Relationships, Part 1: To Christ

It is still Thursday night, and it seems that Jesus and the 11 have left the upper room and are on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane according to 14:31.  If so, they would have left the upper room in Jerusalem, gone down into the Kidron Valley, and across to the Mount of Olives. 

 

As they walked, they would have seen the great golden vine on the front of the temple as they passed.  As a result, it would have been very appropriate for Jesus to tell them a parable or analogy of the vine and its branches.  That is John 15.

 

Remember, in John 14, Jesus told His disciples that He was leaving them for a while.  Of course, they were troubled, but He foreshadowed the coming of the Holy Spirit for them, and we will come back to the Holy Spirit in chapter 16.

 

However, in John 15, Jesus spoke to His disciples about relationships.  In verse 1-8, He spoke about our relationship with Him.  In verses 9-17, He spoke about our relationships with others.  In verses 18-27, He spoke about our relationship with the world.  Therefore, that will be our pattern for the next three Sundays beginning today.

 

 

Exposition

Beginning in verse 1, Jesus made His 7^th I AM statement.  He has already said that He is the bread of life, the light of the world, the door or gate for His sheep, the good shepherd, the resurrection and life, and the way, the truth, and the life.

 

Also, in verses 1 and 2, I need to identify some parts of this analogy for us.  In verse 1, Jesus is the true vine.  God the Father is the vinedresser or gardener or the husbandman.

 

In verse 2, the branches are both authentic believers and apparent believers.  God the Father takes away the apparent believers such as Judas, and He prunes the authentic believers such as Peter. 

 

BTW, brothers and sisters, don’t waste your trial.  When God prunes you, it is for your good and His glory.  His desire is for you is to produce more fruit.  His desire is for you to look and act more like Jesus.

 

In verse 3, those present are authentic believers.  Again, Judas had already left, and these brothers were clean or saved or authentic in their following of Christ.

 

 

Abide

Now here in verse 4, we have the only imperative for today.  The only command that Jesus gives to His disciples and to us is to abide or remain. 

 

The command is in verse 4, but you will see this word 7 times in today’s text and 3 more times in verses 9-10.

 

What does it mean to abide?  It means to believe in Jesus.  It means to continue in Jesus.  It means to obey Jesus, and we will see all of those meanings as we talk the next three weeks about relationships. 

 

 

What happens when a believer abides in Christ?

First, abiding in Christ means that you will bear fruit.  Remember, the command is not to bear fruit.  The command is to abide.  Look at verses 4-5.

 

However, when you abide, you will bear fruit.  That word is used some 8 times in verses 1-17. 

 

What is fruit?  In the OT, we see fruit mentioned in Isaiah 5:1-7.

 

1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved

A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:

My Well-beloved has a vineyard

On a very fruitful hill.

2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones,

And planted it with the choicest vine.

He built a tower in its midst,

And also made a winepress in it;

So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,

But it brought forth wild grapes.

3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,

Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.

4 What more could have been done to My vineyard

That I have not done in it?

Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes,

Did it bring forth wild grapes?

5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard:

I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned;

And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.

6 I will lay it waste;

It shall not be pruned or dug,

But there shall come up briers and thorns.

I will also command the clouds

That they rain no rain on it.”

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,

And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.

He looked for justice, but behold, oppression;

For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

 

Therefore, fruit from Isaiah 5 was justice and righteousness.

 

In the NT, we see fruit in Galatians 5:22-23.

 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

 

Are you bearing fruit?  Ask your spouse.  Ask a friend.

 

Second, abiding in Christ demonstrates that you are saved.  Jesus said it negatively in verse 6.  If you aren’t abiding, you aren’t saved.

 

Third, abiding in Christ accomplishes answered prayer.  Do you want God to answer your prayers?  Abide in Christ.  Continue in Christ.  Obey Christ.  Look at verse 7.

 

 

What happens if I don’t abide in Christ?

You are an apparent believer not an authentic believer.  You look like a believer but you aren’t producing any fruit.

 

Listen to this warning in verse 2.  If you don’t bear fruit, the vinedresser or God the Father takes you away.  In verse 6, the fruitless branches are gathered, throne into the fire, and burned.

 

Make no mistake.  This is an allusion to hell, and eternal judgement. 

 

 

Conclusion

So what about you?  Are you abiding in Christ?  If not, what about today?

 

If you think you are abiding in Christ, where is your fruit?  If you aren’t sure, ask a friend.