Jesus uses the vine and the branches to reveal another picture of what His followers should be:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1-5)

This metaphor of the vine uniquely connects the believer and Christ.

Jesus is the Vine—the source of our spiritual life. We are to be branches through which the life of Christ flows and bears fruit. Jesus said, “‘You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit and that your fruit would remain’” (John 15:16).

Being a Christian is not merely choosing a religion or way of life. A Christian is connected to our Lord by a living faith—a personal relationship. The presence of God’s Holy Spirit within us brings spiritual life.

Just being branches of the vine is not sufficient. Jesus warned of branches that do not bear fruit. Lifeless branches have lost their intended purpose and become fit only for a much lesser and short-lived purpose—to become firewood.

A professed Christian who makes no impact on their environment may be a Christian in name, but that is not who God designed us to be. God did not design any believer not to bring forth fruit! He destined us to be productive in cooperation with His activity in people’s lives. If we are what He has destined and called us to be (salt, light, branches) and do our part, we will bear fruit.