Day 43 of 49
“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.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
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.
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you. 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.
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.
These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Jn 15:1–17.
Jesus delivered his final I AM before his death and resurrection to eleven of the disciples on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane. They probably passed through a vineyard or two undergoing the pruning process, with the fruit just beginning to appear. Perhaps they even saw some piles of burning branches. Jesus provided a great visual for his name.
The vines, ampelos, provide nourishment and stability for the branches, klema, which extend from the vine and bear the fruit. A cultured vineyard needs a vinedresser who spends time pruning and directing the branches in such a way to produce the best of grapes. He protects, prunes, fertilizes, and trains the branches along the trellis, carefully tending the vineyard.
This name differed from the others. The others focused on the unity of Jesus Christ with his Father, this name connects the disciples into that unity. It is not only Jesus and God working together, but adds the disciples to the process of glorifying God by bearing good fruit. It explains the disciples relationship to Jesus, their belief results in actions and words which will bear the fruit that God desires.
Jesus called himself the True (trustworthy, genuine, real) Vine. As the vine he kept his Father’s commandments, abided in his Father’s love and spoke the word of the Father. He loved the disciples.
He spoke the word of the Father in order to cleanse them.
He spoke the word in order that his joy would be in us. He desires our joy to be full.
As he is the vine, he called God the vinedresser who is glorified when we bear much fruit. The vinedresser works to ensure that the branches bear fruit that is beneficial and lasting. He makes the decisions for each branch, whether it is fruit bearing or not. The decision of pruning, whether it is being cut back to bear more fruit, or totally cut off comes from the vinedresser. Jesus called twelve disciples, one of whom betrayed him. Judas’ branch was broken off.
I used to travel through upstate NY when the grapes ripened. The aroma of concord grapes filled the car and smelled so good, it made me want to eat them. We want our fruit from abiding in Jesus to have the same effect on the people within our sphere of influence, to want to know about God.
For the eleven, and also for us came the command to abide in Christ and his love, and to let His word abide in us. These two things will enable us to bear good fruit that remains, providing the proof that we are his disciples.
What does it mean to abide?
- Get sustenance from
- Cling to
- Contentment in where you are
- Resting in his love and care
- Choosing to remain in him
- IF we keep his commandments THEN we abide in his love
Jesus could not hide his love for his disciples. He elevated them from a subservient position to that of a friend. Obedience provides the proof of the friendship. He revealed to them everything he had received from the Father, he gave them his name to use with his authority, and he appointed them to go and bear fruit.
He emphasized the command for them to love one another. Up to this point, there had not been much love revealed from the disciples. They bickered over who was the greatest. They had no desire to be the one washing the feet of the others. They came from different backgrounds: a tax collector and a zealot; ignorant fishermen and educated (Nathaniel). Yet each one followed Christ.
Jesus told them to love as he had loved them…and was going to love them by dying on the cross. We must receive love from God before we can truly love anyone else. And, because he loves us so completely, we are free to love. The Gaither’s used to sing a song: “I am loved. I am loved. I can risk loving you, for the one who knows me best, loves me most.”
We can ask anything in Jesus’ name and God will give it. This is not a genie in a bottle asking, this is asking in Jesus’ name, according to his will. We are free to ask for what we want, but if it is for our own desires, we might receive a no. However, when we ask according to his will, hoping to advance the Kingdom of God, or to show love to another, we can expect God to act…maybe not the way we expected, but God is faithful to give to us what is best.
You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Jas 4:2–3.
God desires that we bear good fruit, and we can only do that when abiding in the vine, Jesus. As we receive God’s love through Jesus, we will be extending to each other all that we hope for ourselves. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will flow out to those around us in our actions and words, releasing a fragrant aroma of hope that we can only find in Jesus Christ.
Because Jesus said “I AM the True Vine”
- I have_________________
- I can_______________
- I will________________
TRICIA LATHROP 