In John 15:5-8, Jesus teaches that abiding in him is the key to bearing much fruit, glorifying God, and experiencing the power of prayer.
John 15:5-8 — Bearing Much Fruit — Aneel Aranha
Hello and welcome to the Bite-Sized Gospel. Today, we will reflect on John 15:5-8. Listen.
[Jesus said:] “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."
In these verses, Jesus continues the metaphor of the vine and the branches. He emphasizes that he is the vine, and we are the branches. Our life and fruitfulness are entirely dependent on our connection to him.
He makes a powerful statement: “Apart from me, you can do nothing." This doesn't mean that we can't do anything without Jesus, but rather that we can do nothing of eternal value, nothing that truly glorifies God, apart from him. Our efforts, apart from Christ, are ultimately fruitless.
On the other hand, if we remain in Jesus, we will bear much fruit. This fruit is the result of our abiding in Christ. It's not something we can produce on our own, but is the natural outworking of our connection to the vine.
Jesus also warns about the consequences of not abiding in him. Branches that don't remain in the vine wither and are thrown into the fire. This is a sobering picture of the ultimate fate of those who reject Christ.
However, there is a beautiful promise for those who abide in Christ. Jesus says that if we remain in him and his words remain in us, we can ask whatever we wish, and it will be done for us. This isn't a blank check for our desires but a promise that as we abide in Christ, our desires will align with his, and we will pray according to his will.
Ultimately, the purpose of our fruitfulness is to glorify God. When we bear much fruit, we show ourselves to be Jesus’ disciples. Our lives become a testament to his transforming power.
As we reflect on these verses, let's ask ourselves: Are we abiding in Christ, depending on him for our life and fruitfulness? Are our prayers aligned with his will? And is our ultimate goal to glorify God through the fruit we bear?
May we be branches that abide in the vine, bearing much fruit to the glory of God.
God bless you.