In the first half of chapter 15 Jesus talked about the importance of our staying connected to Him if we are going to be productive in the Christian life. He used an analogy from nature to make His point – He talked about the branches and vines of a vineyard, a common scene in Judea. The disciples would have easily understood what He was saying.
The main stalk of a vine grows out of the ground, and then numerous branches spring from it and produce fruit. If a branch is dead it is cut off and burned. If it is productive, it is pruned so it will be even more productive. Not all branches are the same size and produce the same amount of fruit. Branches receive their nourishment from the main vine or stalk. If a branch is not attached to the vine, it will die and produce nothing.
The connection between Jesus and His followers is the same. He is the main stalk or vine and we who follow Him are the branches. Righteousness and effective evangelism / service are the fruit we produce. If we stay connected to Him, we are productive. If we do not stay connected to Him, we are not productive.
Note what Jesus said about this relationship:
Verse 1: He is the true vine and the Heavenly Father is the “vinedresser” – the one who prunes and cuts off the dead branches.
Verse 2: He prunes every branch that bears fruit so it may bear more fruit. Growth is what the Father desires in each of us. Our faithfulness and growth in the past is not a substitute for stagnation today.
Verse 4: We abide in Jesus and He abides in us – just like a branch and the main vine are connected to one another. Just as the vine provides nourishment from the ground to the branches, Jesus provides nourishment to us. We have no spiritual strength apart from Jesus.
Verse 5: The only way to bear “much fruit” is to abide in Jesus. How is your daily walk with Jesus? What about your Bible reading and prayer? Are you confessing your sins? Do you obey His commandments (verse 10)?
Verse 8: The Heavenly Father is “glorified” when we “bear much fruit.” Yes, I know we are all different with differing gifts and talents, just like there are large and small branches on a vine. The point is not how much fruit you produce compared to another branch or believer. The issue is how much fruit are you producing relative to what God knows is possible in your life. God wants to be glorified in your life.
Verse 8: Jesus indicates that producing fruit is how we prove or show we are His true disciples. While we may not all produce the same amount of fruit, each person who has been truly saved will produce some fruit. There is no such thing as a follower of Jesus who produces no fruit. That is the reason in this farming analogy the dead branches are cut off and burned. True Christians produce something that shows or demonstrates they really are saved.
As you reflect on these verses, what is God saying to your heart and mind?
Based on what God is saying to you, what are you going to do?
Pastor Steve Hogg
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