March 2, 2021
John 15:1-6, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
Jesus introduces the famous vine and branches typology in his teaching. First notice the importance of the word ‘abide’ here, as it continues Christ’s emphasis on our union with him. We are connected ontologically to Christ himself, the Holy Spirit resides in us, and so there is a resting that is to take place in that reality. Abide in the Lord - rest in that knowledge that he is always with you; and he will abide in us. He takes up residence in our very lives. Secondly, a vine and its branches are organically connected to one another; a branch cannot have life unless it is connected to the vine; so we are lifeless without Christ. But the branches are also the beauty of the vine - it’s the place where fruit is born. In this way, Christ fulfills his purpose on earth by giving us himself, so that we might make complete the mission of God - and we never do so alone, the life-giving vine is always with us. Jesus is clear here - without him we can do nothing. We depend on him completely, but when we do, when we trust him, rest in him, and carry on his mission (all of which means to abide), we can produce amazingly beautiful fruit. There is no end to what we can do as a church. That is thrilling!
Notice also that there is pruning that must take place, however, Not all growth is perfectly vertical - but occasionally steps back are actually steps forward. Christ will take away branches for our own strength, and will also sharpen us by pruning things away from our lives which will help us to grow in him. And notice finally, that your perfectly-pruned self is not what is required to be in the kingdom of God. He is pruning you, he is sharpening you, growing you in grace, but as Christ says here, you are already clean because of the Word that I have shared with you. Because you are seen as clean in the eyes of God, now it’s time for pruning - cut away idolatry, remove those deeply rooted doubts, and trust in the Lord. Abide in him.
Prayer: Jesus, abide in me, and I in you. Help me to find my rest in you, Lord, and to be excited about what you are doing in my life. Lord, sharpen me so that I can better serve you. Make us stronger as a church body, so that we can anticipate fabulous fruit coming from our little church. God, we thank you for giving us that opportunity to carry out your mission on the earth. Amen.
40 Days of Joy: Try the movie We Bought a Zoo. It’s a kids’ movie in some ways, but one that everyone can enjoy. It’s one of these movies that captures joy wonderfully through its characters, its relationships, its music, and its story of redemption.
