Abiding in His Love

The Essence of our Relationship with Jesus

Throughout the OT, Israel has been depicted as a vineyard or vine. (Psalm 80, Isaiah 5). In those two passages though there is a problem. The vine has become corrupted. Weeds have encroached. The fruit that was once so sweet has become wild, bitter grapes.

In this context the words of Jesus in John 15 are particularly striking. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”[1]

The once corrupt vine, has been restored by the True Vine. In essence, Jesus is claiming to be the very embodiment of Israel. Which makes sense in view of his redemptive work on the cross that would soon take place. It almost has to be this way.

I used to put so much pressure on myself to “bear good fruit.” I would look at my life trying to see evidence and whatever I saw never seemed to be right. So, I would work harder, do more, try again and yet it seemed the harder I worked the more dissatisfied I became and the farther away from God I felt. Is this what Jesus meant?

What I finally came to realize was this: Jesus was not calling me to bear good fruit…He was calling me to stay connected to the Vine! To abide in it. To Abide in Him. It is not the branch that bears the fruit. The branch only displays the fruit that is produced by whatever Vine it is connected to.

Jesus is our model for this. He calls us to abide in Him the way that he abides in the Fathers love. We abide by following his commandments (v. 10) What is his command? “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” [2]

So, what does loving other people look like in my life?

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[1]The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Jn 15:1.

[2]The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Jn 15:12-13.