Scripture
By Deborah Hillman
Scripture Lesson Text: John 15:1-8
Related Scriptures: John 15:9-17; Romans 11:11-21; Matthew 7:15-20
This week’s lesson reminds us that Jesus is the True Vine and we are the branches, and that we can do nothing aside from abiding in Him. In order to produce good fruit we must be pruned so that we can grow in spirit, worship, prayer, sacrifice and service unto the kingdom of God. John 15: 9-17 reinforces God’s command to love one another as He has loved us. Love is the fruit of the abiding relationship of Father and the Son, just as it is of the Son, and those who follows his words. This passage is towards the end of Jesus’ life.
Romans 11: 11-12 tells us that God wanted his people (Israel) to claim salvation for themselves, but they were disobedient to his commandments. We see amazing wisdom and grace of God. He had been extremely long suffering with the Jews and could have simply cut them off and left it there.
Matthew 7: 15-20 shows that Jesus is concerned about a very present danger of false teachers, deceiving his disciples and leading them to disaster. These verses are the first verses of the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. There are people who profess prophetic ability or profess to be sent by God, but lead people astray. Christ explains how they can be identified, by their fruits. A false prophet is uncovered, not by his works, but by his words.
Synopsis
By Lecha Price
Jesus teaches us as the branch we must abide in the Vine. The only way for us to bear fruit or live productive lives is to stay connected to the Vine. It is wrong to think that we can please the Lord while being separated from Him. The source of all life nourishment comes from the Vine, not the branches. Without Him we can do nothing.
The word abide means to remain stable or continue in a place. To abide in Jesus is a choice we make daily. Practically, we abide in Him by such things as: praying throughout our day; reading, studying, meditating, memorizing, and obeying God’s Word. These actions strengthen our faith that connects us to Him. This connection enables us to bear much fruit and live-in abundance.
The consequence of not abiding in the vine for a believer is a withered, dried up and unproductive life. Like the branch cannot survive without the vine, we cannot survive without Jesus.
However, a fruit bearing life is a life characterized by qualities such as love, joy, peace, faith, meekness, and self-control. It is a life of righteous character lived in Christ Jesus with a desire to please and glorify the Father. Let us abide in the Vine.
Practical Application
By Marshal Arnwine
John 15:1-8 details one of the roles of Jesus Christ and God in our lives and what our roles are as believers in Jesus Christ. To receive a deeper spiritual revelation of these scriptures, we have to keep in mind the ecological context that a vine is what gives or produces life to branches. Here, Jesus is explaining that He (the vine) is the one that gives life to us (the branches) to produce the characteristics He desires that will glorify God. Some of the characteristics that illustrate we have the fruit of God in our lives is if we possess love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self control. If you lack any of these characteristics, or only have some and desire more, take the time to pray to God (the gardener) to remove any character trait that you currently have that is preventing you from experiencing the fruit of God you desire.
God will honor that prayer because God desires for us to produce the fruit of His Holy Spirit to give Him glory. For example, when we possess the fruit of love, we are easily able to love people who may mistreat us or who have very different viewpoints that are counter to our own. Being able to express love to someone who may mistreat you or has different viewpoints than you do may open the door for them to ask how you became such a loving person despite their differences with you. From there, you can use this opportunity to share that it is the love of Jesus Christ you received that allows you to love people despite their differences with you. Therefore, by sharing that it was Jesus Christ that produced the fruit of love in your life it will bring glory to God.
On the other hand, in John 15:6-8, God declares a clear warning that those who do not remain connected to Jesus will not produce fruit, and will be viewed as unprofitable to the gardener’s (God) creation of producing fruit. On the contrary, people who decide to stay connected to Jesus and endure God’s pruning process of removing ungodly traits from our character such as immorality, impurity, or discord, will have a more impactful prayer life. When we remain connected to Jesus and produce fruit, we can ask for anything in His name, and it will be done for us. If you want to have a more powerful prayer life and see God’s fruit experienced in your life, be encouraged to take it one day at a time and read God’s word to deepen your connection with Jesus. While reading God’s word He will reveal to you practical unique steps tailor made for your journey to produce what God desires from you in order to bring His name glory.
