The Power, Responsibility, and Blessing of Abiding

What comes to mind when you hear the word vine? We might think of a vine as an ivy that clings to bricks or concrete. We may picture a twining vine, such as wisteria, that climbs by encircling a pole in a spiral pattern. Or we may think of sprawling vines, such as bougainvillea, whose long runners may need to be supported across a brace to thrive.

Jesus’s disciples would not have considered any of these vines. Their thoughts would have immediately centered on the most familiar vine to them: a grapevine. Grapevines have sturdy trunks. Their branches extend outward, lifted along supports to encourage fruitfulness.

In John 15, Jesus said He is the vine, referring to the trunk, and we are the branches. As long as the branches remain attached to the trunk, they draw life and nourishment to produce abundant crops of grapes. When we abide in Him, rightly related to Him, we enjoy the blessing of life, health, and fruit.

So how are Christians able to abide in Christ?

Grafted to Abide

Some plants, such as the navel orange tree, do not produce fruit with seeds. These plants are cultivated by grafting a branch of one plant onto the trunk of another, providing a strong trunk and root system. The new plant is completely dependent on the “old” trunk for survival.

Today, although individual Jewish people have come to know Jesus Christ, Israel as a nation has yet to acknowledge her Messiah. Some Christians can be condescending—even arrogant—to those of the Jewish faith, belittling them for missing the One they have been waiting for.

We have no right to be arrogant. The apostle Paul reminded us in the book of Romans that Israel is still God’s chosen people. They are the nation that gave the Savior to the world. Gentiles are “grafted” onto Israel’s stock, enjoying the opportunity for salvation because of Israel’s unbelief. Someday, though, Israel will be saved, her broken branches grafted back where they belong.

In the meantime, we as Christians are eternally grateful for the stock that brought us salvation. But we shouldn’t stop there.

The Gift of Relationships

John Donne said, “No man is an island.” We all rely on the intricacies of interdependence. In John 15:12, Jesus spoke to His disciples about the importance of abiding in Him, as a branch must remain attached to the vine’s trunk to stay healthy and fruitful. Then He went on to describe the relationships that accompany the act of abiding.

First, He spoke of the intimate relationship between God the Father and God the Son: “Just as the Father has loved Me” (John 15:9). Our relationship with Christ begins with their intimate relationship. And Jesus spoke of a second relationship in verse 9: “I have also loved you; abide in My love.” When we abide in Him, we reap obedience and joy.

Then in verse 16, Jesus said that when we abide in Him and bear fruit that glorifies the Father, our requests will be in accordance with His will and He will grant them. Finally, Jesus again commands us to “love one another” (v. 17), as He explained in verse 12, “just as I have loved you.” His nourishing love flows through us just as nutrients flow from the grapevine’s trunk to its branches.

Why do you struggle at times to abide in Christ? How can you better abide to bear more fruit?

What can you do to share Messiah’s love with someone of the Jewish faith this week?

How does Christ’s love flowing in you make it easier for you to love even the unlovable people in your life?

*Excerpted and adapted from Reflections on the Names of God.