Be Jesus' Branch

John 15:1-4 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
 
FRUIT is a wonderful image for our relationship with Jesus. Ripe fruit, grown with the proper nutrients and pruning is a naturally sweet, juicy, tasty and nourishing food.
   And fruit is fragile, isn’t it? For example, oranges must grow on a particular root stock to protect the native orange tree from disease that comes from the soil. Or, too much rain at the wrong time can ruin a strawberry crop. Hail will sometimes bruise and ruin fruit. And if freezing temperatures occur when fruit trees blossom, the crop is reduced and less vital. Good fruit requires good root stock, good soil nutrients and protection from disease, insects and  harmful weather. Much can go wrong!
   The vitality and bounty of “kingdom fruit”, too, can easily be reduced or even made useless. As we are tempted to attempt life “my way”, we will be cut from the True Vine’s life-giving commands. At some point, we will discover we have lost Jesus’ nourishing, protective and tender care. Oh, life can seem good for a time. Perhaps for many years we might believe a life separate from the Vine is just fine.
   But without Jesus’ true vine of God’s nourishing, protecting Word feeding your soul, you will one day discover there is no lasting flavor, no nutrition in your lifelong work. We see an example of this from Solomon, the wisdom-endowed king. But he did not remain in God. The world’s temptations cut him from a full relationship, joyful relationship with Gardener. Read Ecclesiastes to learn how Solomon viewed life “off the vine”: Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” How tragic to hear this from a man of God, and how sadly common to hear this from our world. How empty it is to feel this in our souls.
   Solomon waywardness perhaps brought him back to God: Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing.
   The central theme of John 15 is Jesus’ great, nourishing love for the Father and for you. He longs to tend to your heart, so you develop a vibrant, productive spiritual life. He calls you to loving obedience, so you will know the fullness of love for him and for one another. “Remain in me,” he says because he wants you to always be nourished into a full life of meaning and purpose. Your Lord wants you to bear fruit, too, so you will nourish others to advance the Kingdom of God on earth.
          An effective disciple is one who remains securely connected with the Vine. Be good fruit. Bear good fruit for his Kingdom. Glorify the Vine and the Branch. They have planted you.