THE CHRIST CODE
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus again
and again draws on farming and gardening images. We are familiar with most of
them. There is of course the story of the seeds and the various types of soils;
the story of the mustard seed, the parable of the vineyard workers, the devious
tenant farmers who scheme to cheat the landowner, the gardener fertilizing the
fig tree. And the list goes on. From this reservoir of riches intended to teach
us faithfulness, our Gospel passage today is certainly among the most well
known of these agrarian stories.
Using metaphorical language Jesus
calls himself the vine and his Father in heaven is the vine grower (the one who
provides all the necessary elements of life). Expanding the image, as his
followers, we are the branches which come forth from the vine. In these few
short, yet powerful, verses Jesus calls us to stay connected to the vine. If a
branch is to bear fruit (and let us not forget, that is what branches are
intended to do – to bear fruit), we need to stay not only connected but tightly
interwoven with the vine. Verse 5 reads, “I
am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them will
bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”
The central point of verse 5 is that
as we abide in Christ, he will abide in us. The relationship implied is one of
mutual intimacy resulting in a bountiful harvest of fruit to reward the vine
grower. To abide literally means “to be with”. If you have ever seen a vine
with its branches weaving tightly around and around it we can easily imagine
what Jesus means. In short, there is to be no space between us and the Lord. As
we stay connected to Jesus our lives bear fruit to the glory of God.
What Jesus describes in these verses
is how we are to live as his followers. He is telling us how we can know him
and how we can be in relationship with God. He is giving us the way for us to
live faithful and fruitful lives. These verses are the scriptural answer code
for the question every human being wants answered in one way or another way:
How do we connect with God?
As you may already know, this coming
Friday the movie, “The Da Vinci Code”
opens in theatres. It stars Tom Hanks and is based on author Dan Brown’s
fictional novel by the same name. Now, let me say right away I have not read
the novel, perhaps some of you have. I haven’t read it but I have read enough about
the novel to know the main story line and major plot points.
The primary theme of the novel is
that it purports to reveal a historical secret concerning the most important
person to have ever walked the face of the earth: Jesus Christ. This secret, known of course, by only a very select
group of people throughout history leads the reader to imagine that there is
more to the story of Jesus’ life than the scriptural accounts reveal. If you
stop to consider it, at a purely analytical level, it really is an ingenious
literary device; take a story most everyone thinks they already know and posit
that there is more to the story than most people think. It’s a neat trick, and
given its subject matter, it is beyond brash.
So, what is the “secret” of the
novel? It is that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were actually married and that their
bloodline continues into the present day. Juicy stuff we have to admit. But we
also have to admit it is pure conjecture, without the least bit of, or smallest
shred of, biblical or historical evidence to support it. It is a proposition
that is completely and totally outside the bounds of a biblical faith.
However, apparently Mr. Brown has
woven together a compelling murder mystery/thriller novel using the context of
our biblical faith to engage the public’s curiosity. After all, wouldn’t it be
exciting to meet face to face with the human heir of a physical union between
Jesus and Mary Magdalene? What would it be like to connect with such a person? Could
such a person tell us something important about God? Would it be a connection
with the Divine Jesus? These are tantalizing questions to say the very least. As
I said before, it is an ingenious literary device.
To expand and develop his fictional
account, the author draws on Da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper. As I
understand it, the plot line works something like this. In the painting, the
young clean shaven disciple sitting on Jesus’ right has traditionally been
understood as a very young John, the disciple. However, in Brown’s version of
events it is actually Mary Magdalene. Moreover, in the painting there is no cup
present on the table before Jesus. Brown posits that the symbolism of the
painting is intended to imply that Mary, sitting next to Jesus is actually the
Holy Grail, or in this case the human vessel, that carried the child of Jesus.
It is interesting and instructive
for us to note that the rather minor historical fact which serves as the
foundation for this entire fictional plot line, the lack of a cup in Da Vinci’s
painting, is in fact quite easily understood and accounted for when we learn
that the source Da Vinci used to paint his depiction of this Gospel event was
John’s Gospel. Now, let us remember, in John, the Last Supper is a foot washing
event – not a meal. There was no need for a cup!
So, then, the best way to crack the
code of Da Vinci’s painting is to return to the same source he used; the Gospel
of John. In the verses from John’s gospel we have read today we learn that
Jesus Christ is the true vine and that each one of us is evidence of his
fruitfulness. We believe in him. Through our faith we are connected to him.
The way to know Jesus Christ is not
found through some fictional account of his life depicting a physical union with
Mary Magdalene. In sharp contrast to such fiction, when we actually turn to
scripture we read in the verses before us this morning that it is in our faith
and trust, that it is as verse 4 reads as we abide in him, that we are connected to him.
In faith and trust, we are all
Jesus’ children. We are the fruit of his work. We are the fruit of his trust
and obedience to his Father. To be connected with him is to abide in him
through our trust and faith. We crack this code of how to be connected with the
divine not through a work of fiction, but through trusting the Jesus we
discover in scripture.
As Christian disciples we are all
Jesus’ children. Make no mistake about it, each one of us is a branch on the
divine vine revealed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We are branches intended to bear fruit to the glory of God. It is only when we
stay faithful to the Jesus we meet in scripture do we bear fruit.
It is only as we stay connected to
the Jesus we meet in scripture do we have the necessary strength to survive the
challenges of life. It is through him that we are pruned and made strong enough
to face the ups and downs. Only in him do we have the resources to face the
loss of a job. Only in him do we have the strength to confront our personal
failures and move on. Only in him can we face family conflict and trust that
our estrangement will ultimately resolve in reconciliation.
It is only as we stay connected to
the Jesus we discover in scripture that we receive the life-giving water our
often parched souls so desperately need. Again and again in life we thirst for
what only the living water of Christ can offer; direction and meaning for our
lives as we are so often tempted to aimlessly wander down unfruitful paths in
life.
It is only as we stay connected to
the Jesus we discover in scripture that we receive and experience the
forgiveness we know in our heart of hearts we need. We know how far from the
glory of God we have fallen. We know our sin. We know our need to be forgiven.
Only the one who was, and is, totally and completely obedient can cover our
sin.
To stay connected with this one we
come to know through scripture requires our commitment and dedication. If we
are to bear fruit in our lives to the glory of God, then we are called to make
the commitment to study God’s Word. To read and study it all our lives is our
calling as disciples. God always has something to teach us. Fiction can be fun,
but do not let it be formative. To crack the code of life read John’s Gospel,
not Dan Brown’s book.
We are called to stay connected to
the divine vine of Jesus Christ not for our benefit, but for the benefit
others. As Jesus lived so are we called. He lived loving others, even to the
point of dying for them. Such is the type of fruit we are to bear in our lives.
We are called to love each other. To live in love is to bear fruit.
The love Jesus lived and died is not
the sentimental touchy-feely type of love so often expressed in popular culture
and on greeting cards. Nor is it the type of narcissistic romantic love
perpetuated by
So, then the Christ code is not a
secret but available to all. It is in God’s word for all to discover.
Nonetheless, it is a challenge to crack it. It takes sacrifice, passion, and
commitment. To crack the Christ code we can have no other master, not our work,
not our pleasure, and not our accomplishment, but only our desire to be
obedient and give glory to God. So may it be for us. Amen.
Reverend Marc V.
Mason
May 14, 2006
Trinity
Presbyterian Church
Travelers Rest, SC