The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 259

EXPOSITION Ver. 1.-The vine of the Lorr] of hosta OHAPTER XV. (Ps. lxxx.) brought forth wild grapes (Isa. v.: Ezek. xix. 10); Israel beco.me "an empty Vere. 1-10.-(7) The parable of the vino" (Hoe. x. 1). The failure of Ismel to fline and its branches. InC(fl'pora!ion of the realize the ideal leads onr Lonl, as the disciples into one personality with Mmself. true IBl'ael of God, to eny, I am the veritable The image of the vine may have been (or, ideal) vine, including (ne the context shows) in the idea of his complete Per- suggested by some visible object. Either of sonality a.II the branchPa that derive their the hypotheses of plo.ce would fumish o. life from him. I with the branches, I in- reminder of the no.tme o.nd eultme of the volving my relation to the branches, and vine. Thus a.round the windows of the theirs to me-I as the Life-principle of guest-chamber the vine may have thrown humanity, together with thoee who are living in me-constitute and are the veritable vine its tendrils, or on the slopes of Olivet the of prophecy, the tme Israel of God. So that vineyards may have been prominent objects, this po.asage, from vera. 1-10, denotes and 01· the bUl'Ding heaps of vine-pruninge may expounds with a.II detail the idea elsewhere have suggested the idea. Age.in, if they expressed by the head and the members of were pausing in some o.pe.rtments of the e. body. Sometimes the idea of the parts predominates over the idm, of the unity, temple-court, the golden vine, the image and sometimes the unity triumphs over the of Israel, upon the gates mo.y have sup- parts; bat in the relation between Christ plied the point of departure. But our Lord and the people of his love they are often needed no such help to his imagination, lost sight of in him, and he becomes the and it is by no means necessary to find nn only Porsonality. The "I" of this pa.ss:i.'!'.e occasion for his imagery. The fact that he is not that of the eternal Logos, nor is it the mere humanity, nor is it simply the hnd the fruit of the vine before him, and Divine-human Personality, but tl1e new hnd already ma.de it symbolio of his sacri- existence which, by onion with him, formed :floial death, may have brought the thought one personage with him,-the. believer nearer to the disciples. But the most simple being united to him as be to the Father. explanation is that the vine was the image My Father is the Ruebandman, not simply the &.,u,re71.ovn&s, or vinedresser, bnt also of Israel. The prophets and psalms a.bound -yewp-y&s, the owner of the land as well. with this reference (Isa. v. 1, etc.; Ezek. It ie e. term applied in connection with the x.ix. 10; Pa. l.xxx. 8-19), so that our Lord traditional significance of the vine to the was giving a new •meaning to a familiar bend of the theocre.tio family. In Isa. v. figure. "The vine" was the beautiful it is the " Lord of hosts;" in 2 Chron. xxvi. 10 and in the parable of tho vinedresseB it image of that theocratic and sacramei1te.l is applied to the rulers of the people. The community, whioh bnd its centre in the Arians were wrong in concluding from this altar and ark of testimony and the holy e. difference of essence between the F:i.ther place ; and the fruit of the vine we.a oon- and Son. The vine clearly i1,cludcs tho spicuous in all the symbolic relations which, bro.nchea; and the owner of the vineyard, who is also the dresser of the vine, deo.ls through priesthood and ritual eno.otments, here with the whole reality. All, however, brought individual Israelites into relation which the Husbandman is said in ver. 2 to with the reconciled God. Here Ohriet effect is the to.king e.wa.y of the fruitl_ess says, "I;" but we see from ver. 5 that the though proud bra.nob, 11.!ld the cleansrng branches, which by reason of olation to 11,nd gentle pruning of the brunch that beareth fruit. Now, Obrist, as the Son, he.a him have o.nd draw thoir life from him (or, e.11 judgment committed to him, aud, as the to use his own words, " I and the bre.nohes," great Organ of Divine providence anJ rule in and " the branohes in me"), constitute the the Church, he is the Administrator of clisci- veritable • vine " of the ooven11nt. pline. Christ is not disclaiming the opem-  26B THE GOSPEL ACOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [en. xv. 1-27,