Abide in Christ

Show me the sign -

Connected to the Source: Living Fruitfully in Christ

Bible Passage: Jn 15:1–17

New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition 1696 ἐμμένω (emmenō)

ἐμμένω emmenō; from 1722 and 3306; to abide in, fig. to be true to, to persevere:—abide(1), continue(2), stayed(1).

ILLUS. - Microwave- When Kristi and I first moved to Orlando, almost 6 years ago now, when we moved into our first place we were told our Microwave didn't work. We will fix it the leasing agent said. - We sold our microwave moved here, and it still wasn't fixed. - Then one day I walked over and as we were unpacking and opened up the cabinet over the microwave. Strangest thing... this thing called the ''plug'' was not in this thing called the ''outlet.'' - Ah! Plugged it in... Wahlah! It worked like magic. - Microwaves don't work real well if unplugged. - They need a power source. They do not come with batteries. You and I didn't come with batteries either. - We can't live an effective, fruitful Christian life apart from a source outside of ourselves giving us life, power, and vitality. The last of the I Am statements show us that the Christian life can only be lived fruitfully, effectively, for that matter genuinely ... in relationship with and reliance on Jesus. The Christian life is meant to be fruitful. It's meant to be a life of ministry or service, a life of multiplication, and life of spiritual growth and maturity. It's meant to be fruitful. Here Jesus teaches on this very thing.

Summary: In John 15:1-17, Jesus employs the metaphor of the vine and the branches to illustrate the vital relationship between Himself and His followers. He emphasizes the necessity of staying connected to Him in order to bear fruit, which represents good works, love, and obedience to God's commands.

Application: This passage teaches Christians that their ability to live a fruitful life and produce good works stems from their relationship with Christ. It encourages believers to examine their lives to ensure they are truly connected to Jesus, drawing strength and sustenance from Him amidst challenges and the temptations of this world.

Teaching: The sermon can teach that spiritual fruitfulness is not achieved through human effort but through abiding in Christ. It highlights the importance of intimacy with Jesus as the foundation for living a life that glorifies God and showcases His love to others.

How this passage could point to Christ: The metaphor of the vine connects to the broader Biblical narrative where Jesus is presented as the life-giving sustainer. This ties into Old Testament imagery of Israel as a vineyard and presents Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promise, enabling believers to experience life through Him by the Holy Spirit.

Big Idea: Our fruitfulness as followers of Christ is directly linked to our relationship with Him; we must remain connected to His life-giving presence through faith and obedience to fulfill our purpose.

Recommended Study: As you prepare, consider diving into the cultural context of vineyards in ancient Israel to enrich your understanding of this metaphor. Look into the various interpretations regarding 'fruit' in this passage, and how it connects with the overall message of love and obedience in John's Gospel. Using Logos, examine commentaries that explore the significance of Jesus as the true vine, especially in relation to the Old Testament themes.

1. Pruning for Purpose

Jn 15:1-3

You could emphasize how Jesus is the True Vine and God the vinedresser, highlighting the necessity of pruning in our lives. This point suggests that being trimmed or pruned, though sometimes painful, is essential for growth and fruitfulness. Just as a vine must be tended, our spiritual lives require God's intervention to remove the dead branches, cleaning us through His word and presence. It reminds us that being connected to Christ allows for this divine maintenance that prepares us to bear fruit.

2. Abiding for Abundance

Jn 15:4-8

Maybe focus on the necessity of abiding in Christ for fruitfulness. Without staying connected to the vine, the branches cannot function or bear fruit. This point can encourage believers to engage in spiritual practices like prayer and studying the Word to remain connected. Abiding in Christ ensures that His life flows through us, enabling us to reflect His qualities. The lesson underlines that our union with Him is indispensable for a life of abundance and service.

3. Loving for Joy

Jn 15:9-11

Perhaps underline how love is the heart of Jesus' teaching. Just as the Father loved Jesus, so does Jesus love His disciples. This point could stress the need to comprehend and dwell in His love, leading to our joy being made complete. Emphasizing this love, available through Christ, assures Christians that their life's motivation stems from a place of divine love, encouraging them to share this joy with others.

4. Loving for Legacy

Jn 15:12-17

You could focus on the command to love one another as the ultimate evidence of abiding in Christ. Jesus models sacrificial love, setting an example for His disciples to follow. This point might challenge believers to express love actively within their communities, illustrating that authentic discipleship manifests in selfless love for others. By loving others, we reflect our belonging to Christ, fulfilling God's commandments and knowing we are chosen and appointed to bear lasting fruit.

branch is not a self-contained entity, and neither is the Christian disciple. And as a branch separated from the supply of nourishment cannot produce fruit, neither can the Christian. Fruit bearing for the disciple is totally dependent on a direct connection to Jesus.218 Attachment to Jesus or abiding in him is, therefore, the sine quo non of Christian discipleship.

But there can be a slight problem with this verse because although the initial clause contains the verb meinate (“remain in me”), the follow-up clause contains no Greek verb (lit., “and I in you”). Therefore interpreters are left to imply what is meant. The NIV and NLT have “and I will remain in you.” This idea appears to be a promise of Jesus’ presence dependent on or conditioned on the action of the disciples, namely, their consistency. Such a rendering is not impossible and might be the intended sense. Yet one cannot be sure about the Greek grammar pattern here. If, however, a parallelism is implied, that would mean that Jesus would be commanding the vine to abide or remain in the branches. But this option seems more remote. The KJV and RSV do not supply a verb and leave it to the reader to interpret the meaning. The NRSV (see also NAB, REB, NJB) has “as I abide in you,” which suggests that Jesus is the model for the disciples’ abiding. The problem with this view is that this clause is immediately followed by kathōs, meaning “just as,” and that sense of the double “as” seems to be less likely. Thus the first option seems to carry the balance of probabilities, but one cannot be certain. Morris attempts a paraphrase: “Abide in me, and see that I abide in you,”219 which is not an impossible implication of the Johannine shorthand.

This verse concludes with the absolute connection between fruit bearing and abiding in the Vine. Failure to abide in the Vine cannot help but lead to failure in fruit bearing. Independence of the branches from the Vine (disciples from Jesus) necessarily means becoming fruitless. Moreover, that directive is not merely a general statement. It is addressed pointedly to the readers/disciples (hymeis, “you” pl.), and the remaining “in me” (cf. the Pauline idea of “in Christ”) is set as the clear prerequisite to acceptable discipleship.

15:5 The reader may regard this metaphorical statement/mashal to be rather redundant. But the evangelist was not bothered by redundancy. He was obviously concerned that the reader recognize a core point in discipleship. That point is an age-old issue of identity that goes back to the story of the Garden of Eden, wherein the humans were tempted by the desire to become like God (Gen 3:5). The evangelist obviously did not want there to be any confusion over the issue of identity. The branches were not to be confused with the Vine, and the Vine was to be regarded as very different from the branches. The use of the Greek egō eimi (“I am”) is undoubtedly purposeful here and is certainly to be contrasted with the pronoun hymeis (“you,” pl.). Jesus, the one who at 20:28 will be confessed as Lord and God, is clearly to be considered as very different in essence from the disciples who are here being addressed. This identity contrast is often overlooked by commentators and preachers.

But it is the identity issue that is fundamental to the additional seeming redundancy concerning fruitfulness or lack thereof in this verse. The mutual abiding in Jesus, the “I am,” and he (the “I”) in the disciple(s) means that a disciple must be attached to the divine source in order for fruit bearing to occur. It also explains why the opposite to abiding and bearing fruit is here designated as accomplishing “nothing” (ouden). The radicality of the Johannine Gospel should not be missed by familiarity with its words. Nothing is “not something” in the judgment of Jesus. It is still nothing. Such a verdict is not very popular, but it is central to this bull’s-eye text.

15:6 The downside of the mashal here reaches its epitome. Failure to produce fruit brings a severe warning concerning the certain end of unfruitfulness. Employing the indefinite pronoun tis (“anyone, someone”), the evangelist separates any unfruitful person from the faithful, persevering, fruitful disciples/branches and indicates that such a person is thrown away and withers. The verbs here are in the aorist indicative. These aorists here are not primarily used in a chronological sense but as Newman and Nida have indicated, they are either used to indicate certainty of action or customary action (the gnomic sense).22

If you find yourself constantly stressed at home, perhaps due to family conflicts or the demands of daily life, take time each morning to abide in Christ through prayer. Create a ‘quiet corner’ in your home where you can spend 15-30 minutes reading the Bible, meditating on a scripture, and praying. This intentional focus on God can help you cultivate a spirit of peace and wisdom, enabling you to engage with your family more lovingly and patiently throughout the day.