Life of Christ Lesson 153: The Vine and Branches - Part I

John 15:1-3 After the Lord finished comforting His disciples with His words of John chapter 14, it was time to leave the Upper Room to make His way to Gethsemane, where He knew Judas would lead His enemies to arrest Him.  His instruction to His men as they made their way to that garden began with an analogy regarding a vine and its branches, which is the subject of this two-part study on John 15:1-8.  In this first lesson, we will discuss "The Vine and its Background" (verse 1) and "The Vine and its Branches" (verses 2 and 3). The Lord Jesus declared Himself to be the Vine of His analogy with His seventh "I AM" statement.  He said, "I am the True Vine" (15:1).  His Father is the Vinedresser, and believers in Christ are the "branches" who both abide in and abound for the True Vine.  THERE IS A LOT OF DEEP INFORMATION in this analogy!  Does verse 2a mean that Christians can lose their salvation?  Are the fruitless branches "professing only Christians" (in name only)?  Do the discarded branches represent the Christian's works?  What about the role of the husbandman (the vinedresser) and the very important pruning process of the Christian?  All these questions are discussed - and many others.