John 15:1-17 – Abide

Read John 15:1-17

I love it when Jesus uses one of his “I am” statements to describe himself. What does it mean to you that Jesus is the “true grapevine”? Verse 5 sums it up for me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”  I feel honored to put myself in the “branches” category.

Jesus wants us to abide and remain in Him. Do you think the disciples knew what that meant? Do we even begin to understand the depth of meaning that Jesus’ words have for our lives and how we live? When we remain in Him, we also “abide” in Him, living our lives while acknowledging his presence. There is some great stuff to ponder and reflect on in this reading. Continue reading “John 15:1-17 – Abide”

John 15:7 – What Do You Want?

“But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” (John 15:7)

Let’s unpack this memory verse. It’s important to know from the start that this is not Jesus telling his followers that he is a magic genie in a bottle who will grant all wishes. That is not who Jesus is or ever will be. Jesus is talking about the importance of our relationship with him here.

Context (John 15:1-17): Jesus describes himself in this passage as the “true grapevine.” That image would have spoken more directly to his audience, but we are all familiar to a degree with the importance of pruning to keep our plants healthy and growing. We also know that branches cut off from the tree soon wither and die. Jesus doesn’t want us to be separated from him, but to abide in him, be in relationship with him, and trust him with our lives. Continue reading “John 15:7 – What Do You Want?”

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