The Vine

The Vine is an allegory or parable given by Jesus in the New Testament found only in the Gospel of John (). 
==Old Testament==
There are numerous Old Testament passages which refer to Israel as a vine: Ps 80:8-16, Isa 5:1-7, Jer 2:21, Ezek 15:1-8, 17:5-10, 19:10-14, and Hos 10:1. The vine became symbolic of Israel, and even appeared on some coins issued by the Maccabees.
The Old Testament passages which use this symbol appear to regard Israel as faithless to Yahweh and/or the object of severe punishment. Ezek 15:1-8 in particular talks about the worthlessness of wood from a vine (in relation to disobedient Judah). A branch cut from a vine is worthless except to be burned as fuel. This appears to fit more with the statements about the disciples than with Jesus’ description of himself as the vine.
Ezek 17:5-10 contains vine imagery which refers to a king of the house of David, Zedekiah, who was set up as king in Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah allied himself to Egypt and broke his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar (and therefore also with God), which would ultimately result in his downfall (17:20-21). Ezek 17:22-24 then describes the planting of a cedar sprig which grows into a lofty tree, a figurative description of Messiah. But it is significant that Messiah himself is not described in Ezekiel 17 as a vine, but as a cedar tree. The vine imagery here applies to Zedekiah's disobedience.
==Is it a parable?==
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia article on Parables: "There are no parables in St. John's Gospel" and the Encyclopedia Britannica article on Gospel of St. John: "Here Jesus' teaching contains no parables and but three allegories, the Synoptists present it as parabolic through and through." Others however do consider it a parable,The Vine and the Branches by David Tryon as others have throughout history including John Calvin John Calvin's Commentary on John Volume 2 Several authors such as Barbara Reid, Arland Hultgren or Donald Griggs comment that "parables are noticeably absent from the Gospel of John".Barbara Reid, 2001 Parables for Preachers ISBN 0814625509 page 3Arland J. Hultgren, 2002 The Parables of Jesus ISBN 080286077X page 2Donald L. Griggs, 2003 The Bible from scratch ISBN 0664225772 page 52According to the Catholic Encyclopedia article on Parables: "There are no parables in St. John's Gospel" and the Encyclopædia Britannica article on Gospel of St. John: "Here Jesus' teaching contains no parables and but three allegories, the Synoptists present it as parabolic through and through."
==Authenticity==
The Jesus Seminar labelled the story of the vine, and the farewell discourse as a whole, inauthentic ("black").
==Text==
From John 15:1-6 (KJV)
==Gallery==
Bunch of grapes icon.svg|Bunch of grapes 
Statue of Artemis (5282695469).jpg|Artemis 
==See also==
* Blood of Christ
* Last Supper#Bread and wine
* Eucharist
* Transubstantiation
* Sacramental wine
* New Wine into Old Wineskins
* Kosher wine
* Alcohol in Christian history and tradition
* Passover#Four cups of wine
==Notes==
==External links==
* The Vine
* The True Vine Christian Fellowship
The Vine, Parable of the