Grafted into Christ
Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches.
We, the gentiles, were not ‘natural branches’ but we were grafted into Christ when we believed in Him and became born again. Jews who come to salvation by believing in Christ are natural branches. It was God’s plan to have both natural branches and branches that were grafted into Him, the vine.
All Jews are not natural branches, only those who have come to salvation through their faith in Christ. When Jesus died and rose again he broke off the Jews who did not believe in Him. He did that so that all believers, Jews and Gentiles, can be grafted into Him.
In the wine industry they graft different vines to make new vines. Cabernet Sauvignon is the result of grafting Sauvignon Blanc into the root system of Cabernet Franc. This life force of the Cabernet Franc flows through the Sauvignon Blanc and produces a new grape, Cabernet Sauvignon. From the seed of the new grape they grow new plants called Cabernet Sauvignon.
In South Africa we cultivated Pinotage. Pinotage is Hermitage that is grafted into Pinot Noir.
The grafting is done with a special tool called a grafting tool. The tool is used to make the cuts into both the root system and the other vine. They fit into one another like puzzle pieces. Then the two pieces are bound together which speaks of healing (binding up the wounds).
Romans 11:16 says that “if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” Because Jesus is holy, we also are holy because His life essence flows through us. His holiness flows through us and makes us holy. By our faith in Jesus we became partakers of His nature. We are partakers of His divine nature through His precious promises (2 Peter 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature.) Romans 11:17 says “And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
John 15:4 says “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.” We cannot bear fruit by ourselves. It is our abiding in Him that causes Him to bear fruit in us.
Jesus wants us to bear more fruit. John 15:2 says “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
