John 15:1-10

Like I said, this saying of His that "I am the true vine" and later "I am the vine, you are the branches," is very much similar to what He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." But this one, this particular "I am" saying emphasizes our dependence on Christ for everything spiritually. We can do nothing, He says. We can have no understanding. There could be no overcoming. There can be no growth, no production of fruit without Him, without His example, with all that He provides for us, all the strength that comes through His Spirit. We could paraphrase His saying to read, "I am the true firstfruit. You become firstfruits through abiding in Me." Or continuing in Me, which implies emulating Him in everything. And we could go back to I John 2:6 (which we will not do), but it says, "If you abide in Him, you ought to walk as He walked."