Title: Jesus Tree
In the content sutra, there are several places where people are compared to trees to express spiritual truth. Today's text is one of them. Jesus' disciples (verse 8) are explained with the vine. The vine tells us who we are, the disciples of the Lord. Look at the text. What is the important focus? Relationships, life, life, fruit, prayers. In a word, Christianity is to experience Jesus as life and to reveal Jesus to the world as a fruit in our lives.
1. We are the branches of the true vine.
Israel was the vine of the law. The Gentiles are Adam's vine. Jesus is the true vine that bears good fruit to God. We, who were Adam's vines, became branches of the true vine by hearing the gospel and receiving Jesus by faith. I became one with Jesus. “He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17). Saints, who are you? You are a new creation with all things changed by marrying Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).
2. We can bear much Jesus fruit (v. 5).
We are the branches of the true vine. Heavenly Father is the farmer who raises us. He does all that is necessary, expecting us to bear abundant fruit. We can bear much fruit. Because it is a branch of the true vine. We have the life of Jesus, we can live a life that bears the fruit of Jesus. “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Expect these fruits of Jesus for yourself.
3. Then, how do we produce abundant fruit?
1) We must believe that Jesus makes the fruit of Jesus abundantly bearable through us.
We cannot bear fruit on our own. Therefore, God, who desires abundant fruit, does not command us to “bear fruit”. There is no such command in all of John 15. In the text, only the command to “abide in me” is repeated over and over again. If we depend on the Lord instead of ourselves, we will bear fruit naturally like a branch of a vine. This is grace.
2) We bear abundant fruit through answers to prayer (verse 7)
There is only one thing that we, who are one with Jesus, must do. It is prayer. What is prayer? It is meeting and fellowship with the Lord. What the Lord who married us wants from us is fellowship through prayer.
4. Jesus, who married us, wants only one thing from us. We believe in ourselves and are happy to accept our love. Receive this love as a grace. And save this love. May you live a life that bears abundant fruit with Jesus.