John 15:1-11, in fact all of chapter 15 is one my very favorite passages of Scripture. One of my all time favorite sermons I've had the privilege to hear was preached on this passage. Even though its been almost 30 years since I heard that message, it continues to have an impact on me today.
In this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples using a rural, agricultural metaphor as was often the case. Here, Jesus uses the metaphor of grape vines and the fruit they produce as a symbol for the life of the believer. Jesus says that He is the vine. There is only life in the vine. If a branch is not connected to the vine, it will receive no nourishment and quickly wither and die away. To be truly alive, we must be found in Jesus Christ.
Jesus goes on to say that His Father, and our Father if we are in Christ, is the vine dresser. The Father removes the unproductive branches from the vine. The productive branches are pruned back by the Father in order that they might produce more and more fruit all of the of time.
Jesus goes on to give His followers the key to having a fruit producing Christian life. Those who will be fruit bearing Christians are the ones who abide in Christ. As Jesus says in verse 5, "apart from me, you can do nothing." Our whole life as believers and our hope for this world and the world to come relies on abiding in Christ.
But, here is the important question. What does it mean to abide in Christ? How do we go about doing this most vital of actions? The word of the Lord provides the answer.
Jesus Himself gives an answer to how we are to go about abiding in Him. In verses 9-10 Jesus states, "Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love."
In order to abide in Jesus, we have to keep His commandments. We must follow the instructions and do as He says. But before we can even obey, we must have the knowledge and understanding of what commands we are supposed to obey.
How is this done? We find out what Jesus wants us to do by reading the Word of God namely, the Bible.
Something that's always alarmed and bothered me is the number of professing Christians who are almost at the point of Biblical illiteracy. They know very little about what is in the Bible as the result of rarely, if ever, picking up the Bible and reading it let alone studying it. I've never understood how people can say they love the Lord, yet they never read what the Lord has to say to them. It's baffling to me.
The only place we can go to know what Jesus would have us do is the Bible. If you truly want to abide in Christ and have an intimate and personal relationship with Him, you're going to have to become a student of the Word. Start today.
Once we have studied the words of Jesus and know what He expects of us, it is time for implementation. As James says in his epistle, we must be doers of the Word and not hearers only.
Read the Sermon on the Mount and the other discourses of Jesus. Let these words of the Master sink down deep into your heart. Ponder them, and make them a part of your life.
I believe that this is just one way that we can abide in Christ. Another way is through prayer. Prayer is the means by which we communicate with Jesus. We talk to Him and unburden ourselves. We cast our cares on Him because He cares for us.
Some people try to complicate prayer. They want to make prayer very formal or formulaic. Some say you have to pray a certain way or you're just not praying right. Nothing could be further from the truth. Prayer is talking to the Lord. Just talk to Jesus and tell Him how your day has gone. Share with Him your concerns and successes. Share every aspect of your life with Jesus. Also praise and thank Him for who He is and for all that He has done. By doing this, you will have a closer relationship with the Lord.
The practice of meditation on Jesus Christ is another way of abiding in Him. By meditation, I don't mean the Eastern practice of meditation such as centering, yoga, or repeating mantras. I'm talking about being still and knowing that Jesus is Lord. In other words, when you pray don't do all the talking. Practice listening. In the stillness, let the voice of the Holy Spirit speak to your heart. He provides strength, comfort, and peace we all need to carry on in a sinful world.
Finally, I'd like to speak about modeling Jesus as a means of abiding. We are called to be light. We are Jesus ambassadors. In all we do and say, let us strive to be like Jesus.
When we abide in Christ, our lives can't help but be transformed. Our relationships with others will improve. Each of us will be filled with compassion to reach out and help meet the needs of a hurting world. We will see people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through our witness and walk.
Lord, help us to abide in you. We want to bear fruit. We want to love you and know you more. Amen.
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