You can read commentary on Vs 1, Understanding the Vine Discourse where we take a look at who Jesus was referring to and who the gardener is. In this post, we take a look at the Greek word airo, to life up.
(2a) Every branch in Me
Here we are looking at the very beginning of verse 2, but the picture of the whole verse is a picture of the Father tending to this garden He has planted. Paul picks up this theme when he says, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” and “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure,” (Philippians 1:6 and 2:13, respectively).
It is commonly understood that the branches are believers. We could apply the branch to groups of believers as well, since in Revelations Jesus addresses the churches, not individuals. But later in the discourse, Jesus identifies the branches as his disciples.
The phrase “in me” is significant. Who are those “in Jesus?” Jesus is looking ahead to those who come to believe that he is the lamb of God, that his’ death on the cross is the ultimate and finished sacrifice for the sins of the world (see John 1:29). God gives His Spirit to those who believe (Acts 2:38). They are born again, without which, they would not be able to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5-6). As a result, they have become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and are adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:14). A chapter before, John records Jesus speaking of those who believe after his resurrection, that he is in his Father, they would be in him, and he would be in them (Jn 14:20). Those “in Jesus,” then, are those borne again by the Spirit of the living God, possessing God’s eternal life within themselves.
It is also important to note that no one is missing from this “every.” Every believer is being tended to.
(2b) that does not bear fruit
Some branches don’t bear fruit. First, let’s be clear that these branches are still abiding “in Jesus;” as we discussed above. This means they still believe in his death and resurrection, have the Holy Spirit, are new creations, and are children of God. For a long time, I thought this verse was referring to nonbelievers. I was wrong.
What is meant by fruit?
Below are some ways to understand what Jesus meant by fruit:
- The attributes of a person’s life when controlled by the Holy Spirit, which are characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23);
- A life lived in a posture of yielded submissiveness toward God, as in “not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42 and Rom 12:1);
- Doing things that are right to do like caring for others (Col 1:10 and Phil 1:11);
- Taking on Jesus’ passion for the lost and winning souls into the Kingdom;
- Obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit when prompted to do something;
- Having a faith purified from what one believed about himself and others before being a believer to viewing life through God’s perspective, believing what God has said and appropriating God’s promises into one’s life, (Rom 12:2).
There are many reasons a believer may not bear fruit. Perhaps they have not been taught. Perhaps they came to Christ with a lot of wounds which keeps them from maturing. Or perhaps there is unrepentant sin. Below we learn that a branch does not bear fruit when lying on the ground due to lack of sunlight and air circulation. If we can use this same analogy, we see that some children of God may be lying in the dust of life, unable to receive the light of the truth, and who feel isolated and alone from the fresh breeze of fellowship. But good news is coming. The Father tenderly cares for these branches so they can be in the best possible place to bear fruit.
(2c) He takes away;
This term, “takes away” is a primary Greek verb airo which means to lift up. It is used to imply something that is taken up or away, In a nonliteral sense, airo can be used as a figure of speech to represent something that is raised, kept in suspense, expiated sin as in doing away with, bearing up, carrying, lifted up, loose, removed, taken away and up, (Strong’s G142).
While airo is sometimes translated as “takes away,” (for instance when Jesus said that you don’t sew a new cloth on an old garment because the new piece will pull away (airo) from the old and make the tear worse (Matthew 2:21)), in several passages, airo is used to describe something being lifted up or carried (like when Satan tells Jesus to cast himself down because it is written “He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear (airo) thee up, (John 11:48)). Airo is used elsewhere in the New Testament to express something raised up, elevated, or lifted up, or used to indicate when someone lifts something up to carry it, to bear it, or to bear away something that has been raised.
So airo is used in a number of ways, like when stones are raised, when someone or something is raised up, when a fish is drawn up, when something is moved from its place or detached from something, or when a person or thing is removed,(https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g142/kjv/tr/0-1/, Outline of Biblical Usage). Here are some examples when Matthew used airo:
- Mat 9:6 Jesus said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up (airo) your bed and go home.”
- Mat 11:29 “Take (airo) my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
- Mat 17:27 Jesus tells Peter to “take (airo) the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.” to pay taxes for himself and Jesus.
Vineyards use the common practice of lifting up branches that are lying on the ground. Branches will not bear fruit while lying on the ground due to lack of sunlight and air circulation. This is why it is common for the vineyard to stake branches to fencing.
All translations except the Passion, translate this word airo in this verse to mean takes away or cuts off. However, more recent translations sometimes include a note indicating airo could also mean to lift up.
I find it unfortunate that airo has been translated as “takes away.” Wycliffe translated airo in this verse as “takes away” and from his translation came the King James Version, from which many other translations stem. Though my research and writing on the Vine Discourse is independent, Bruce Wilkinson popularized the interpretation that “takes away” really means “to lift up” in Secrets of the Vine. Because of his book, there has been much discussion on this topic, and if interested, you can search a number of articles online. I am thankful for this discussion so we can understand this verse to more accurately reflect God’s intention toward his children.
This little phrase in Jesus’ analogy, “he takes away” is only a short phrase in his longer discourse. Later, he refers to branches that need to be pruned and even branches that are not attached. For now though, Jesus could be giving us a picture of the Father lifting and supporting a child when there is a burden or an issue that keeps him from bearing fruit.
Jesus could also be pointing to his coming crucifixion in which he will be taking sin upon himself, carrying the burden of judgement upon himself, lifting the burden and guilt of sin off our shoulders and carrying it on his own. (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g142/kjv/tr/0-1/, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).
I know this isn’t the way most people read this verse, but what would be the benefit of Jesus saying the Father is responsible for fruit production, yet, if a believer isn’t bearing fruit, he takes the believer out of his family? Later in the vine discourse, Jesus uses the word ballo to describe a person being cast out. If Jesus’ intention was to cast off those who were “in him,” yet did not bear fruit, wouldn’t he have used ballo instead of airo? So I’m choosing to view the verse in this new light. I hope you will too.