[From the writings of Ezekiel:] The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, how is the wood of a vine better than that of a branch on any of the trees in the forest? Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?" Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. I will set My face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set My face against them, you will know that I am the Lord. I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign Lord."

   [The Lord told Isaiah:] "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him . . ."

   [Jeremiah wrote:] ". . . I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. In those days Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she shall be called: the Lord is our Righteousness."

   [Jesus said:] "I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned . . . This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples."

Taken from Ezek. 15, Isa. 11, Jer. 33, Jn. 15, The New International Version and
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