I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 WEB
With these words, Jesus describes the only way to live a fruitful, productive Christian life. Saying, “I am the vine,” Christ reveals himself as the source of our very lives. With this metaphor, Jesus encourages believers to rely on him completely. In doing this, we emulate the relationship Jesus has with God and produce good fruit for the kingdom of heaven.
As Christians, we are called to honor God with our lives. Christ tells us of himself in John 5:30 as he says, “I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me. WEB”
With My Father
Further, The Lord reveals in John 8:38, “I say the things which I have seen with my Father.” Although fully God himself, Christ lived in obedience to the will of God. The pride of the enemy, who sought to raise himself to the level of God, was not present in our Lord. We read in Philippians 2:6 which says of Jesus, “who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped.”
Jesus considered it enough to be like the Father. As followers of Christ, it is enough that we are like the Son. When Jesus says, “I am the vine,” he reveals his status as divine with the words “I am.” These are the very words God used to describe himself when Moses asked who he should say sent him to free the children of Israel.
Our Divine Source
God, whom Christ likened unto a gardener, is Jesus’ divine source of power. As followers of Christ we live through our connection to him like branches. The Lord is our divine source. We rely on our connection to him to produce good fruit for the kingdom of heaven. We do this by living in obedience to Christ by the grace of God who sent Jesus to be our Savior.
Apart from Christ, we can do nothing but live the sinful lives of disobedience that result in condemnation. Saying, “I am the vine,” Jesus reveals what happens to those who do not remain in him. In the next verse, John 15:6, the Lord makes clear, “If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. WEB”
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for connecting me to the everlasting source of life that is your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the fruit you bring to bear the vine and its branches. Help me to be as productive as possible for your kingdom. Take away everything that inhibits my production as I rely on you completely. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Promise of the Father
