REMAIN IN JESUS

John 15:1 & 5

I.  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

In our verses of focus, there are three factors to be considered:  Jesus, the True Vine; God, the Husbandman, who is the Vinedresser and the branches, which we are.

The function of the vine is to pump sap to the branches, so fruit can be produced.  The sap, which is filled with nutrients and minerals, is the life's blood of a plant. Jesus the eternal Son of God, faithfully provides the spiritual nutrients and minerals,  the "sap" of spiritual life for us. 

Life is, by far, the most precious gift given to man. This life, as we know it, is the period between conception and death. During this period, we are blessed with the capacity for growth reproduction and functional activities. Our spiritual lives are enabled by God, the Father and Jesus, the Son.  Of course, the Holy Spirit assists in the process of fruit-bearing. They work in unison to ensure that we enjoy rich, productive lives.

The Vinedresser undertakes the pruning, which is the removal of undesirables- hate, malice, pride and envy, among others, that will stunt our spiritual growth. He tends to us, the branches,  with individual care to ensure that we experience the conditions that are best suited for spiritual development. The Vinedresser also provides adequate water to nourish us, so that we will not encounter spiritual drought, but that we will be continuous fruit-bearers. Jesus desires that we be fruit-bearers.

In order to experience the richness and the abundance of fruit-bearing, the Holy Spirit gives us the characteristics of  Christian living- love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness and self-control and we must remain in Jesus. Without Him, we can do nothing. We cannot live one moment without Jesus. He is our sustenance for living. May we stay with Jesus and live the abundant,  fruitful life.