It is time to trim the wild olive branch.                                                                       by: Mark S. Case

In John 15, our Lord taught us that He is the Vine, that we are the branches, and that His Father is the Vinedresser.  He also said that “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”  He taught that His Father will trim the branches that could bear more fruit, and that He will take away every branch that does not bear fruit at all.  He will cut those branches off and “cast [them] into the fire.”

Then, in Romans 11, the apostle Paul teaches us that of the branches, there are two kinds – the natural Jewish branches who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Messiah, and the Gentile branches who have also believed in Jesus Christ.  Through these passages, we find that Israel is the root, Jesus is the Vine, the Heavenly Father is the Vinedresser, the natural Jews who are born again are the natural branches, and the Gentiles who are born again are the branches grafted in as from a wild olive tree.

With these things in mind, we also realize that since, for the most part, natural Israel has been blinded to the gospel under the New Covenant, His message has been entrusted to the Gentile branch – the wild olive branch that was grafted into the Vine. With only a casual observation, any true believer should be able to see that we have not done such a swell job of becoming like Jesus – the first commandment to His people.  We also realize that the end of the age is upon us, when God will open the eyes of Israel, and our Lord Jesus will return for a glorious bride.  Thus it is time for the Gentile branch to be trimmed, so that those among us who are bearing fruit through abiding in Him may bear more fruit, and so that those among us who are not bearing fruit may be cut off.

It is God's time to trim the "wild olive branch" that was grafted in.  May we seek to abide in Him and allow Him to truly abide in us so that we may be trimmed and spared on the Vine.  May Jesus Christ be praised as He really is!