“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper… 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything.” (John 15, CEB)
At our recent teen Winter Retreat this passage was the sermon text our speaker, Olivia Metcalf, used for one of the sessions. Admittedly, the text and her sermon got me thinking. I was reminded of the simple truth that, “without Jesus, I can’t do anything.” The Message renders this thought as, “Separated, you can’t produce a thing.”
So many aspects of modern life call on us to produce. From those whose workplaces setup quotas and production goals for us to accomplish, to those who feel a pressure to demonstrate to the world what we have achieved in life. All around us there is a pressure to produce. Yet, in this passage, Jesus firmly reminds us that any fruit we may produce which will last for eternity, is fruit that he produces in and through us.
John Wesley in referencing this text makes this observation, for us to bear spiritual fruit “is one of the noblest rewards God can bestow on former acts of obedience, to make us yet more holy, and fit for farther and more eminent service.” In other words, it is truly a blessing to witness God producing fruit in and through us, to see God using us in God’s mission.
I wonder though, how often we get the idea it is up to us to produce for the kingdom, or up to us to bring about fruit in our lives. But in a similar way, the farmer can’t make his plants produce a crop. What the farmer can do is create the optimum environment in which fruit can be produced, but the growth is left to the plant, or in this passage, fruit can only come from the vine.
In this passage, John clearly identifies Jesus is the vine, and God the Father is the farmer. So once again, what is our job? How do we assure we will produce fruit? We are called to abide, to remain in Jesus. Once again The Message is helpful, “if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you…” then you will produce fruit.
The big idea here is dependence or reliance. Too often we are inclined to only depend on ourselves, to rely on no one but ourselves. But the bearing of fruit requires connection and belonging; connection with God and belonging with the rest of the body of Christ. Belonging with others who are connected in the vine.
So let us examine if we are connected, and if so are we connected to Christ as well as the right persons, the right things, the right ideas? The world will tell us we can do it on our own. The world will offer counterfeit “connections” that can’t produce fruit that will last. May we truly be found connected to the one true vine, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, search our hearts, show us where we are connected and where we are disconnected. Give us the courage to give up control and give up the illusion that we can produce lasting fruit on our own. Allow us to experience your growing genuine fruit in our lives, fruit that will last through eternity. Amen.
-Pastor Shawn