I Am the Vine - Crosswalk the Devotional - May 6

I Am the Vine
by Emma Danzey

John 15:5 says, “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.”

Why Does Jesus Describe Himself as the Vine?
I love that Jesus describes Himself as the Vine and us as the branches. He is the Source of our very lives. Without the vine, there can be no branches. Without Jesus, we cannot thrive and grow. Our entire lives are dependent upon the Lord.  When we remember how Jesus gave up His life and His blood for us, there is a powerful connection because of His provision of communion at the Last Supper. Jesus compares His blood to wine. As we think about Jesus having declared Himself to be The Vine, He also produced the sacrifice that would atone for our sins by His blood. It is interesting that wine is described as the blood of grapes in Genesis 49:11 and Deuteronomy 32:14. Jesus is the Vine and He poured out His blood for us.

Beth Moore shares in her book Chasing Vines, “Because the grape was proudly multipurpose, the shelf life it had to offer the ancient world was practically without rival. Grapes could be eaten fresh, straight from the vine. Dried, they were renamed raisins, and in the Bible, they were eaten plain or baked into cakes. Pressed, the grapes produced fresh juice, or far more significantly, they could be utterly transformed, possessing new properties and chemistry, into vinegars and wines.”

When we think about how Jesus described Himself as the Vine and ponder the many uses of a grape, it reminds us that our Savior reveals Himself to the world in a variety of ways. He is able to save and rescue anyone. What He produces is diverse and desirable. When we begin to believe that we finally comprehend Him, He shows us another part of Himself that leaves us in awe. 

What Does it Mean for Us Today That Jesus Is the Vine?
This is valuable for us today in our lives because when we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, then we are branches attached to His Vine. He becomes our main source for living, we become surrendered to fully depend on Him. Jesus gives us everything that we need to accomplish His will for our lives. We see this especially in the word remain (or abide). 

Remain 
Strong’s Greek shares that the word in John 15:5 is menōn, which is translated: remain, abide, or dwell. The word literally means to stay. When we are staying with our Savior, we are learning from Him, growing deeper in our love for Him, and able to reach outward to others and show them who Jesus is. 

How Can We Remain Connected to the Vine?

1. Spend Time with Him: Making time each day in the Bible and in prayer is a key way to staying connected with Jesus. If we are actively seeking Him and reading His Scriptures, we will be growing and changed by His living and active Word.
2. Be Still Before Him: This one is convicting. When was the last time you were just simply still before the Lord? When we take an opportunity to rest before His presence, we can be still and know that He is Lord. Remain is a term that involves resting in the work that has already been done. We are branches, but Jesus is the Vine. We can stop striving for salvation but rest in a permanent gift from Jesus our Vine. We can abide in Him in stillness and solitude, knowing that our souls find rest in God alone.
3. Share His Love with Others: Part of the joy of vines is that they produce fruit. Part of our greatest gifts as believers in Christ is that we not only watch God work, we are involved in what He is doing around the world. When we share His love and gospel with others, we can help multiply those connected with the Vine and see the Holy Spirit produce more fruit from the Vine who is Jesus.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
How are you connecting with Jesus today? He is the Vine and we are the branches. May we remember to spend time with Him, be still before Him, and share His love with others. 

Further Reading:

• Jeremiah 6:9
• Matthew 20:1-16
• John 6:55

Photo credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Feverpitched

Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, inspiring young women to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew for over two years and mom to baby Graham. Drew and Emma serve with Upstate CRU college ministry in South Carolina. Emma is an avid writer for Salem Web Network and provides articles on the Bible, life questions, and on the Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 viewed article on Crosswalk for the year 2021. All the glory to the Lord! She had the joy of hosting Her Many Hats podcast where she explored the many roles that women play while serving One God. Most recently, Emma has released her first Bible Study Book, Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness.

Emma enjoys singing/songwriting, fitness classes, trying new recipes, home makeover shows, and drinking tea! During her ministry career, Emma recorded two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, ran the Refined Magazine, and served in music education for early childhood. Emma also had the privilege of having been a national spokesperson for Mukti Mission based out of India. Mukti has been working to restore shattered lives in India for over 120 years. You can view her articles through her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Bible Study videos on Instagram @Emmadanzey.

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