I Am the Vine

 "I am the vine; you are the branches.  The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me". John 15:5 CSB

This is a great memory verse but sometimes it helps to understand what it means when you are trying to memorize a verse.  

I'm looking at John 15:1-17 CSB and this is exciting.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so it will produce more fruit.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I in you.  Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers.  They gather them, throw them in the fire, and they are burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask what you want and it will be done for you.  My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.  As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you.  Remain in my love.  If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's and remain in His love.  I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.  This is my command:  Love one another as I have loved you.  No one has greater love than this:  to lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you.  I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn't know what his master is doing.  I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.  You did not choose me, but I chose you.  I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.  This is what I command you:  Love one another.

 ABIDE

Abide doesn't mean to have a few minutes of quiet time each morning to pray and read a couple of chapters in your Bible.  To abide means to have meaningful time communicating him.  Jesus says we should be able to ask the Father anything in his name and it will be done for us.  We should be praying (talking with God about anything and everything) all throughout our day every day.  Our day should start and end with Him.  

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Jesus says to remain in him because we can do nothing without him.  Verse 9 tells us that as the Father loves him, he loves us.  If we keep his commands, we will remain in his love.  He tells us his command is to love one another.  He tells us again in verse 17 that his command is that we love one another.  It's easy to love those who are easy to love, isn't it?  Some people just rub us the wrong way.  I'm going to suggest that in order for us to keep that command, it will take us abiding in Christ.

I CALL YOU FRIENDS

Are you willing to lay down your life for a friend?  Jesus was, but not just for friends.  He laid down his life for his enemies too.  He said there's no greater love than for a friend to lay down his life for you.  The thought makes me uncomfortable about a friend choosing to do that.  How would that make me feel?  I think I would feel guilty because I'm certainly not worthy.  What if that friend had any family or other friends who would judge me thinking I wasn't worth it?  Sometimes, I think, we just take God's sacrifice, Jesus' sacrifice, too lightly.  He calls us friends if we do one thing.  Love one another.  Think about it.

February 5, 2025



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