“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 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. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I 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 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another. The Hatred of the World 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. Meditation The greatest invitation includes tremendous implications. Responding to Christ’s invitation to abide in Him, His word, and His love will fertilize a fruitful life, fortifies prayer, and fulfills joy. Rejecting Christ’s invitation to believe cuts you off. Jesus’ claim to be the vine (1) is a claim to be Divine, a representative for everyone who believes (see Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 2:21; and Hosea 10:1-2). God Himself invites you to abide, or remain, in Him. Proximity is not abiding and we cannot fake fruitfulness. If you do not abide, you will be cut off and cast outside. Faith intimately binds believers in union with Christ, grafting disciples into Jesus the vine to be nourished by the glorious nutrients of God’s grace. To abide is to rejoice in total dependency on Jesus- celebrating that apart from Him we can do nothing (5). To abide is to remain in Christ (4,6), His word (7), and His love (9, 10, 11) knowing Jesus is all we need for our joy to be complete (11), for our love for one another to be full (12-17), and to be secure during seasons of friction with the world (18-27). Abiding in Christ re-frames problems and pain, knowing our loving Father prunes those through whom He desires to see more fruit (2). God’s discipline is restorative, fertilizer for more fruitfulness from our lives (Hebrews 12:5-11). The greatest invitation is to live in total dependance on Christ, remaining in Jesus, His word, and His love to experience fruitfulness, fortified prayer, and full joy. Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially in regards to the invitation to abide and the implications if we do not believe to receive the greatest invitation? -Where do you need to live more dependently on Jesus, remaining in Him, His word, and His live in all your life, labor, and leadership? -How does the grace of Jesus empower you to be self-aware in where you abide and in the fruitfulness (or lack thereof) of your faith to deepen belief and abiding in Christ? Key Verse 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. Comments are closed.
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AuthorPastor Mitchell celebrates twenty-five years of marriage with Lisa and together they have four adventurous children. |