Sunday 01:16:11

Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these. John 15:1-8 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. v. 1 - The main point of the image is clear enough: this is a metaphor of the intimate union of believers with Jesus. The disciple's very life depends on this union. As branches, believers bear fruit. v. 2 - Believers either bear fruit and are pruned to bear more fruit or do not bear fruit and are thrown away and burned. There will be fruit on the branch that is joined to Christ Jesus. He always did things that pleased the Father and He produces fruit in believers who are joined to him. v. 3 - Jesus' disciples have been cleansed by his word. This word refers to all that Jesus taught, his entire message, conveyed by both word and action. v. 4 – Your ability to bear fruit lies in your union to Christ. What does it mean to “remain in him”? Jesus is speaking to those who have already come to him, and so his charge is that they remain in him. “Remaining in Him” is to continue in your faith in him. Not just belief that he exists, not just faith that he lived and died for your sin, although that is crucial, but faith that His work continues – that He is still accomplishing His father’s will. Remaining is not only believing in him, though that is crucial, but includes being in union with him, sharing his thoughts, intentions, and power. Love what he loves and hate what he hates. It is a relationship - both parties must be engaged. It is described in verse 9 as remaining in his love. *-If you are not growing in love for God and for people, you are not remaining in Christ. *-If you remain in Christ, your love for God and people will be growing. If you fail to remain in Christ you are wasting your life. On temporary things. God wants you to bear much fruit (John 15:5, 8). Not only does god want you to bear fruit, He wants you to abound in fruit. He wants us to become imitators of Christ. He healed the sick He fed the hungry He taught people about Himself He showed compassion to the broken He befriended the outcasts v. 7 - To have Jesus’ words remaining in us means to share his mind and his will. We are to be caught up into his focus on the doing of God's will. If we do, we will pray for his purposes rather than for our own selfish desires. Jesus' purposes were to reveal God and share his life and love so people will be brought into union with him. That will be concerns also of the disciples who have Jesus' words in them, and God will answer our prayers as we live according to our life in Christ and his life in them. When you bear fruit, you bring glory to the Father. v. 8 – We bear the fruit of this shared life, which is evidence that we are Jesus' disciples. The glory of the Father is Jesus' chief delight and has been the focus of all he has said and done. Since the disciples are now going to live in union with Christ, the Father's glory will be the goal of their lives as well. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.