The document is a collection of Bible passages that discuss the metaphor of Jesus as the vine and believers as branches. The key passages are: - John 15:1-11 which establishes the metaphor and says branches must remain in the vine to bear fruit. - Matthew 7:17-20 and other passages that say a branch will be known by its fruits and unfruitful branches will be cut off and burned. - Passages encourage believers to remain in Jesus through obeying his teachings in order to bear good fruits, receive blessings, and have joy. Those who do not remain in Jesus cannot be fruitful or receive what they ask of God.

1. John 15:1-11John 15:1-11

2. John 15:1-11 -John 15:1-11 - “I am the true“I am the true
grapevine, and my Father is thegrapevine, and my Father is the
gardener.gardener. 22
He cuts off everyHe cuts off every
branch of mine that doesnbranch of mine that doesn’’tt
produce fruit, and he prunes theproduce fruit, and he prunes the
branches that do bear fruit sobranches that do bear fruit so
they will produce even more.they will produce even more.

3. 33
You have already been prunedYou have already been pruned
and purified by the message Iand purified by the message I
have given you.have given you.

4. 44
RemainRemain in me, and I willin me, and I will remainremain inin
you. For a branch cannot produceyou. For a branch cannot produce
fruit if it is severed from the vine,fruit if it is severed from the vine,
and you cannot be fruitful unlessand you cannot be fruitful unless
youyou remainremain in me.in me. 55
“Yes, I am the“Yes, I am the
vine; you are the branches. Thosevine; you are the branches. Those
whowho remainremain in me, and I in them,in me, and I in them,
will produce much fruit. For apartwill produce much fruit. For apart
from me you can do nothing.from me you can do nothing.

5. 66
Anyone who does notAnyone who does not remainremain inin
me is thrown away like a uselessme is thrown away like a useless
branch and withers. Suchbranch and withers. Such
branches are gathered into a pilebranches are gathered into a pile
to be burned.to be burned. 77
But if youBut if you remainremain inin
me and my wordsme and my words remainremain in you,in you,
you may ask for anything youyou may ask for anything you
want, and it will be granted!want, and it will be granted!

6. 88
When you produce much fruit,When you produce much fruit,
you are my true disciples. Thisyou are my true disciples. This
brings great glory to my Father.brings great glory to my Father.
99
“I have loved you even as the“I have loved you even as the
Father has loved me.Father has loved me. RemainRemain
in my love.in my love.

7. 1010
When you obey myWhen you obey my
commandments, youcommandments, you remainremain inin
my love, just as I obey mymy love, just as I obey my
Father’s commandments andFather’s commandments and
remainremain in his love.in his love.

8. 1111
I have told you these thingsI have told you these things
so that you will be filled withso that you will be filled with
my joy. Yes, your joy willmy joy. Yes, your joy will
overflow!overflow! NLTNLT

11. Psalm 80:8Psalm 80:8 - You brought us- You brought us
from Egypt like a grapevine;from Egypt like a grapevine;
you drove away the paganyou drove away the pagan
nations and transplanted usnations and transplanted us
into your land.into your land. NLTNLT

12. Jeremiah 2:21Jeremiah 2:21 - But I was the- But I was the
one who planted you, choosingone who planted you, choosing
a vine of the purest stock—thea vine of the purest stock—the
very best. How did you growvery best. How did you grow
into this corrupt wild vine?into this corrupt wild vine? NLTNLT

13. Isaiah 5:4-6Isaiah 5:4-6 – What more could I– What more could I
have done for my vineyard that Ihave done for my vineyard that I
have not already done? When Ihave not already done? When I
expected sweet grapes, why didexpected sweet grapes, why did
my vineyard give me bittermy vineyard give me bitter
grapes?grapes? 55
Now let me tell youNow let me tell you
what I will do towhat I will do to my vineyard:my vineyard:

14. I will tear down its hedges and letI will tear down its hedges and let
it be destroyed. I will break downit be destroyed. I will break down
its walls and let the animalsits walls and let the animals
trample it.trample it. 66
I will make it a wildI will make it a wild
place where the vines are notplace where the vines are not
pruned and the ground is notpruned and the ground is not
hoed, a place overgrown withhoed, a place overgrown with
briers and thorns. I willbriers and thorns. I will
command the clouds tocommand the clouds to
drop no rain on it.drop no rain on it. NLTNLT

17. John 15:5John 15:5 ... I am the vine,... I am the vine,
you are the branches; he whoyou are the branches; he who
abides in Me, and I in him, heabides in Me, and I in him, he
bears much fruit, …bears much fruit, … NLTNLT

18. I am the vine, you are
the branches; he who
abides in Me, and I in
him, he bears much
fruit, …
John 15:5

19. Heb 12:6-11Heb 12:6-11 - For the Lord- For the Lord
disciplines those he loves, and hedisciplines those he loves, and he
punishes each one he accepts aspunishes each one he accepts as
his child.his child.”” 77
As you endure thisAs you endure this
divine discipline, remember thatdivine discipline, remember that
God is treating you as his ownGod is treating you as his own
children. Who ever heard of achildren. Who ever heard of a
child who is never disciplined bychild who is never disciplined by
its father?its father?

20. 88
If God doesn’t discipline you asIf God doesn’t discipline you as
he does all of his children, ithe does all of his children, it
means that you are illegitimatemeans that you are illegitimate
and are not really his children atand are not really his children at
all.all. 99
Since we respected ourSince we respected our
earthly fathers who disciplinedearthly fathers who disciplined
us, shouldn’t we submit evenus, shouldn’t we submit even
more to the discipline of themore to the discipline of the
Father of our spirits, andFather of our spirits, and
live forever?live forever?

21. 1010
For our earthly fathersFor our earthly fathers
disciplined us for a few years,disciplined us for a few years,
doing the best they knew how. Butdoing the best they knew how. But
God’s discipline is always goodGod’s discipline is always good
for us, so that we might share infor us, so that we might share in
his holiness.his holiness.

22. 1111
No discipline is enjoyable while itNo discipline is enjoyable while it
is happening—it’s painful! Butis happening—it’s painful! But
afterward there will be a peacefulafterward there will be a peaceful
harvest of right living for thoseharvest of right living for those
who are trained in this way.who are trained in this way. NLTNLT

23. Psalm 119:67, 71Psalm 119:67, 71 – I used to– I used to
wander off until you disciplinedwander off until you disciplined
me; but now I closely follow yourme; but now I closely follow your
word.word. 7171
My suffering was goodMy suffering was good
for me, for it taught me to payfor me, for it taught me to pay
attention to your decrees.attention to your decrees. NLTNLT

24. John 8:31John 8:31 - Jesus said to the- Jesus said to the
people who believed in him,people who believed in him,
“You are truly my disciples if“You are truly my disciples if
you remain faithful to myyou remain faithful to my
teachings.teachings. NLTNLT

25. 1 Corinthians 3:1-31 Corinthians 3:1-3 - Dear- Dear
brothers and sisters, when I wasbrothers and sisters, when I was
with you I couldn’t talk to you aswith you I couldn’t talk to you as
I would to spiritual people. I hadI would to spiritual people. I had
to talk as though you belongedto talk as though you belonged
to this world or as though youto this world or as though you
were infants in the Christian life.were infants in the Christian life.

26. 22
I had to feed you with milk, notI had to feed you with milk, not
with solid food, because youwith solid food, because you
weren’t ready for anythingweren’t ready for anything
stronger. And you still aren’tstronger. And you still aren’t
ready,ready, 33
for you are still controlledfor you are still controlled
by your sinful nature.by your sinful nature.

27. You are jealous of one anotherYou are jealous of one another
and quarrel with each other.and quarrel with each other.
Doesn’t that prove you areDoesn’t that prove you are
controlled by your sinful nature?controlled by your sinful nature?
Aren’t you living like people of theAren’t you living like people of the
world?world? NLTNLT

28. 1 John 3:9-101 John 3:9-10 – Those who– Those who
have been born into God’s familyhave been born into God’s family
do not make a practice ofdo not make a practice of
sinning, because God’s life is insinning, because God’s life is in
them. So they can’t keep onthem. So they can’t keep on
sinning, because they aresinning, because they are
children of God.children of God.

29. 1010
So now we can tell who areSo now we can tell who are
children of God and who arechildren of God and who are
children of the devil. Anyone whochildren of the devil. Anyone who
does not live righteously anddoes not live righteously and
does not love other believersdoes not love other believers
does not belong to God.does not belong to God. NLTNLT

31. John 6:70-71John 6:70-71 - Then Jesus said,- Then Jesus said,
“I chose the twelve of you, but one“I chose the twelve of you, but one
is a devil.”is a devil.” 7171
HeHe was speaking ofwas speaking of
Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, oneJudas, son of Simon Iscariot, one
of the Twelve, who would laterof the Twelve, who would later
betray him.betray him. NLTNLT

32. Jesus said, without me
you can do NOTHING ….
John15:5
Copyright, Michael F. Sabo
Judas Branches abide
in themselves not Jesus

33. Judas Branch FruitJudas Branch Fruit
is seen inis seen in
Galatians 5:19-21Galatians 5:19-21
Copyright, Michael F. Sabo

34. Matthew 13:20-22Matthew 13:20-22 - The seed on- The seed on
the rocky soil represents thosethe rocky soil represents those
who hear the message andwho hear the message and
immediately receive it with joy.immediately receive it with joy.
2121
But since they don’t have deepBut since they don’t have deep
roots, they don’t last long. Theyroots, they don’t last long. They
fall away as soon as they havefall away as soon as they have
problems or are persecuted forproblems or are persecuted for
believing God’s word.believing God’s word.

35. 2222
The seed that fell among theThe seed that fell among the
thorns represents those whothorns represents those who
hear God’s word, but all toohear God’s word, but all too
quickly the message isquickly the message is
crowded out by the worries ofcrowded out by the worries of
this life and the lure of wealth,this life and the lure of wealth,
so no fruit is produced.so no fruit is produced. NLTNLT

36. John 6:37John 6:37 - However, those- However, those
the Father has given me willthe Father has given me will
come to me, and I will nevercome to me, and I will never
reject them.reject them. NLTNLT

37. Matthew 5:33, 41Matthew 5:33, 41 - He will place- He will place
the sheep at his right hand andthe sheep at his right hand and
the goats at his left.the goats at his left. 4141
“Then the“Then the
King will turn to those on the leftKing will turn to those on the left
and say, ‘Away with you, youand say, ‘Away with you, you
cursed ones, into the eternal firecursed ones, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and hisprepared for the devil and his
demons.demons. NLTNLT

39. I am the vine, you are
the branches; he who
abides in Me, and I in
him, he bears much
fruit, …
John 15:5

42. Matthew 7:17-20Matthew 7:17-20 - A good tree- A good tree
produces good fruit, and a badproduces good fruit, and a bad
tree produces bad fruit.tree produces bad fruit. 1818
A goodA good
tree can’t produce bad fruit, and atree can’t produce bad fruit, and a
bad tree can’t produce good fruit.bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
1919
So every tree that does notSo every tree that does not
produce good fruit is choppedproduce good fruit is chopped
down and thrown into the fire.down and thrown into the fire.

43. 2020
Yes, just as you can identify aYes, just as you can identify a
tree by its fruit, so you can identifytree by its fruit, so you can identify
people by their actions.people by their actions. NLTNLT

44. John 15:4John 15:4 - ... For a branch- ... For a branch
cannot produce fruit if it iscannot produce fruit if it is
severed from the vine, and yousevered from the vine, and you
cannot be fruitful unless youcannot be fruitful unless you
remain in me.remain in me. NLTNLT

45. John 15:7John 15:7 - But if you remain- But if you remain
in me and my words remain inin me and my words remain in
you, you may ask for anythingyou, you may ask for anything
you want, and it will beyou want, and it will be
granted!granted! NLTNLT

46. Psalm 37:4Psalm 37:4 - Take delight in- Take delight in
the Lord, and he will give youthe Lord, and he will give you
your heart’s desires.your heart’s desires. NLTNLT

47. John 14:13-14John 14:13-14 - You can ask for- You can ask for
anything in my name, and I willanything in my name, and I will
do it,do it, so that the Son can bringso that the Son can bring
glory to the Fatherglory to the Father.. 1414
Yes, askYes, ask
me for anything in my name,me for anything in my name,
and I will do it!and I will do it! NLTNLT

48. John 15:11John 15:11 - I have told you- I have told you
these things so that you will bethese things so that you will be
filled with my joy.filled with my joy. Yes, your joyYes, your joy
will overflow!will overflow! NLTNLT