THE MASTER GARDENER’S PRUNING

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.”  (John 15:1-8 NIV)

In this passage, Jesus borrows a word picture from the plant kingdom. He explained that because God loves us, He must do some pruning in order for us to thrive, blossom and bare fruit. Do you understand how this principle works in gardening? Even with green things, God’s concept of discipline holds true.

But the Master Gardener is loving and devoted. Warren Wiersbe said, “Your Heavenly Father is never nearer to you than when He is pruning you.” That statement is right on the mark. You will find this truth consistently affirmed in the lives of wise, godly people who have faced disruptive moments. They will look at you and say without hesitation, “Never in all my life have I sensed the closeness and provision of God as I did when I came to the bend in the road. Never before have I been more fruitful than I’ve been since I came through that season when everything seemed upside down.” 

-- Adapted from David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down” 

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PRODUCING FRUIT

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful… Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:1-5 NIV)

Two ways of staying connected to Christ involve (1) removing what is unnecessary in our lives, and (2) staying focused on the vine.

On one side we have the vine, our life source. On the other side we have fruit. Our effectiveness is determined by which one we focus on, and in our world it’s hard not to focus on the fruit. So much of our worth is measured by what we produce. …

We also measure ourselves by comparing our fruit to what others produce. We can feel fine until we look around. Focusing on the success, achievements, and appearance of others can undo us.

We can obsess over fruit. We start to believe that the fruit is up to us. But Jesus says that it’s not. … Our job is to be a branch and let God’s power flow through us. … We begin to think we are the vine and are our own source of strength. We have to ask ourselves, “Do I receive my identity from the things I produce or from the One who produces through me?” 

-- Rob Fuquay in “The God We Can Know: Exploring the ‘I Am’ Sayings of Jesus”

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COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”  (Acts 2:42-47 NIV)

One of the marks of the early church was their commitment to connectedness because they knew connectedness doesn’t just happen. They met together every day. They ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Over time, however, that value began to fade. So the writer of Hebrews said, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing.” (Hebrews 10:24-25a NIV)  

In other words, keep committed to community. 

-- Adapted from John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

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ROOTED AND ESTABLISHED IN LOVE

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  (Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV)

Part of what it means to be made in God’s image is our capacity for connectedness, because God created human beings and then said, “It isn’t good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18)  Paul paints a picture of that connectedness in writing to the church in Ephesus that they are “being rooted and established in love.”

When a tree puts roots into the ground, those roots are able to take in nutrients and water, and the tree grows and has life and strength -- but only if it is rooted. In the same way, we are rooted and our souls are nourished in the love of God and other people. We experience this both physically and emotionally when we connect with somebody.

You are walking down the street, and someone you know smiles at you. They care about you through words, through touch, through listening, through prayer together. Whenever there is an exchange of genuine caring, it is as if the roots of your soul are getting fed. Every life has to have that connectedness. 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be” 

#6052 

A DEEP COMPASSION

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”  (Romans 12:15 ESV)

Mary Jo Meadows defines compassion as "the quivering of the heart in response to another's suffering" and notes that "compassionate beings… cannot bear to see suffering and remain unengaged." Compassion is the quality of being able to "get inside the skin of another" in order to respond with loving concern and care. Jack Kornfield writes about the truly loving person breathing in the pain of the world and breathing out compassion. That is how deep compassion is, and how closely connected to others.

Each life influences and affects the other in some way. The more we see our world as a vast interconnectedness of all beings, the more drawn we will be to compassion because we will see how much one life is related to and affected by another. This spiritual oneness is at the heart of Christianity. Christ is the vine, and we are the branches. We are the body of Christ (John 15; 1 Corinthians 12). The life pulsing through us is the life of God giving us spiritual vitality.

Probably no quality more identifies a Christian than that of compassion.

-- Joyce Rupp in “The Cup of Our Life” 

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REMAINING CONNECTED TO THE VINE

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing…If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." John 15:5,7

Jesus told His disciples that if they want to be fruitful, if they want to live according to His purpose for them, if they want to live victorious lives, they must stay connected to Him. Their connection to Jesus would determine their destiny. Their connection to Jesus would determine whether or not their prayers were answered.

Jesus likened their relationship to that of a living plant. He is the vine, the main source of water and nutrients, while the disciples are the branches that depend upon the vine for survival. As the branches must remain connected to the vine in order to grow and multiply, so too, must the disciples remain connected to Jesus for the same reasons. Jesus makes it very clear what will happen should they become separated from Him. Apart from Him, the vine, they will not be able to do anything. 

-- Ronda Sturgill

#5846

A DISCIPLE ABIDES IN CHRIST

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5 NIV)

Jesus knows that His true followers desire to live productive, fulfilling, joy-filled lives. In John 15:1-17 (check it out) Jesus lays out four predominant characteristics of a growing disciple:

1. A Disciples Stays Close to the Master. Jesus encourages us to remain in Him (verses 4-5). Another way to translate “remain” is “to abide” in Him. The word abide signifies a permanent position. It means that you let your roots grow deep into your relationship with Jesus, allowing Him to fill every part of your life every day. If you maintain this unbroken fellowship with God, your lifestyle will change.

2. A Disciple Is Fruitful. Just as a branch can only be fruitful when attached to the vine, we can only be productive when we draw our strength from Jesus (verses 6, 16). The Bible describes this fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23).

3. A Disciple Obeys the Master. Another clear sign that you are Christ’s disciple is your obedience to the principles and guidelines found in the Bible (verse 10). Only then will you discover what it means to live in God’s love.

4. A Disciple Loves Others. Jesus gave us the ultimate example of love by laying down His life for us. He, in essence, is asking us to do nothing less. That may not mean actually dying, but it may mean placing someone else’s needs before your own.

In verse 11 we find Jesus’ reason of sharing these principles: He wants us to be filled with joy. If you try to find happiness through the pursuit of worldly things, it will elude you. The only way to find happiness is through the pursuit of God. If you prioritize your life as Jesus has laid out in these verses, then “your joy will overflow.” 

-- Adapted from “How to Find God New Testament: Living Water for Those Who Thirst” 

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REMAINING IN CHRIST

“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 NLT)

The purpose of an apple tree is to bear apples. The purpose of a cherry tree is to bear cherries. The purpose of a grapevine is to bear grapes. Christians are also expected to bear fruit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23), and to win souls (John 15:16). Here, Jesus says He is the vine and believers are the branches. Thus, the secret to our bearing fruit is staying attached to the vine. Jesus’ point is that we are totally dependent upon Him. Just as we could not become God’s children through our own efforts but only through faith in Christ (John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8) so, too, we cannot bear fruit by wishing and hoping for it or by working hard at it on our own. Instead, we must allow Christ to produce His fruit through us. The secret is in “remaining.”

We remain in Christ by communicating with Him, doing what He says, living by faith, and relating in love to the community of believers.

So stay close, be nourished, and bear fruit. 

-- Dave Veerman, quoted in “His Passion: Christ’s Journey to the Resurrection”

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BEARING MUCH FRUIT

Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing… By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (John 15:5, 8).

How is it possible for us sinful, finite creatures to glorify God? How can we -- with all our limitations -- add anything at all to the majesty and blessedness of the everlasting Creator? It seems so impossible. Almost incredible. Jesus assures us, however, that we can do so by “bearing much fruit.” It is through such spiritual productivity, He says, that we become His disciples. Maybe, then, we should make a distinction. Maybe there are Christians who never pass from mere belief into the category of discipleship. For only in proportion as, and to the degree that, we bear fruit that we are entitled to call ourselves disciples of Jesus.

What is the supreme purpose of human life? A Christ-like discipleship that glorifies God. And how do we become Christ-like disciples? By bearing fruit. No, by bearing ”much fruit”, by becoming maximally productive for the praise of our heavenly Father. We must bear much fruit, and that requires a close relationship with Jesus Christ. 

-- Adapted from Vernon Grounds in “Radical Commitment”

#4882

CONNECTED TO THE VINE

Jesus said, “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 NLT)

The branches of a vine live by just remaining connected to the vine. Permanently. Consistently. They simply rest in their position, allowing the sap of the vine to flow freely through them. There’s no effort. The fruit is produced by the life-giving sap inside.

When you’re completely connected to Christ, His Spirit flows through every part of you -- your mind, your will, your emotions, your words, and your deeds. The fruit that you bear is produced by His Spirit in you. [“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a NRSV)] It’s not produced by any conscious effort on your own.

If you want to be fruitful, concentrate on your relationship with Jesus Christ! “Be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18)

-- Anne Graham Lotz in “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus”


#4812

DEVOTED TO FELLOWSHIP

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”  (Acts 2:42 NIV)

I grew up in the kind of church where "fellowship" tended to mean red punch and cookies in the church basement. But fellowship -- or the biblical "koinonia" -- is a much richer word than that. What it really means is being deeply enough connected with people that they can help shed light on my life so that I can see who I really am and where I need to change.

-- adapted from John Ortberg in the video series “Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People” 

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