Scripture: John 15:5; Name of Jesus – The Vine; Ornament – Cluster of Grapes
On this third day of Christmas, I am reminded to celebrate Jesus, not just as an infant in the manger, but as The Vine who gives me LIFE. I know and have experienced that apart from Him I can do nothing, but by ‘abiding’ in Him – I will bear much fruit, be known as His “true Disciple”, and bring glory to the Father.
Jesus, the True Vine
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
John 15:1-8
The fruit we bear is unique to those who abide in Jesus, The Vine, because it is a product of His Spirit in us. His Life-Giving Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – Galatians 5:22-23. Abiding in Him changes us. We will look different, sound different, act different, respond differently, and think differently than the world. Abiding in Jesus, we will learn to live and grow to look more like Him – which is God’s ultimate goal for our life. The question is, “How do we stay connected to Him?” The answer – faithfully spending time with Him in prayer and in His Word and living obediently to it. Abiding in Jesus may not always be easy – there will be hard choices and things we must give up in order to cling to the VINE but God has given us everything we need to live a godly life1. Think of it this way – while John 5:5 teaches us that apart from Jesus “we can do nothing”, Paul teaches us that through Jesus “we can do all things”, Philippians 4:13. The struggles we face in this life are only truly surmountable when we are abiding in – or sometimes clinging to – The Vine – God’s gift of LIFE.
Me – From the Insideout
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
2 Peter 1:3-4