Keeping A Connection – John 15: 1-11
Jesus the True Vine
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
What does the Passage say?
V. 1-11Jesus talks about our relationship with God. If God is the gardener, Jesus is the true vine. We are the branches of the vine that are a part of Jesus. Meaning, that we are fruitful only through Jesus. Why do we need to bear fruit? Is it for us to prosper in this world? We need to understand that our fruit is the result of our joy. “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my [Jesus’] joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature” (v. 11 The Message). When we remain in Christ, we inherit the joy of our Lord, and as a result, we bear fruit.
What does the Passage say to me/us?
‘Remain in me,’ we see how often this phrase is used in this passage. Why do we need to remain in Christ, and what does it mean?
As I’ve mentioned, we are to remain in Christ to have the joy of our Lord be alive in our lives. When we remain in the world and even detached from Christ, we see how the world can suck the joy out of our life. We so often forget the meaning of true joy, which prevents us even to desire to remain in our Lord.
That leaves us with a question, ‘what does it mean to remain in Christ?’ The answer is not that simple, however, to overly simplify the answer is to have Jesus on the throne of our life, everyday. (For a better understanding of ‘Joy’, please join the Tuesday night Bible study led by Sarah Pero.)
Prayer
Lord, help us to remain in you, and you only. We ask that you will prune anything in our life, which blocks us to remain in you. And may we be able to share the joy with the world throughout this day. In Christ name, AMEN
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