine. Stay connected to Christ. Your relationship to Jesus is your basic identity in life. He is the source of your life and the secret to your fruitfulness. Receive life from him as you continue in his word. This is where and how you will find what you need to be fruitful. Abide in the vine, and you will bear much fruit.

John 15:1-8 (ESV)

[Jesus said:] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

This is my first Free Republic comment in years and it’s my sad duty to report that Rev. Henrickson never got to preach this sermon. He was called home last night and is in Christ’s nearer presence.

All,

Pastor Henrickson died in his sleep last night.

To Jesus Christ be all glory, laud and honor.

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