Abiding in Jesus’ Life
(A Night Like No Other – Part 6)
#142 in Series: “The Life of Christ – in a Harmony of The Gospels”
Let’s begin today by simply reading the Word of God… Our text today is John 15:1-8 – Jesus says –
John 15:1-8
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
(This is the Word of the Lord – Thanks be to God)
This is a passage that has challenged the thinking of Christians for years – not because of Jesus speaking about things too hard to understand – but because we have often approached this passage with a limited understanding of the horticulture language Jesus is using, and the context in which He says these things…
Let’s be reminded of the context… Jesus has been with His disciples in the Upper Room, the night before His … betrayal that will lead to His crucifixion.
He has already dismissed Judas, who is in the process of carrying out that betrayal… He has been speaking many things to the remaining eleven, including what we have examined over the past few weeks. Jesus spoke of His soon departure, of heaven, and how they will also witness greater works beyond their experience… And as we focused on last week – they will soon have the help from the Holy Spirit Who will be coming to indwell and enable them!...
It has been already a long night in the Upper Room, and John tells us that after Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit that He said –
… Get up, let us go from here.
So… they are in the process of leaving the Upper Room, and they will be making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane. It is not a great distance, but it will be a long journey… There is much Jesus is going to say before they arrive to the Garden of Gethsemane… There is also much going on in their hearts. There is much going on in the heart of our Lord as well!
In all that Jesus is saying to His disciples – and all that He is about to face in the balance of the night – He is motivated out of His deep love for His disciples!
The subject Jesus leans into first, has to do with life – eternal life… Jesus is taking His disciples deeper into the truth of what it means to be one of His…
The Apostle John certainly gets it. Later, he will give a simple summary statement about this, when he says –
1 John 5:11-12
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
In the teaching before us today, Jesus delves into what this relationship really looks like. We are going to simply campout in this passage, praying that the Holy Spirit, Who brought all of this back to John to record, will also convey these great truths to our hearts and minds today.
Jesus begins with –
1. An Interesting Analogy
Jesus gives a word-picture of truth… He paints a picture, if you will, of what the relationship with Him looks like!
Jesus says –
John 15:1-2
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
There is already a lot going on in these verses! Let’s simply make some observations at this point… Notice –
There are four characters identified in this brief statement. Two are clearly identified, and two are to be interpreted: First, there is –
Vines are the part of the plant that has its roots in the ground, and has branches that stem from it… Vines give life to the branches. Vines send to, and through the branches all that is needed to produce the fruit – the grapes – “the fruit of the vine”.
The second character identified in Jesus’ analogy is –
The vinedresser is the one who is responsible for tending to the vineyard. He knows His plants. He can identify what is going on with the plants, and does whatever is necessary at the moment to assure that it is growing and producing as it … is designed. The goal of the vinedresser is to see a bountiful crop of grapes when it comes harvest time!... We will think about what the vinedresser does as we talk about the other characters in the story…
There are two types of branches identified by Jesus, and both need to be interpreted. There is –
The purpose of a branch on a vine is to bear fruit! In Jesus’ analogy, He addresses both the fruit bearing and the non-fruit bearing…
Just who can the non-fruit bearing branch represent? Here is where interpretation comes in… There are only two choices to consider:
A non-fruit bearing person is either a lost person – one who has not come to Christ – or an unfruitful Christian. Keep in mind that when we study a passage, we must always be true to the context. What Jesus says about non-fruit bearing branches in verse :6 is obviously about the unregenerate… There is no reason to think that Jesus is speaking of a Christian in verse :2, and then a lost person in verse :6… Both passages refer to the lost… The lost do not bear fruit.
Some want to make verse :2 to talk about non-fruit bearing Christians. They do this because of the phrase; “in Me” –
John 15:2a
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away…
They do so to make this a passage to support their view that one can lose their salvation… But, for argument’s sake, let’s say that verse :2 is talking about a Christian. For a non-fruit bearing Christian to be “taken away” would be more of a warning about what John later writes about – it could be referring more to a “sin unto death” (1 John 5:16-17), than it would be about one losing their salvation…
Listen, there is such a person who “identifies” as a Christian, but in reality, they are not… They are non-fruit bearing, because there is “no life in them”!
The NT is replete with passages about such…
(2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Matthew 7:15, :21-23, Titus 1:16, 1 John 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:5, et.al.)
There are four charters in Jesus’ analogy: Jesus, The Father, the Christian, and the non-Christian…
Let’s talk about –
John 15:1-2
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
The processes Jesus identifies in these verses, are carried about by the Vinedresser – The Father!... The non-fruit bearing branch will be “taken away”...
The fruit-bearing branch will … receive whatever is needed to help it bear even more fruit!...
The term translated “prunes it”, has also been translated; “trims and cleans”, and even, “lifted up”... The point is – the Vinedresser know what is best, and will do what is best, in order for that branch to … do its best!
Next, Jesus gives –
2. A Word of Assurance
Jesus tells these eleven –
John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
In John 15, Jesus is addressing those 11, fruit-bearing disciples!... He is affirming that they are, and have been, being pruned and cleaned in order to become even greater bearers of fruit!
John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
These are affirming words!... These eleven are fruit bearing, and they have already been “cleaned”... And notice, they have been cleaned … “because of the word”!
Earlier in the evening, Jesus clarified that these guys are “clean”, and He does so again here… Earlier He said to Peter –
John 13:10-11
10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
The “unclean” was Judas of course…
Every true believer is “clean” and continues to be “cleansed” by … His Word!... In speaking about the church, Paul speaks about why Jesus gave Himself for the church –
Ephesians 5:26
so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
John later writes about our … ongoing need for His cleansing! –
1 John 1:7-9
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The understanding of our need for the Lord to cleans us, goes all the way back to the OT!... When King David repented of his sin with Bathsheba, he called out to the Lord, and said –
Psalm 51:7-10
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
… Evidence that one has been cleansed … is their awareness of their need to continue to be cleansed!... Christians still live in fallen bodies, in a fallen world, and will often sin! We loathe our sin, but understand that we need, and continue to experience the cleansing that the Lord Himself … provides!...
Now there may be better ways to title the following, but I’m going to call it –
3. An Essential Prescription
What Jesus says next is absolutely essential for the Christian!
John 15:4-5
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
If these words are familiar to you, make sure you understand them. If they are relatively new to you, saturate your mind and heart with them!... These are precious, and life-giving words!...
First, there is –
John 15:4
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
It is interesting that Jesus is giving an imperative; “Abide in Me”!... It is not only a statement about the nature of our relationship with Christ – it is an appeal!... “Abiding” has to do with … “being at home with”, “resting in”, “to remain with, and never depart”!... This is how we are to see our relationship with Christ!... And He is actually … commanding such a relationship…
We are in Him – with Him – and He with us, just like a branch is in the vine! The branch receives its very life from the vine and we receive, not only life, but eternal life from Christ!... Just as a branch cannot survive without the vine – neither can we without Christ!...
Notice also –
John 15:5
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Just like one can expect fruit from a healthy branch, abiding in the vine, so can one expect that fruit – genuine, God-honoring fruit will come … through a Christian who is abiding in Jesus!
He who abides in [Jesus] and [Jesus] in him, … bears much fruit!
Notice also –
Look at the middle of verse :4, and the end of verse :5 –
John 15:4-5
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
The reality is – we are utterly dependent upon the Lord for anything good to come through our lives!...
Frankly, this very thought – our dependence on Christ, and He being the One to produce the fruit through us – is a concept that liberates us!
What follow is also sobering! Jesus gives a word about –
4. A Severe Judgement
Jesus says –
John 15:6
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
These are strong words!... I can’t help but wonder if Jesus had Judas in mind when He stated them… Judas, at this very time was in the process of betraying Jesus! Judas, who had been numbered among the disciples, but was in reality, never a true disciple of Jesus!
But, even if Jesus had Judas in mind, He actually makes the statement against – “anyone” – that is – “anyone who does not abide in Him”!
The future of such a one is … certain, eternal … death, and judgment!... Jesus had often spoken about the realities of hell, and this imagery here can not be understood as being anything other than hell!
The future of such a branch is … certain!... Let’s be reminded again of verse :2 –
John 15:2a
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away…
That is the warning of severe and divine judgement, but Jesus has a positive word yet, but those who are abiding in Him… It is –
5. A Divine Promise
John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
What a promise!... The opportunity, privilege, and … assurance that Jesus will provide what is asked!... That must have been deeply reassuring to disciples who were struggling with the unfolding events of that night!...
But, notice! There are two clear … qualifiers! We’ve already talked about what it means to “abide in Jesus” – and that’s the first qualifier, but notice the second one – “and My words abide in you”...
Abiding in Jesus, involves … His words … entering through our ear gate – our eye gate – first into our minds … and then … down into our hearts!
God’s Word abiding in us – is His Word being … received – believed – applied – and lived out!
If we love Him, we keep His commandments! We can not know His commandments, if we are not in His Word!... Are you in His Word?... Is His Word in you?...
There is one more, at least one more, principle we see in what the Lord is saying in these verses… Jesus gives –
6. A Stated Purpose
John 15:8
My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and soprove to be My disciples.
The very purpose for our asking anything of the Lord – the very purpose of our abiding in His Word, Abiding in Him and He in us is … for the glory of God!
The fair question is; what does it mean to glorify God?... Gloryis a Bible word… It is a word that has been … misappropriated by the world (just like they do with so many other words)... Glory has the idea of “magnifying”, or “bringing attention to”... What the world wants to do – “bring attention to themselves”!... What the flesh wants to do – is “bring attention to ourselves”... That is not the way of the Christian.
In short, to glorify God, is reflecting Him well in our lives. It is … drawing attention, not to ourselves, but to Him. It is living in such a way that we, and those who watch us, have a “proper opinion of God”.
Living a life that glorifies God – brings Him pleasure! It “puts a smile on His face”! A smile, if you will, just like you get when you see your children doing something well!...
This is the very purpose for which you have been given life – is to glorify God!... And how is He glorified?
I want us to focus on a particular point in this verse… It is the verb “bear”. “That you bear much fruit”... It is present tense! The Lord desires that you … continually bear fruit! Fruit that honors Him. Fruit that speaks well of Him…
What brings such a smile to Him? – You abiding in Christ, and His Word abiding in you! You living in Christ, for Christ, and … one day, with Christ!
Does your life – the pattern of your life – your thoughts, motives, and actions, bring a smile to God’s face?
Questions to Consider in Community Group
