“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 (Joh 15:1-8).”
I’ve been spending a lot of time in Isaiah. The last eight-week class of my M. Div. journey is an eight-week study into Isaiah, and I have enjoyed it tremendously. Each week my mind is blown and last week was no exception. In the 27th Chapter of Isaiah I came across a vineyard. But not just any vineyard God’s vineyard.
2 In that day,
“A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!
3 I, the LORD, am its keeper;
every moment I water it.
Lest anyone punish it,
I keep it night and day;
4 I have no wrath (Isa 27:2-4).
This is a contrast of an earlier vineyard found in the 5th Chapter of Isaiah.
7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry (Isa 5:7)!
The Old Testament uses the metaphor of a vine and vineyard as a depiction of Israel and God’s expectation that Israel would bear fruit. But perhaps most often the metaphor only highlights Israel’s failure. We should not be surprised at Israel’s failure. Even today, it is difficult to find justice and righteousness and not difficult at all to find bloodshed. We have all cried out for justice and righteousness because we have all experienced injustice and unrighteousness even if we have not experienced bloodshed.
The vineyard of the 27th Chapter of Isaiah had not yet manifested in Isaiah’s day. For the Israelites of Isaiah’s day Isaiah’s words where words of hope. Today, you and I can know the true vine and vinedresser. Who or what is this true vine? The true vine of Israel is their Messiah. Almost immediately after Isaiah introduces God’s vineyard Isaiah asks some rhetorical questions, Has God struck Israel as He struck the nations around her (Isa 27:7)? Has Israel been slain as their slayers, Assyria and Babylon, been slain (Isa 27:7)? Israel had not and would not be destroyed like the other nations. Because Israel was the vineyard of the Messiah were God to destroy Israel the Messiah, the true vine, would have been short a vineyard. God chose Israel as His vineyard and His vine, Jesus, would descend from the men of Judah. This was His plan from the beginning. The true vine would sprout from Jewish soil. In declaring Himself the true vine Jesus was declaring himself the Christ.
In days to come Jacob shall take root,
Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots
and fill the whole world with fruit (Isa 27:6).
Commenting on the vine/vineyard discord of Jesus in John’s Gospel Andreas Köstenberger remarks, “as the paradigmatic vine, Jesus embodies God’s true intentions for Israel: Jesus is the channel through whom God’s blessings flow. Just as Jesus is the new temple and the fulfillment of Jewish festival symbolism, so also, he is the new Israel, the true vine (Beale and Carson 2007, 491).” If we are not surprised by Israel’s failures, then we shouldn’t be surprised by our own. God never intended for you, me, or Israel to be perfect, at least not until He has perfected us, rather, He intended for His perfect Son to bear the punishment for our guilt. God has not yet perfected you either. But that day will come.
The second vineyard, God’s vineyard, is free of injustice, bloodshed, and wickedness not because you or I or even Israel has made it so. It is free of those things because God has made it so. He is tending to His vineyard even now. Sometimes I think we take too much responsibility for God’s work and forget the work we have been given. We are to bear fruit.
It is a special kind of fruit though. We, are to bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Mat 3:8). Have you failed today? Are you facing the failures of yesterday? Squaring those injustices and that wickedness with God’s own perfect righteousness is the work of God. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1Jn 4:10).” This God did to remove wickedness, bloodshed, and injustice from His vineyard. The fruit comes of the repentance that comes from the recognition of what God has done. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1Jn 1:9).”
Abide in the true vine! Adam Clarke summarized the idea neatly, “hold fast faith and a good conscience; and let no trials turn you aside from the truth. And I will abide in you—ye shall receive every help and influence from me that your souls can require, in order to preserve and save them to eternal life (Clarke 1810-1826, 627).” If you are struggling today look to Jesus’s words in His gospel, “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 (John 15:5).” Repent, and rest in Jesus. Just imagine, no wrath!
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Beale, G. K., and D. A. Carson. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.
Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke’s Commentary On The Bible. Public Domain, 1810-1826.