April 22, 2018
Morning Service

Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John has to be one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.  Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled because He is going away to prepare a place for us and will return one day to take us there.  This is the hope that we can hold onto when life is a struggle.  Pain, grief and disappointments are only temporary problems that we will not encounter in the next life.  He also assures us He is “the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except by Me.”  He is not one of the many ways, truths and lives, but THE ONLY Way, Truth and Life.  He also spelled out very plainly what a true follower of His will be like.  If we love Him, we are to keep His commandments; not out of duty or as a burden but out of love for Him.  One of those commandments He continues to stress is that we are to love each other as He loved us.  Chapter 15 begins with the seventh and final “I am” statement we have seen in John.

 John 15:1-4 “I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.  (2)  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.  (3)  Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.  (4)  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”

·        Jesus again is explaining a deep spiritual truth by using something that is common knowledge to all.  He is most likely referring to a grape vine.  A single vine bears many grapes and it is often used to symbolize Israel’s fruitfulness in God’s work.  In the Passover meal the fruit of the vine symbolizes God’s goodness to His people.

·        Jesus is the Vine and God is the Gardener who cares for the branches to be sure they produce fruit.  Just as a vinedresser would prune the branches to produce much fruit; so does God prune us.  Notice there are two types of pruning; cutting off and cutting back.

·        The “cutting off” of the unfruitful branches refers to ones, like Judas, who are associated with Jesus but lack a true connection to Him thus being fruitless.  That branch is cut off and burned for the good of the tree as a whole.  It dies because of its lack of nourishment drawn from the Vine.  People choose to receive their nourishment from other sources rather than from Christ and that leads to sin and death.

·        Now we will look at the “cutting back.”  Fruitful branches are cut back to promote growth.  It sounds painful and it is.  That is when God uses adversity to discipline or chasten us to strengthen our character and faith.  I am sure you would all agree that it is during the hard times of life that you have grown the most in your faith.  The pain is designed to have us grow and be more fruitful.  The Hebrew writer quotes Proverbs and explains this chastening (pruning) like this:

 

Hebrews 12:5-9 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons, "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him; (6) for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives."  (7)  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father does not chasten?  (8)  But if you are without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.  (9)  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

·        Again here is a scenario we are all familiar with that helps us to understand a deep spiritual truth.  Our earthly fathers would chasten us (spank us) when we did something out of line or unsafe.  We learn quickly that our behind will hurt if we go near the road again or backtalk our mother!  That is how we are taught right from wrong and how to obey those who have authority over us.  If our father didn’t care what we did, he wouldn’t say anything to correct us.  He chastens us because he loves us.  In sports it is good thing when the coach is always on to you to get better because he sees potential in you.  If not, he would not waste his time investing in you. 

·        I hope that helps you to understand why God “prunes us.”  He wants us to grow in our faith following Him even closer. At the time of pruning we have a choice to make; accept it and do better or rebel and face more chastening.  The Hebrew writer continues his thought this way and shows us the correct way to deal with chastening.

 

Hebrews 12:10-13 for truly they chastened us for a few days according to their own pleasure, but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.  (11)  Now chastening for the present does not seem to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are exercised by it.  (12)  Because of this, straighten up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees.  (13)  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.

·        He encourages us to take the chastening (which is not ever pleasant) and use it to   motivate us to “Straighten up.”  Quit moping around with your hands and head hanging low.  Get busy to make the changes that are needed to line you up with what God wants out of you.  He has plans for you and will use your growth to help those around you that are weak and struggling.  Use His chastening as a challenge.  Ask God “What are you teaching me here.”  You are made stronger through it and God will bless your obedience and positive attitude.  We can call it “Growing pains.”

·        The chastening is intended to draw us closer to God.  Jesus now explains that further.

 

John 15:5-6  I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  (6)  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

·        Abide means to exist, dwell within, rest in, continue in or stand firm in.  Abiding in Christ means we draw our spiritual nourishment from Him.  We rely on Him to sustain us, just as a branch does the vine. We are being diligent in nurturing our relationship with Him and following His commands.  Notice we are called to abide not to produce fruit.  We need to grow in our intimate relationship with Christ (abide) and that will naturally begin to produce fruit.  Without Him we can do nothing.  Many people are like the seeds in the rocky soil that spring out quickly but die because of the lack of roots (abiding).  How do we know if we are abiding?

 

John 15:7-11 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.  (8)  In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples.  (9)  As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love.  (10)  If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.  (11)  I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.

·        If you are abiding in Christ His Word will live inside you; you will have the mind of Christ and think like Him.   Your prayers will be answered because they will be prayed within His will.  You will glorify God with the fruit you produce (the life that you live).  You will be abiding by keeping Jesus’ commandments and living in His love.  He will own your heart, mind, body, and soul.  He will become your source of life and joy.  He will be your all in all.

 

Heavenly Father open our eyes to realize that You are The Way, Truth and The Life.  Help us to abide in Your love and grow in our faith and fruitfulness.