Week 6: True Vine (John 15:5)
Week Six: I Am the True Vine
Primary Text: John 15:1–11 (You may want to read all of John 15, John 16 has some repeated themes)
Key Verse: John 15:5
“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.”
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the true vine, the source of all life.
Draw us close to You.
Quiet our hearts and deepen our dependence.
Prune what does not belong, and grow in us what reflects Your character.
By Your Spirit, teach us to abide in You so that our lives may bear fruit for the sake of the world.
Amen.
Read the Scripture
Read John 15:1–11 slowly together.
As you listen, notice:
• Repeated words or phrases
• What the Father does
• What Jesus promises
• What is required of the branches
Context and Teaching Notes
This passage comes from Jesus’ final teaching to His disciples before His arrest. In the Gospel of John, these are intimate, last words meant to prepare His followers for life without His physical presence.
Jesus declares:
“I am the true vine.”
This statement carries deep Old Testament imagery. In places like Isaiah 5, Israel is described as God’s vine—called to bear fruit but ultimately failing. Jesus now identifies Himself as the true and faithful vine, the one who succeeds where Israel could not.
This is a profound claim about His identity. He is not merely a teacher of life—He is the source of life itself. As with the other “I AM” statements, this echoes the divine name revealed in Exodus 3:14. Jesus is revealing His divine nature.
And yet, this divine life is not distant. It is shared. Branches are intimately connected to the vine. Life flows from Christ into His people.
Here we again see the mystery of Jesus’ dual nature. The eternal Son of God, through His incarnation, makes it possible for human beings to be united to Him. The life of God flows into ordinary people.
The Father is described as the gardener who prunes the branches so that they may bear more fruit. Pruning is not punishment—it is purposeful, loving, and necessary for growth. Listen to the podcast to consider the “Lifting Up” as another way to translate the word prune.
Lent invites us to consider what needs to be cut away so that true life can flourish, but what also can we take on to flourish as his disciples.
Discussion Questions
Observing the Text
What words or themes are repeated in this passage?
What does Jesus say happens to branches that do not remain in Him?
Understanding Jesus’ Identity
What does it mean that Jesus is the true vine? What is He contrasting Himself with?
How does this passage reveal both Jesus’ divine authority and his relational closeness to His disciples?
Personal Reflection
What do you think it practically means to “abide” in Jesus?
Where in your life do you feel disconnected, hurried, or spiritually dry?
How have you experienced “pruning”? What might God be removing or refining in you right now?
Outward Implication
Jesus says abiding leads to “much fruit.” What kind of fruit do you think He is describing?
If our church were deeply abiding in Christ, what visible fruit would others see?
How might abiding in Jesus shape the way we love, serve, and engage our community?
Formation Practice for the Week
See the Practices for this week. We encourage you to do the Examen. The spiritual practice of Examen slows us down enough to be able to be attentive, aware, and to recognize God’s presence. The examen helps us to identify what was life-giving (and what was not) in our day. It matures our ability to discern the spirits. It allows us to remain with Jesus, the True Vine.
We also have a Contemplative prayer practice and a Breath Prayer.
Since fruit comes from the health and energy of the vine.
“Be still and know”….rest and abide in The True Vine.
May you choose to do that which will keep you connected to the True Vine to cultivate an ever-deepening relationship with “I AM”.
Continue turning to and focusing on “I AM”
Thank you for joining Pastor Kirk and Pastor Debby on this journey with Jesus!
Book Resources:
The Spiritual Discipline Handbook: Practices that Transform Us, revised and expanded edition, by Adele A. Calhoun.
The Art of Vinemaking: Spiritual Flourishing in a Productivity-Driven Culture by Bette Dickinson, 2025.
Under the Influence of Jesus: The Transforming Experience of Encountering Christ by Joe Paprocki, 2014.
Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton (10-Feb-2006)
Opening to God: Lectio Divina and Life as Prayer, by Dr. David Benner
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, I come to You recognizing my tendency to wander into a life of performance, believing my worth comes from what I do rather than who I am in You. Thank You that Your love is not earned by my successes or diminished by my failures.
Lord Jesus, you are the Vine and I am the branch. Teach me what it truly means to abide, to sit at Your feet, and to rest in Your presence rather than rushing ahead in my own strength. I confess the exhaustion of trying to do everything on my own.
Holy Spirit, guide me to abide in love, not frenzy. Help me to stay rooted in Your Word and to remain connected to You throughout this day, knowing that apart from You, I can do nothing—but in You, I have all I need.
I choose this day to move from striving to surrender, receiving Your grace as enough, and finding my joy in being loved by You. And as we abide in You,
send us out to love and serve in Your name.
Amen.