This post is part of an 8-part series from the book of John. The study looks at Jesus’s ‘I AM’ passages from John and passages in the Old Testament which echo the heart of the message of Jesus and reveal the way in which the Old Testament has reflected the name. They open with introductory questions, reading the passage, and then some observation and interpretation questions follow. The sessions end with personal application questions. Please feel free to share an application response or comment on the study itself in the section below.

Introduction

What do you find motivates you or gives you energy to get things done?

What makes your home special to you?

Read John 15:1-17.

Reading Questions

How does Jesus describe God in this passage?

How are followers described?

What is the duty of the branches?

How do followers bear fruit? Who is the fruit for?

What does abiding in him mean or look like?

How is love connected to fruit bearing?

Old Testament Links

Read Isaiah 5:1-7 and 27:2-6.

Who is the vine?

What has the vinedresser done for the vines?

How has the vine responded?

Read Psalm 80:8-19.

What kind of scene do verses 8-11 evoke?

Why are the vineyard walls broken down and the vines cut and burned?

What hope is seen in these verses?

How can Jesus be the true vine when Israel was the vine in the Old Testament?

Application

What fruit have you borne and who has benefited from it?

What kind of home does Jesus have in you? How has he made it special?

What has the vinedresser cleaned (pruned) off your branch so it may bear more fruit?