Reflection on John 15:1-17

There are certain passages of scripture that I am absolutely drawn to. I could meditate on them for hours. They are full of the richest treasure for those who will mine the diamonds of God’s word.  John 15 is one of those passages. As we dig deep into scripture I am reminded that ‘its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold’ Job 28:6. But, the thing about mining is, the precious stones are not recognizable at first glance. “He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.” Job 28:10. It is hard work to cut out channels in the rocks to find the prized nugget but it is worth it. And so it is in our study of God’s word.

John 15 is one such precious gem to me. This section is about our union with Christ. Is there anything more comforting, beautiful or satisfying than this? Upon faith in His life, death and resurrection in our place, we receive the Holy Spirit and are united to Christ. Our fellowship is not only with church family. Oh no. Our fellowship is with God Himself! John says in his first epistle “we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” We were made for intimate communion with the God of the Universe. 

Let’s look at some of the awesome truths of John 15. Jesus starts out, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.’ Jesus is the true vine. The Father is the gardener. The Father takes care to see the health of the branches, and He throws away all dead branches (self-proclaiming ‘Christians’ who do not really treasure Christ…i.e. not born again…dead…) and prunes those branches that are fruitful.  It is fascinating and comforting to reflect on the Father’s pruning work. God orchestrates the circumstances of our lives to prune us, shape us, and make us more fruitful. Whatever you may be going through right now, if you are in Christ, you can be sure that the Father wants to use those circumstances to produce the peaceful fruit of righteousness in you (see Hebrews 12:11). 

In John 15:5 we read, “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.” Jesus is the vine, the source of life and we are connected to Him and His life-giving power. We are united to Him. As we abide in Jesus, our life-giving source, we will bear much fruit --- which is the very purpose for our union with Christ. Apart from Him we can do NOTHING that will be eternally fruitful. 

So, what does it mean to abide in Jesus? It is incredibly important. Our joy, our fruitfulness, our very life is at stake. So how does one abide?

Abiding in Christ is all about communion with Christ. To abide in Him is to remain in relationship with Him. It is to put our faith in Him. We trust Him and learn to trust Him more each day. When hardships come we do not become hardened and run from Christ, but we allow the Vinedresser to grow us closer to Christ.

Abiding in Christ happens through the Word of God and prayer. I need to be reminded of His words daily, and allow His truth to renew my mind. I need to be in communion with Him in prayer voicing my love,  thanks, anxieties, and struggles. It is all about a relationship. I also need the body of Christ which spurs me on in my faith walk. 

John 15:9 tells us to ‘abide in [his] love.’ Stay in His love. Remain in His love. We are prone to wander from this beautiful love when we forget the gospel. We are prone to wander when we forget the price has been paid for ALL of our sins. We are prone to wander when we allow guilt, shame and condemnation to hang over us. My exhortation for you today is to fight the Enemy’s lies. Remember the gospel. Let it wash over you that you may abide in His love.  Allow the sap of His life giving Spirit to transform you and you will bear the fruit of His Kingdom: sacrificial love (John 15:13).