He was deep inside a monologue that had captured his attention, perhaps one that he intended to use to address a crowd. That much we could say about Knowles Shaw. He took seriously the words “I Am the Vine” that his God had spoken, and must have thought that his own were unworthy to accompany those of Deity, though he most likely had sung these words, perhaps even before he preached them to others. Knowles knew what stirred a crowd to belief and commitment, since he had been instrumental in thousands of conversions in his travels. And so, the methods he chose were well-considered. He must have felt a certain peace and confidence in his life’s purpose, something that he reportedly voiced in his last words, on an occasion when others in that position might have cried out in agony. Not Knowles Shaw.
He was first a musician, but then a preacher who merged this gift with a passion to tell others about the One who came to earth as the God-Man. Though Knowles Shaw lived only into his 44th year and died in a tragic train accident (on June 7, 1878), his time was well-spent, without a hint of self-regret when he departed from mortal life. He’d already spent countless hours, probably travelled thousands and miles, and spoken to a like number of people by the time he authored “I Am the Vine”, borrowing the very words of the One he served. That all of the verses and the refrain that Knowles wrote were words or paraphrases of what Jesus said to his closest disciples in His last days before his execution underscore how deeply committed this author was to presenting the Christ as an unvarnished person to those who would listen. Knowles didn’t need to add anything to what Jesus said, he must have concluded. Just repeat to listeners what He told others when His most troubled hours approached. Put to music, Knowles may have personally felt what Jesus had said was even more memorable. Otherwise, why would he have paired the words with music? Since he was an evangelist, one can imagine that this song was preceded with a stirring message from the biblical text (John 15), as Knowles tried to capture the hearts of listeners and spur their devotion toward God. Though we know not the detailed circumstances of its incubation and emergence, we can imagine that ‘I Am…’ must have been used many times to great effect, perhaps with Knowles actually guiding the singing of what he had crafted. Knowles was reportedly a gifted speaker, able to readily connect with an audience when delivering a message, and then further captivate them with his singing voice. Knowles may have concluded, as he too read Jesus’ gentle but firm words about allegiance to Him, that this God’s special moments with friends as He prepared to leave them would impact hearers, even centuries later. Perhaps in Knowles’ King James bible (most likely the version he would have used in the mid-to-late 19th Century), these were red-letter words, as they still are in many bibles today.
Knowles Shaw, according to one account, in his last words on earth exclaimed how great was his honor to bring people to the feet of Christ. What he wrote in ‘I Am…’ showed that he had internalized what he was here to do long before he was at the moment of death. ‘Put God’s words out there in front – that’s my banner’, might have been Shaw’s life motto, if what he did with this song is indicative of his life. He was indeed prepared to receive his eternal inheritance, to be with God. That’s the kind of resolution that can stem the tide of anguish, even when one is lying in a train wreck with life slipping away. His words are all that really matter. He used them to create everything (Genesis 1), and He will use them at the end (Revelation 22). Are you ready to hear Him?
See an account of the author’s untimely death here: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/s/h/a/w/shaw_k.htm
See a very short biography of the author here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowles_Shaw
See more here: https://hymnary.org/text/i_am_the_vine_and_ye_are_the_branches
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