The Vine

The seventh and last of the self identification statements of Jesus recorded in John's gospel is about intimacy that grows out of dependency.  John 15:1 contains the word, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower."  There are two levels of intimacy lifted up in this passage.  The first is the intimacy between Jesus and the Father.  The presence of Jesus as the true vine is a part of the plan of the Father God.  It is not something which has evolved or simply happened circumstantially. In every respect Jesus is dependent upon the plan of the Father.    

The second level of intimacy lifted up in the passage is the intimacy between Jesus and the disciples.  Even as Jesus is dependent on the Father, so are the disciples dependent on Jesus.  Jesus is spoken of as the true vine dependent on the vinegrower (the Father) and the disciples are spoken of as the branches of the true vine (Jesus).  The branches are subject to removal or pruning according to the level of fruit production (obedience to the will of the Son). As grandchildren are connected to their parents and the parents are connected to the grandparents of their children, so is there a connection of life and dependency between the disciples, Jesus, and the Father.  

Of course, all analogies are prone to reveal their flaws and limitations and so does this DNA analogy, but it does point to the way our levels of intimacy are dependent and connected.  Being the true vine, Jesus stands in the middle.  He is the One who connects us to our Father God and the One through whom we know spiritual intimacy with our Creator.  Jesus is the divine intermediary.  Without Him we end up in the burn pile for no branch can prune itself in order to be true to its reason for being.