Our gracious heavenly Father, we come again because we need to hear from You again. Would You free us from distraction, would You help us to listen? Our minds can so easily be in 10,000 other places, even after a half hour of worship this morning. And so fix our attention because we need to hear from You. Pray that this Word would be fitly spoken, humbly spoken, boldly spoken, and Your People would have humble ears to hear it. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus is the bread of life. He is the true manna from heaven, food for the hungry. Unless you feast on Him, you have no life in you. Jesus is the light of the world, the pillar of fire in the wilderness, salvation in a dark world. Unless you believe that He is the coming again Messiah, you will die in your sins.

Jesus is the gate for the sheep. He is the passover door, the entryway into the fold. Unless you come in by Jesus, you are a thief and a robber.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He knows His flock. He calls them by name. Unless He is your Shepherd, you will not be safe from wolves, you will not lie down in green pastures.

Jesus is the resurrection and the lift. Whoever believes in Him will never die. Unless you belong to Him, you will not live forever in the age to come.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the Messiah God in the flesh. There is no other. Unless you know the Son and honor the Son, you neither know the Father nor honor the Father.

And Jesus is the True Vine. He is the One in whom we must abide if we are to bear fruit. Unless you abide in Him, you will be gathered like dead branches and thrown into the fire.

Seven “I am” statements in which Jesus could not make His messianic claims any clearer. And in each one, He not only states who He is, but He holds out a promise for all who believe in Him, and there is a warning for all who would reject Him.

And this morning we come to the seventh of those “I am” statements that Jesus is the Vine.

Follow along as I read from John chapter 15, verses 1 through 17, John 15.

“‘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. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.'”

“‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you. These things I command you,