Daily Bread 2011 - John 15
Daily Bread 2011 – John 15
John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
What Does This Mean?
We see this theme of obedience/discipleship pick up again today in John 15, where He uses a new metaphor of the Vine and the Branches to indicate the type of relationship we have with Him. There are several principles worth looking at as we see the organic relationship between the Vine (Son) and the Branches (Us) and the Gardener (Father).
First of all we see that it is impossible for us as the branches to do anything apart from the Vine. A branch that is not connected to the Vine will wither and dies. John 15:5 says it best, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Second, the Gardener continues to prune those branches that are fruitful so they can bear more fruit. So the idea is that as we are connected to the Vine we will bear a lot of fruit, not just a little. Finally, there is a warning that those branches that don’t bear fruit will be cut off thrown into the fire and burned.
What Does This Mean For Us?
The outcome of a disciple of Jesus Christ is to bear much fruit. To do this we need to be connected to Jesus. The way we stay connected/remain in Jesus’ love by obeying His commands. Jesus says we are is His friends, if we do what He commands. And as we do this His joy will be in us and our joy may be complete (15:11).
Here is another great verse, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”(15:16)
These verses get at the heart of what it means to be a disciple/Christian. Again they are not meant to be legalistic i.e. doing a bunch more stuff. Often times in the Church or Christian world this teaching can be made into if you only do a,b and c you will be a “good” Christian. On the contrary this teaching is all about the organic relationship we have with Christ as we remain/abide in Him and He remains/abides in us.
The natural result of this is much fruit borne for God’s glory and advancing the Kingdom. As I pondered yesterday I wonder if the Church spent as much time nurturing this kind of relationship in its members, if we would be as worried about attendance/buildings/cash it needs to be “successful”. True success in the Church is disciples bearing fruit that lasts. This is what God chose us to do in Christ before the world began.
Are you abiding in Christ? What are the things that prevent you from this kind of intimate, organic relationship with God the Father, through God the Son? Connect to the Vine today!
Jesus you are the True Vine. Help us stay connected to You so we can bear much fruit showing ourselves to be Your disciples. Amen.
John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
What Does This Mean?
We see this theme of obedience/discipleship pick up again today in John 15, where He uses a new metaphor of the Vine and the Branches to indicate the type of relationship we have with Him. There are several principles worth looking at as we see the organic relationship between the Vine (Son) and the Branches (Us) and the Gardener (Father).
First of all we see that it is impossible for us as the branches to do anything apart from the Vine. A branch that is not connected to the Vine will wither and dies. John 15:5 says it best, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Second, the Gardener continues to prune those branches that are fruitful so they can bear more fruit. So the idea is that as we are connected to the Vine we will bear a lot of fruit, not just a little. Finally, there is a warning that those branches that don’t bear fruit will be cut off thrown into the fire and burned.
What Does This Mean For Us?
The outcome of a disciple of Jesus Christ is to bear much fruit. To do this we need to be connected to Jesus. The way we stay connected/remain in Jesus’ love by obeying His commands. Jesus says we are is His friends, if we do what He commands. And as we do this His joy will be in us and our joy may be complete (15:11).
Here is another great verse, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”(15:16)
These verses get at the heart of what it means to be a disciple/Christian. Again they are not meant to be legalistic i.e. doing a bunch more stuff. Often times in the Church or Christian world this teaching can be made into if you only do a,b and c you will be a “good” Christian. On the contrary this teaching is all about the organic relationship we have with Christ as we remain/abide in Him and He remains/abides in us.
The natural result of this is much fruit borne for God’s glory and advancing the Kingdom. As I pondered yesterday I wonder if the Church spent as much time nurturing this kind of relationship in its members, if we would be as worried about attendance/buildings/cash it needs to be “successful”. True success in the Church is disciples bearing fruit that lasts. This is what God chose us to do in Christ before the world began.
Are you abiding in Christ? What are the things that prevent you from this kind of intimate, organic relationship with God the Father, through God the Son? Connect to the Vine today!
Jesus you are the True Vine. Help us stay connected to You so we can bear much fruit showing ourselves to be Your disciples. Amen.
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