Branches

Scripture: John 15:5-8 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

5 “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. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. (John 15:5-8 NLT)

Jesus is the True Vine. The branches that are attached to him, that draw life and nourishment from him, will produce a lot of good fruit! That’s good news! And the branches that are attached to him, that draw life and nourishment from him, will only produce grapevine-fruit. They won’t produce blackberries or “some-other-kind-of-vine” fruit. The vine is the life-source for the branches and the supply-source for the nourishment that produces the fruit.

Remember, Jesus is using a metaphor. He’s describing something visible and tangible to help us understand a spiritual reality. The point Jesus is making is that in terms of moral behavior or religious practice, we can learn what’s expected or required and then train and discipline ourselves to do those things and to not do things that are contrary those rules. Actually, religion separated from relationship  can accomplish that, but there’s no heart change or lasting fruit. For many people, even many leaders, the Jewish religion had become separated from relationship with God. The same thing can happen to us as followers of Jesus.

If we learn the rules and practices, we can learn to behave like “branches.” But that’s not what Jesus wants for us. There’s nothing wrong with asking “What would Jesus do?” or “How should a Christian think or act or respond?” And that may, in fact, be a stage in the process of growth and discipleship. But a branch doesn’t have to ask “What does the Vine do?” It’s attached to, it’s drawing its life from, it’s part of, the vine. So the branch simply produces grapes. We are being transformed by our connection to the vine. And as we are transformed by that relationship, by our connection, we no longer have to ask “What should I do, Master?” Because we love like Jesus, we think like Jesus, we speak like Jesus, we act like Jesus!

Prayer:

Father, Please keep us connected to the vine and continually being transformed. We want to move from learned behavior to “Jesus in us and us in Jesus” living! Amen!