Tossed in the Fire - Missed Connections Series

2020-11-21

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Tossed in the Fire - Missed Connections Series In this Bible teaching from Founded in Truth Fellowship, Matthew Vander Els explores the deeper meaning behind Jesus' allegory of the vine and the branches in John chapter 15. This teaching is part of a series called "Missed Connections," which aims to uncover how the authors of the New Testament connected their writings to the stories and prophecies of the Old Testament. The goal is to help listeners understand the richer context of the Bible and...

In this Bible teaching from Founded in Truth Fellowship, Matthew Vander Els explores the deeper meaning behind Jesus' allegory of the vine and the branches in John chapter 15. This teaching is part of a series called "Missed Connections," which aims to uncover how the authors of the New Testament connected their writings to the stories and prophecies of the Old Testament. The goal is to help listeners understand the richer context of the Bible and recognize Jesus (Yeshua) as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

Many are familiar with the basic understanding of John 15, where Jesus declares, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser." The branches represent believers, and the teaching often focuses on the importance of staying connected to Jesus to bear good fruit. This imagery is commonly used in Christian circles, even appearing on bumper stickers and t-shirts. However, this teaching delves deeper, suggesting that understanding the Old Testament context, particularly the book of Ezekiel, can provide a more profound understanding of Jesus' words.

Matthew Vander Els highlights that while the surface-level understanding of John 15 is valuable, exploring the Old Testament reveals that Jesus' analogy draws upon existing prophetic imagery. Christian scholars recognize the connection between John 15 and several Old Testament passages, including Isaiah 5:1-7, Jeremiah 2:21-22, and Ezekiel 15:1-8 and 17:1-10.

The teaching examines each of these potential Old Testament sources. Isaiah 5:1-7 presents a poem where God refers to Israel as his vineyard that yields wild grapes instead of good fruit. While this passage uses vineyard language and mentions bad fruit and pruning, the textual connections to John 15 in the Greek Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament commonly used by New Testament authors) are limited to just a couple of similar words. Interestingly, Matthew Vander Els points out a "nerdy Bible moment" in Isaiah 5:7 where the prophet seems to playfully use rhyming words in Hebrew to emphasize God's disappointment. Despite the vineyard imagery, Isaiah 5 is not considered the primary source for John 15 due to the weaker linguistic links.

Jeremiah 2:21 also uses the metaphor of a vine, where God says, "Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?" The connection here lies in the idea of God planting a vine, which echoes the language in John 15:1. However, a key difference is that in Jeremiah, the vine represents Israel, whereas in John 15, Jesus himself is the vine. Furthermore, the concept of fruit-bearing shifts from the vine (Israel) in Jeremiah to the branches (believers) in John, making a direct connection less straightforward.

The teaching then focuses on the book of Ezekiel, specifically chapters 15 and 17, as the most compelling Old Testament background for John 15. In Ezekiel 15:1-8, the imagery of the vine is used to describe the inhabitants of Jerusalem as useless wood fit only for burning. Similarly, Ezekiel 17:1-10 presents an allegory of a vine representing the kingdom of Judah and its leaders, who face destruction due to their disloyalty.

A crucial point emphasized in the teaching is the significant number of verbal parallels between these passages in Ezekiel (in the Greek Septuagint) and John 15. According to Christian scholarship, Ezekiel's vine parables share more vocabulary and phrases with John 15 than Isaiah or Jeremiah do. Notably, the Greek word for "branch," *klema*, is used regularly in the Septuagint of Ezekiel and appears only in John 15 in the entire New Testament. This unique linguistic connection strongly suggests that John's intended audience, familiar with the Old Testament, would have recognized the allusions to Ezekiel.

Understanding this Old Testament context from Ezekiel is vital because it reveals that the vine and branches imagery was already associated with the **failure of Israel's leaders, particularly the Davidic kings, and the impending judgment**. The vine of David had fallen due to the kings' unfaithfulness and their reliance on other nations instead of God. The branches, representing the leadership associated with these apostate kings, were also considered worthless.

Therefore, when Jesus says, "I am the true vine," he is contrasting himself with the failed vine of the Davidic dynasty. The branches that do not abide in him and bear fruit are likened to the useless branches in Ezekiel that are gathered and thrown into the fire. The teaching emphasizes that John 15 is not merely a call for individual perfection but a call for **unwavering allegiance to King Jesus**, the true and unfailing leader. Just as the disloyal leadership in Ezekiel faced destruction, those who are not loyal to Jesus will be like useless wood.

The analogy extends to contemporary believers. Just as ancient Israel was tempted to seek help from other "eagles" (political powers), modern Christians can also be tempted to place their ultimate trust in earthly solutions rather than God's kingdom. True loyalty to Jesus means that one's life should reflect the values and priorities of his kingdom, even if it means standing apart from the ways of the world.

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Application for Everyday Life

Examine your allegiances: Reflect on where your ultimate loyalty lies. Is it primarily with earthly systems and powers, or with the kingdom of Jesus?
Prioritize God's kingdom: Make decisions and live in a way that reflects the values of Jesus' kingdom, such as love, kindness, and justice, rather than solely pursuing worldly success or approval.
Focus on progress, not perfection: Recognize that allegiance to Jesus is defined by the direction of your life – are you moving towards his image? Even with imperfections, loyalty to the true vine leads to bearing fruit.
Recognize the conflict: Understand that Jesus' kingdom will often be at odds with the values and systems of the world. Your loyalty to Jesus may mean standing against popular opinion or worldly trends.
Practice love and kindness: Jesus' commandment is to love one another as he loved us. This includes those who are difficult to love or who may even be considered enemies.

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