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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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

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TOTAL DEPENDENCE

“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)

When I was growing up, I thought the greatest Christian must be the person who walked around with shoulders thrown back because of tremendous inner strength and power, quoting Scripture and letting everyone know he has arrived. I have since learned that the most mature believer is the one who is bent over, leaning most heavily on the Lord, and admitting his total inability to do anything without Christ. The greatest Christian is not the one who has achieved the most but rather the one who has received the most. God’s grace, love, and mercy flow through him abundantly because he walks in total dependence. 

-- Jim Cymbala in “Fresh Faith”

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