I am the vine
Jesus said: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Jesus’ language in this verse is uncompromising. We live in days when such language is deeply unpopular. People want to hear that every way of life is equally valid; it is just a matter of your own personal opinion. But that is completely different from Jesus’ approach. He claimed that, if we’re not living our lives in union with him, we can do nothing. He wasn’t offering an interesting and fulfilling way to find purpose in life. He came to bring the only way to find life. Just as branches will die without a connection to the vine so, too, are we as good as dead without a relationship with Jesus.
What, then, does it mean to remain in Jesus as a way of life? Most of us live a busy life with lots of relationships, pressures and responsibilities. Many of the things we do are simply practical: we must eat, drink, exercise, work, walk the dog, clean the house – and a thousand other things. We may wonder how remaining in Jesus affects any of these things.
But this is where the rubber hits the road. Jesus wants to transform every part of our lives. Even those things which appear ordinary, predictable and boring are shaped by his presence. In short, nothing is ordinary when it is placed in the hands of the Lord.
Jesus said that the result of remaining in him was that we would produce much fruit. There is bound to be a good harvest if we are connected to the source of life. That fruit will take many different forms. We can expect to see the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control (Galatians 5:22) – flow from our lives when we are open to Jesus.
But when God is at work, you can’t put a limit on his blessings. We should also expect to see the Church becoming stronger and the lives of more people being transformed by him. Jesus’ words are firm and uncompromising because there is nothing more important than us being connected to the vine.
QUESTION
How will remaining in Jesus affect your life today?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you offer me the opportunity of sharing every aspect of my life with you. Amen