Micah 7:1: For I am like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers; there is not a cluster of grapes to eat, or a first-ripe fig which I crave.

As we saw in the sermon this morning, Micah’s search for fruit on the vines and fig trees of Israel anticipates Jesus’ similar search for satisfying, delicious fruit from the Israel of his day. Both Micah and Jesus are disappointed. Micah finds only briers, and Jesus finds only leaves, which cannot cover Israel’s trespasses.

Jesus still searches for fruit.

He comes to us every week in this worship service searching for fruit. He inspects us regularly in life to see if we have produced anything tasty. He tastes and tests us. If we are hot, He eats and consumes us. If we are lukewarm, He spits us out of His mouth.

How can we produce fruit? How can we provide our Lord with the tasty food he wants? Jesus says we can only produce fruit if we are implanted in the vine. Israel was the vine; Jesus is the true Israel; therefore, Jesus is the true vine. As branches, we need to abide in the vine, remain in it, if we want to produce fruit. A branch cannot bring fruit if it’s cut off from the tree. Apart from the tree, the vine, we can do nothing. If we want to produce fruit, we have to abide in Him and rely on Him to produce that fruit in us.

This table is one way that we abide in Jesus. As we receive His body and blood through these elements of bread and wine, we commune with Jesus, remain in the vine, and so are enabled to produce fruit. If we come to this table in childlike faith, we will produce fruit.

This table is for us to feed on Jesus. Jesus is the food at this table. Equally, we are the food of Jesus. At this table, we consume Jesus’ body and blood, and He tastes us to see if we have good fruit.