Daughter of the King

grace grows green

I have been pondering the turth Jesus shares with us in John 15. He begins by saying...

"I am the true vine,"

Now picture a garden. There is the Vine. It stands strong and true.

" and my Father is the Vinedresser."

As we admire the vine we recognize and gain great respect for the gardner. The vine cannot exist without the vinedresser to tend it. At the same time the vinedresser could not be a vinedresser without the vine. The Father and Son are in a perfect relationship of love.

"Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. "

Now we see that this vine has branches. There are branches that are unnecessary because they do not do their duty. They do not drink from the Vine, so the Vinedresser takes them away. The branches that do bear fruit must endure hardship and loss in order to bear more fruit.

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."

Now we realize that we are part of the story. We are the branches. We must endure hardship and loss in order to bring the most pleasure to the Vinedresser. Isn't it interesting that the vine must endure pain and hardship too, because when you prune the branches the Vine feels pain.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

When we abide in Him we will be like Him. Then He continues to explains...

"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. "

We prove that we are part of the Vine when we bear the fruit of the Vine.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love."

At this point Jesus makes it clear that love is life here. Jesus' love for us, and our love for Him is like the vine providing life for the branches, and the branches providing life for the Vine. See the branches wouldn't be there without the vine. We won't be here without Jesus. We couldn't love Him if He didn't first love us. Now that we are loved by Him we must love Him. We must bear His fruit. How can we love Him? What is the fruit? Well...

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."

Now we see that when we obey we love. He also points to the perfect relationship between the Vine and the Vinedresser as the way we should love Him.

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

This is the closing of the passage but how exciting. Jesus knows that we find out true joy when we abide in Him.

See you guys we are all branches. Whether we know Jesus or not. All people were made with the basic purpose of abiding in the Vine. That is what we are good for. That is what we were "wired" to do. When we see people who are not bearing fruit their joy is not full. It can't be. We need Jesus in the same way that the branches need the Vine!!! We are nothing without Him. We find no joy. We have no love. We can bear no fruit. In fact we are cut off and burned.

These are just some ideas that I have been thinking about.

posted by Becca @ 9:35 AM