The Wednesday after the Ascension of Our Lord

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In the first part of John chapter 15, our Lord speaks of Himself as the vine. He says to the disciples:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1).

This metaphor invites us to see Christ as our true life-source. Anyone and anything else which claims to give life is a fraud and an impostor. The things of this world, such as money, power, pleasure, and even food, cannot fill us with life and joy and meaning. Only Christ is the true vine. And God the Father is the vinedresser. In other words, He is the one who prunes, grafts, and tends. He tends and cares for not only for the vine but also for the branches which are connected to the vine. Thus, our Lord continues the metaphor a few verses later, saying:

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

So it is that we must remain connected to the vine which is Christ, or else we will be unable to do anything. For to be disconnected from Christ means to be disconnected from life itself. But to be connected to Christ means lifegiving nourishment and the bearing of much fruit.

The key word in this introductory part of the chapter is the word “abide.” It is a word which is repeated in our text for today. Of particular note are these two verses:

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).

And two verses later:

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love” (John 15:9).

Therefore, today we will consider: How we abide in Christ.

This word, abide, literally means to “remain” or “stay.” It implies that life is not static. In other words, just because one is “in Christ” does not mean that it will automatically continue. Otherwise, our Lord would not have to give the command to abide in Him. And so, this is something that must be worked at. To be sure, we believe, teach, and confess justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The actor in justification is God the Holy Spirit alone. He gives, and we receive. And yet, the gift which is freely given and received can still be despised and thrown away. Thus, our Lord includes the word “if” to the phrase: “If you abide in Me”. For it is not a foregone conclusion that everyone will abide in Christ.

But lest there be confusion or ignorance about how one abides in Christ, He gives us two key phrases to clarify. He says: Abide in My Word and Abide in My love. Notice the connection between Christ’s Word and His love. The two can never be separated. One may say, “I love Christ”, but if such a person does not love Christ’s Word, then he does not truly love Christ. This principle seems logical, but we so often illogically fail to live consistently with it. For how often do we blatantly disregard Christ’s Word in favor of our own opinions? It could be everyday things like gossip or gluttony, which God’s Word clearly condemns. And yet, in the moment we would rather do what seems right in our own eyes and what feels good than abide by what God says. It could be “bigger” things like living with someone outside of marriage or approving of someone who does. After all, what’s the big deal about a wedding ring and a piece of paper from the state? It could be what we do with our money—failing to live and give generously and instead being selfish or storing up for the unknown future. These are just a few of the many, many ways in which we might clearly ignore what the Bible says while still attending church and claiming to love Christ.

But our Lord is clear that abiding in His love is intimately tied with keeping His Word. In fact, today’s text, our Lord says:

“If you keep [literally: If you guard] My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10).

The Christian life is not about observing the commandments perfectly. We are not a works-based religion like all the other religions of the world. Rather, we are a grace-based religion. It is not our action which earns right standing before God. It’s all about what He has done for us in Christ. Thus, the cross, not your good works, are the center of the Christian faith. And yet, our Lord’s words still stand. Abiding in His love means abiding in His Word and commandments—the two cannot be separated. This is because Christ’s Word is life-giving. His Word is our vine. If we abide in it, we will receive His life-giving Spirit. Therefore, we must repent of our sins and trust in the Word and promises of Christ.

And so, when I say: You need to come to church and you need to read your Bible—when I say these things, you may hear this as law—as something you need to do. And yet, a husband who has been gone working on the job site all day, who probably missed lunch and is starving, doesn’t come home in the evening to a freshly prepared dinner and complain that he needs to walk into the kitchen to dish up his own food—at least he shouldn’t complain! His wife has done all the work. All he needs to do is put himself in a position to receive it. In the same way, Christ offers us His life-giving Spirit—the means by which we abide in Him—in His Word. How dare we complain that it’s too much work to read it or that we don’t have enough time. For it is only when we abide in Christ’s Word that we will abide in His love.

May God the Holy Spirit grant us grace to see the gift of God’s Word for what it is. And may He grant us the strength of will and the joy of heart to receive it daily and so abide in Christ.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.