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I AM
THE TRUE VINE
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Living Life in its Fullness by Relating with the Lord who is the True Vine
After sharing that He is “the way, the truth, and the life,” the LORD continued teaching, adding HOW to live IN THE WAY—permanently being a temple—or tabernacle or sanctuary—for the Holy Spirit.
If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (John 14:15-28 NLT )
He then headed with them towards the Garden of Gethsemane. There He challenged them to tarry with Him and pray. There, He prayed His greatest prayer, as recorded in John 17. Before doing so, however, He shared a great truth about how to live THE WAY OF THE KINGDOM—individually and together as a community of faith.
“I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit. 3 Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned. 4 Stay united with me, as I will with you — for just as the branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can’t bear fruit apart from me. 5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can’t do a thing. 6 Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up.
7 “If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you. 8 This is how my Father is glorified — in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my talmidim (disciples). (John 15:1-8 JNT)
The Feast of Sukkot, or Tabernacles, is in essence a celebration of our relationship—“follow-ship” and fellowship—with God. It is a time we remember His faithfulness, and are grateful that He chose us to enter into intimate communion and fellowship with Him. That relationship finds itself and is expressed in its fullness through relationships amongst a community of believers worshiping and living in the LORD’s WAY—in SPIRIT and TRUTH—the WAY of HIS LOVE and FAITHFULNESS. In such a way, we bear His identity and character, and live a part of HIS VINE.
In living in His vine, and experiencing the flow of His sap—His Holy Spirit—we experience His presence! Truly, then He is revealed as Immanu EL—God with us. (Isaiah 7:14)
Enjoy His vineyard! Know His presence! Relate and engage with Him in intimate union and fellowship! Enter into His life—His love, His peace, and His joy—that yours be full!
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