Series: Committed
Message: Appreciation
Preacher: Japhet De Oliveira
Refresh: Open with prayer. Read of listen to Psalm 49:13-20.
Read: John 15:1-17 - As you read in the NLT translation, note 1-3 insights/questions that arise.
Reflect: The gardening metaphor is just one layer of practical application to our lives. Jesus wants us to understand that pruning, while it might seem painful, in fact will generate more success. While I am not a gardener, in fact most would not want to trust any form of plant life in my care, I do value the final product. A beautiful rose, a perfectly lined field of crops, the fresh fruit or vegetables on our table. All of these do not happen by accident. There is intentional care. The same applies to our walk with Jesus and our ability to appreciate. N. T. Wright in his insightful little commentary John for Everyone - part 2. page 70, draws our attention to the deeper significance of the vine metaphor:
Within Jewish tradition, the vine was a picture of Israel. God brought a vine out of Egypt, and planted it in the promised land (Psalm 80.8–18). It had been ravaged by wild animals and needed protecting and re-establishing. The vineyard of Israel, said Isaiah in chapter 5, has borne wild grapes instead of proper ones. Other prophets used the same picture.
Now Jesus is saying that he is the ‘true vine’. This can only mean that he is, in himself, the true Israel. He is the one on whom God’s purposes are now resting. And his followers are members of God’s true people – if they belong to him and remain ‘in’ him. The picture of the ‘vine’ isn’t just a clever illustration from gardening. It is about who Jesus and his people really are, and what is now going to happen to them as a result.
Recalibrate:
Respond: Pray for growth.
Research: What are the best techniques for pruning a rose bush and how does that apply to our lives?