Friday, February 4, 2022

John 15:1-11: The Uncanny Fruit of Living a Life With Jesus

“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.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. - John 15:1-11

What is the fruit that Jesus is talking about? It must be something that is unique in some way to believers, because Jesus said that apart from him (the vine) we (the branches) can do nothing. There is a second aspect: Jesus' remains in us, specifically in the form of his words.

So whatever it is, it is supernaturally enabled through our being in Jesus. John only talks about fruit in this chapter, so whatever context is necessary to understand this reference is contained right here. We know there is one other characteristic of this fruit: it is fruit that will last (vs. 16) So let's look at this from a causal relationship: the Father loves Jesus and, by extension, us. That love leads to a desire to obey his words or command to love each other (even to giving ourselves away) and ask for whatever the Father in his name with results. This love is different because Jesus says that it will last.

So Jesus lets us in on a secret (because we are no longer just servants but friends of Jesus) and that secret is that the supernatural enabling of the fruit of the spirit, all of which derive from love-has not just positive results (as love generally doe) but eternal results. And this makes sense because Jesus goes on to talk about the Spirit's role in our lives.

Did I miss something?


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