The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-05-04
THE VINE AND
THE BRANCHES
Sunday School Lesson for May7.l9o5
Specially Prepared for This Paper.

LESSON TEXT.-John 15:1-12; Memory
Verses, 6, 6. Read Chapters IA and Is.
GOLDEN TExT.-"Herein is My Father
glorified. that ye bear much fruit."-John
1858.
T1ME.-same evening as last lesson,
Thursday The last evening Jesus was with
His disciples
PLACE.-An upper room In Jerusalem.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES.-Th vine.
Psa. O:S-16: lisa. 5:1-7: Jer. 2:Y,22; 1910:
Eek. 1850; Hos 10:1; Matt, 20:1; Mark IL:
10; John 15:1-12. Cleansing the vine, Sol.
Song, 2:15; Amos 4:9; Joel Ia
THE TREE AND IT'S FRUlT.-Matt. Z:
1920; Luke 1869; Gal. 5i9-23
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
v. 1. a." Jesus. True vine." He
is contrast to the false, unfruitful
Israel and all human teachers, for he
alone can send His own life into His
branches. Moreover, as the ever-liv-
ing Christ, He can extend His power
to His people at all times. Husband
men," The owner, planter and culti-
yator of the vine.
v. 2. "Beareth not fruit" Some
who are Christians in name show no
likeness to Christ in their lives. TAX
eth away" The vinedresser pinches
off the excess of woody growth and su-
perfluous branches. So God removes
those who hinder others from being
fruitful Christians. "Purgeth." Re-
moves dirt, insects, dried twigs. Thus
God removes bad habits from those
who give their hearts to Jesus. Many
of the Christians trials, and what he
at first counts as losses, are Gods
pruning to prepare him for greater
fruitfulness.
v. 8. "Clean through the word"
rhe disciples to whom Jesus spoke
were united by love to Him, and their
previous bad habits and wrong ideas
were removed by His teaching.
V. 4. abide in Me-" II we want
to be branches of Jesus, we must give
our hearts love to Him. 81 in you"
Jesus love. Every day and hour we
should love Him and rejoice in His
love for us. Cannot bear fruit of it.
self" A branch cut from the vine
may retain its color for some time.
but 1t cannot possibly bear fruit. No
more can any soul bear fruit that is
pleasing to God or helpful to men. IL
1t does not abide in Christ He Is the
trunk and we are but the branches.
If we are to be helpful in this world;
II we are to do that which is pleasing
in His sight, it must be through Him.
V. 5. Much fruit" One who abides
in loving union with Christ manifests
in his life the fruits of the Spirit and
| thus becomes a source Of great good
to others.
V. 6. Cast forth. withered, burned"
A fruitess branch is cut off, and, after
it withers, is burned. They who do
not abide in Jesus are separated far
ther and farther from Him.
| V. Z. ASK what ye will" A first
evidence of abiding union with Jesus
is given by answered prayers. One who
| is in loving union with Jesus asks in
His name John 14:1D, and wills to
ask for just what Jesus wishes.
V. s. Father glorified." The world
sees little of Gods glory, especially
fails to recognize His glorious love, but
it is brought before all by fruitful,
| Christian life. $50 disciples" 4"
One must be a disciple-a learner-of
Jesus in order to begin uit-bearing;
then the more fruitful he is the more
he learns of Christ.
V. 8. "As the Father hath loved
me-" The greatest love we can think
of is that between the divine Father
and Son, but Jesus says this is the
measure of His love for us. Con
tinue." Abide.
V. 10. Keep My commandments.
A second fruit Of abiding is obedience
the careful following of His direc-
tions. We keep His commandments
because we love Him; and then, the
more we keep His commandments the
more we love, the closer we abide in
His love.
v. II. "These things spoken" Jesus
has taught all this for the express pur.
pose of imparting to His disciples His
Toy" This joy springs from an un'
failing source, God Himself. This does
not mean a selfish Joy because we are
saved, but the Joy of acquaintance with
God; Joy in having part In carrying
out His loving purposes. "Your Joy
full" The Joy which Jesus i'm.
parts. though full to-day. will be great
er tomorrow, as our capacity for re
ceiving 1t increases. Earthly trials ant
troubles will not diminish nor disturb it
v. 12. One more direction about at
tanning this Joy, becoming true fruit
hearing branches of Jesus is. "IOyt
one another" In plain language Jesu.
says that the world will know, and W,
ourselves will know, that we abide II
Christ, II we love each other in tn,
same way that Jesus loves us. AS W,
live with Jesus in love, and abide II
Him truly, then our Joy will be full
and will ever flow out in love, sym
pathy and helpfulness toward others
As 1t is perfectly natural for a grape
vine branch to abide in the vine ant
draw from II its strength, so 1t is for II,
to abide In Jesus.
Practical Points.
v. /. One who belongs not to tn
true Vine is a weed, fitted only TO
destruction.--Matt. 1913.
v. 2. BY trials and Affections tn
Father lovingly promotes His chill
dren's fruitfulness.-Heb 1871.
v. 4. Good deeds. without love, ar
but counterfeit fruit, satisfying neithe
God nor mani Cor. 1872.
v. Z. II we willfully neglect tn
Word of God, we hinder Christ's abid
Ing in us and supplying us with tn