The Daily Word

The Old Testament has many references to the nation of Israel as God’s ‘vine’. But despite God seeking to tend the vine in every way, the vine became unfruitful, and God brought in the New Covenant which didn’t just favour the Jews primarily but gave equal rights and access to God to both Jews and Gentiles. So Israel was no longer the vine, the core of the plant, and Jesus now says “I am the true vine….. and you are the branches”.

This is exactly where God was going when he chose Israel and His first people. He was always the gardener tending and pruning the vine, but now His Son holds that central position and we can only be fruitful for God if we abide in the vine because the His life flows through us and we can pay back, as it were, our thanks for that life and fellowship with Him and from Him by becoming fruitful in every way. And part of that fruitfulness is by honouring God in every way in our lives and recognising that outside of our Saviour and the life He want s us to live, there is no value to our actions.

This ‘I am’ was spoken in the Upper Room before Jesus went to the cross which makes all references to life and growth so much more vivid.

Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church