Today, as I was walking to work, I was looking at the many huge oak trees along the way. They were tall and very old. I would love to know how old, but I guess I probably won’t ever know the exact age. As I was getting close to my building, I saw a large oak with a tiny little branch near the bottom. I stopped walking. I looked at it, it did not look natural at all. It did not look new and it did not look as if it was thriving, it looked like it was getting the bare minimum of what it needed to stay alive. The few dead leaves left on the branches did not look like oak leaves, but I was up on the sidewalk looking down. I would have loved to go and get a closer look, but the ground was wet and mucky. The trunk was much bigger than my arms could have hugged, so that gives an idea of how big this tree was. The branch sat about 1-2 feet off the ground and looked freakishly strange. It almost looked as if the branch had been grafted into the base of the tree. I continued to walk and left the thoughts of large oak behind me, and focused on how beautiful the day was.

At work, I sat down and turned on my CD player. I put in a Wes King disc, and started listening to one of my favorite albums. His song “Fisher of Men” made me stop my work and look up. The song leads to the questions: “What does it mean to be born again? What does it mean to be grafted into the body of Christ?” To think about grafting twice in one day is probably no coincidence. I started to think to myself about what does being grafted into the Body really mean? This scripture immediately popped into my mind.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. - John 15:1-6

I also looked it up in the NIV, which has the first verse as:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. - John 15:1

Fascinating. In Romans, we see Paul talking about the Jewish people and their rejection of Christ and what that really means. As gentiles, we are mentioned here as wild olive branches being grafted into the good olive tree.

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? - Romans 11:16-24

I looked up the term grafting in the dictionary. Dicitonary.net shows graft, from Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), as being: “(a) A small shoot or scion of a tree inserted in another tree, the stock of which is to support and nourish it. The two unite and become one tree, but the graft determines the kind of fruit.”

“The two unite and become one tree, but the graft determines the kind of fruit.”

Our Father is the gardener, Christ is the vine, those who have accepted Christ are the branches, and gentiles are the foreign grafted branches on the vine. We are one body. To believe and accept Christ allows us to be grafted into the Body. What is interesting is that Webster’s mentions the grafted branch determines the kind of fruit. I think it is wonderful the dictionary explains it this way. We are the body, but each of us has different fruit. 1 Corinthians 12, the whole chapter, talks about Spiritual gifts, our fruit, and being a member of the body of Christ. We do not all have the same gifts (or fruit), but each of us is important. Here is ALL of Chapter 12:

1) Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2) Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3) Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4) Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5) And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6) And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 ) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9) To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10) To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11) But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12) For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14) For the body is not one member, but many.
15) If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16) And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17) If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18) But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19) And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20) But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21) And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22) Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23) And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24) For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
25) That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26) And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27) Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29) Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30) Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31) But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

- 1 Corinthians 12

We are foreign branches grafted into the Body, we each have a spiritual gift, or fruit - given to us by the Holy Spirit, and we are supported and nourished by the stock. Christ is the vine or the stock, and our Father is the gardener. That is what it means to be grafted into the Body of Christ.