Message

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Remain in Jesus

John 15:1-17

Key Verse:15:5 “ 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.”

Grape is the fruit for summer. We can buy fresh and juicy grapes for a sale price in all grocery stores around us. The climate of Palestine is fit for the growth of grapevine, and the picture of a vineyard on the hillside is easily seen in the land of Israel. The grapevine is the national emblem of Israel. The golden vine decorated the front side of the temple in Jerusalem. In Psalm 80 Israel is described as a vine. (Ps 80:14-15) Isaiah 5:1-2,7 illustrates this more in detail: “My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines…The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight.”

In today’s passage Jesus taught his disciples the Parable of the Vine and the Branches. This parable reveals how the relationship between Jesus and his disciples should be. Jesus taught them this Upper Room discourse so that his disciples might overcome the impending suffering and trials after his departure. Let us study the parable of the Vine and the Branches and understand the meaning of the words ‘remain in Jesus’.

First, cutting and pruning. (1-3) Look at verse 1. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” Jesus said that he was the true vine. He meant that there were other vines which bear bad fruits and fake vines which looked like, but were not, real vines. Jesus is the true vine who bears fruits of eternal life and provides shade of peace and love. Our God is the gardener. This means that God is the owner of the vineyard. As the prophet Isaiah said, God planted the vineyard on the fertile hillside. The gardener cuts off every branch that bears no fruit. Dead branches or dead wood cause other live branches to be damaged or be decayed. So, the gardener cuts off dead branches. He also prunes some live branches so that other branches may become more fruitful. Pruning is cleansing and trimming for better harvest. Look at verse 2. “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.”

What is the spiritual meaning of cutting and pruning in our relationship with God? God wants to cut off every branch that bears no fruit and to prune other branches that bear fruits for our better fruitful life. What are dead branches in us which God wants to cut off? They are all ungodly activities, sinful behaviors, destructive relationships, and so on. These are all dead branches which cause damage to our relationship with God and destroy our spiritual life. They are poison to our soul. Examine your heart for the branches you have to cut off. Next, God wants to prune live branches in us so that we may become more fruitful. Unnecessary commitment and distractive activities and relationships which disturb our spiritual growth are branches which should be pruned. They are thorns and thistles which choke our plants and prevent growth. These branches are living branches with many leaves, but they consume the nutrition that should go to fruit-bearing branches. The gardener wants to focus on fruit-bearing branches, so he prunes the others. Examine your heart for what branches should be pruned for your fruitful life. What God wants from us is fruit, not many leaves or branches. God focuses on bearing fruits. People do many things at a time by being involved in many activities and relationships. They are better than doing nothing. But these many activities and relationships may disturb our fruit-bearing life and may distract our focus from God to the activities themselves. In Luke 10 Martha was busy in doing many things to serve Jesus while Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him. Martha got mad with her sister and complained to Jesus. What did Jesus say to Martha? “Martha, Martha. You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed---or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:41,42) In order to focus on what is better, we often need to give up other things which seem to be good in our eyes.

The removal of dead branches and the pruning of live branches are the work of purification for our healthy relationship with the Vine, Jesus. The word of Jesus is the pruning tool for his disciples. The word of God purifies our hearts so that we may become healthy and strong branches of Jesus. So Jesus said in verse 3. “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” The word of God cleanses us. Psalm 119:9-11 says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Paul also said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” People think that imagination is free. But sinful imagination conceives evil thoughts and desires. Whenever immoral imaginations come up in my mind, the word of Jeremiah convicts me and says, “Do not harbor evil thoughts in your heart.” We are cleansed by God’s word. When you feel weak and dispirited because of worries of life and anxiety for security, remember Jesus’ word, “Have faith in God!” (Mk 11:22) or “Do not worry about what to eat or what to wear. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mt 6:33) Judas Iscariot left Jesus. He was a broken branch which was apart from Jesus. He was withered and died.

Second, remain in the vine (4-8) The most essential thing for branches to do for fruit-bearing is to remain in the vine. Apart from the vine, the branch cannot bear fruit by itself. Look at verses 4,5. “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.” Bearing fruit through the union between branches and the vine is the law of nature. As long as branches stick to the vine, the branches can bear fruit. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself. As the branches stick to the vine, so we also remain in Jesus, the true vine. Jesus said in verse 5, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

What does ‘remain in Jesus’ mean? The word ‘remain’ in Greek ‘meno’, is also used for ‘abide’, ‘dwell’, and ‘continue’. The verb ‘remain’ implies ‘consistency’ which requires a constant fellowship with Jesus. By remaining in Jesus we receive constant flow of life from him and through the Holy Spirit. Remaining in Jesus is the same meaning with ‘walking in the truth.’ We need to continue to walk with him and stay with him. If we stop by Jesus, and say ‘hi’, to him, and leave him, we do not remain in him. We put aside everything and move in his house and live together with him. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Andrew Murray said about this in his book ‘Abide in Christ’, “Abide in Him.” You did well to come; you do better to abide. Who would after seeking the King’s palace, be content to stand in the door, when he is invited in to dwell in the King’s presence and share with Him in all the glory of His royal life? Oh, let us enter in and abide and fully enjoy all the rich supply His wondrous love has prepared for us!”

When we remain in Jesus and Jesus in me, we receive constant flow of life and the Holy Spirit through him. Jesus said in John 7:37,38, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Here the river of living water is the Holy Spirit. As the branches receive nutrition and necessary elements from the vine, so we receive power and wisdom of our Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Andrew Murray continued, “God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts” (Gal 4:6). The same Spirit that dwelled and still dwells in the Son becomes the life of the believer; in the unity of that one Spirit and the fellowship of the same life that is in Christ, he is one with Him. As between the vine and branch, it is a life union that makes them one.”

How can we remain in Jesus? Jesus answered for this in two ways; remain in his word and remain in his love. Look at verse 7. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Remain in his word means meditate and obey his word. It means to live according to Jesus’ word. Psalm 1:1-3 says that the blessed man is the one who meditates God’s word day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-whatever they do prospers. Memorizing Bible verses and meditating on them is the source of real joy and life. This is because the word of God convicts our sins, inspires our holiness, and promotes our spiritual growth. We must meditate the word of God until we confess, ‘How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” (Ps 119:103)

In Genesis 26 because of severe famine Isaac wanted to go down to Egypt to gain some food. But the Lord God appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you…” (Ge 26:2,3) Even though Isaac’ situation was in desperate, he obeyed God’s word and stayed in the land of Canaan. Like Isaac we must listen to God’s word and obey him. We must remain in God’s word so that we may be blessed as Isaac was blessed a hundredfold in the time of famine. (Ge 26:1,12)

Look at verses 9-10. “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. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” According to Jesus’ word, remaining in Jesus’ love is to keep his command, which is ‘love each other.’ In other words, when we love others as Jesus loved us, we remain in his love. When we practice Jesus’ humble, sacrificial, saving love for others, we remain in Jesus. We experience the heavenly joy Jesus experienced on the cross. This is a paradoxical message, but when we forgive others’ sin and love them as Jesus loved us, we share Jesus’ joy, compassion, and mercy.

Third, fruits that will last. (8, 16,17) The gardener’s purpose for the vineyard is fruit, not many branches and leaves. All unnecessary branches and leaves will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Fruit is the product of the vine and the joy for the gardener. Look at verse 8. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Fruit-bearing is our Father’s glory because in the beginning he commanded man to bear fruit. Genesis 1;28 says, “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it….” God’s first command for mankind was fruit-bearing. So, as for us bearing fruit is not an option, but an obligation as God’s creatures. If someone says, “I am okay. I am well satisfied with myself alone. Don’t tell me to bear fruit”, he may give up being a human being. All can bear fruit when we remain in Jesus as we have studied.

What is our fruit? What fruits should we have to bear as Jesus’ branches? We can bear fruits of the world. If you have many children, they are your wonderful fruits. If you become a successful businessman and career woman, you bear fruits of success. Good health is also good fruit. A good reputation, good friends, good grades, good jobs are also fruits. But Jesus wants us to bear more precious, valuable, eternal, meaningful fruits,---fruits that will last. Look at verses 16. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last---and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” What is fruit that will last? When I asked this question to Sunny, he answered, “It is to preach the good news of Jesus to people who do not know him so that they may believe in God and have eternal life.” His answer is perfect. Fruit-bearing is the process of reproduction. Bearing fruit that will last means reproducing many godly offspring. This reminds us of Jesus’ great commission to his disciples in Matthew 28:19,20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” This is the same command in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful and increase in number….”

When we remain in Jesus, we bear not only these fruits of life, but also the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22, 23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” We grow in such divine character of Christ day after day when we remain in Jesus. Our Lord Jesus, the true vine, is the Lord of love, Prince of peace, King of patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He is worthy to be praised! Amen.

Remaining in Jesus is not an option, but a command. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing. If we do not remain in Jesus, we will be thrown into the fire like dead branches. God loved us so much that he chose us to bear fruits. We are blessed when we remain in Jesus. We become God’s glory when we bear much fruit, fruit that will last forever. Let us come to Jesus and commit ourselves to him. Enter in him, remain in him, have fellowship with him every single hour. Constant prayer is the way to have constant fellowship with Jesus. When we pray in Jesus’ name, God will answer our prayer. This is because he loves us. He is the true vine and we are his branches. Amen.

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