1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:1-27 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, How our blessed Saviour, under the metaphor of a vine, elegantly sets forth himself in his relation to his visible church, shewing, under that similitude, what his Father meant to do with Judas, and with all unfruitful branches like unto him, even take them away, cut them off, and throw them into the fire: but such as are fruitful, he purges by his word and spirit, by ordinances and providences, by mercies and afflictions, that they may be more aboundingly and abidingly fruitful.
Learn hence, 1. That Jesus Christ in his offices for, and relation to, his people, doth most fitly resemble a vine. As the vine is weak, mean, and small, in outward appearance, not like the cedar for height, or like the oak for strength: so was Christ in his state of humiliation: there was no beauty in him, Isaiah 53:1
As the vine is a fruitful plant, though it has little pomp, yet it has much plenty, and is only useful for fruit bearing, and brings forth both plenty and variety of sweet fruit to make glad the heart of man: thus the fruits of Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession are many and great, delightful and sweet.
In a word, as the fruit of the vine is pressed, that it may be drink unto men, so Christ submitted to be trod in the wine-press of God’s wrath, that thereby the sweetest fruit and benefit might redound to his people.
Finally, as the vine is the root from which all the branches derive their nourishment and fruitfulness, in like manner is Christ the stock into which all his members are ingrafted, the root in which they all subsist, and the fountain from whence their spiritual life and fruitfulness doth proceed and flow.
Learn, 2. That as Christ is the vine, so his Father is the husbandman: he ingrafts and implants all the branches into this vine: the plants of righteousness are of his own planting: he takes notice what store of fruti every branch doth bring forth: and it is his daily care to dress and dung, to purge and prune, to support and shelter, his vineyard, that it may bring forth fruit abundantly.
Learn, 3. That there are two sorts of branches in this vine, some fruitful, others unfruitful; some have the visibility, but not the reality, of branches; some are branches only by external profession, others are so by real implantation.
Learn, 4. That the true touch-stone whereby to discern one sort of branches from another, is not by the fair leaves of profession, but by the substantial proofs of an holy and righteous conversation.
Learn, 5. That in the most fruitful branches, in the best and holiest of christians, there remains much corruption to be purged out, in order to future and farther fruitfulness.
Learn, 6. That the husbandman’s hand (God the Father’s) manages the pruning knife of affliction, in order to his people’s improvement in grace and holiness: he had rather see his vine bleed, than see it barren.
Lastly, That such branches as, after all the husbandman’s care and cost, remain unfruitful, shall be finally cut off and cast away, as was Judas here; who, in this discourse of our Saviour, seems particularly and especially to be aimed at; he was a branch in him that bare no fruit, who was shortly after taken away, and went to his own place.