“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NIV)This is a verse that was given to me as a new Christian. I was confirmed in the Church of England by a very special Bishop. The verse is one that God has often brought me back too as I’ve lived out my life as a child of God. It’s a verse that speaks very much of the relationship between a believer and their Saviour. Jesus is our Saviour; He is the source of our life.
A vine can at times look almost dead and even pretty ugly when the season for grape picking is over. I’ve recently seen some such vines in a winery; they hold very little beauty for the observer. In such a state the vines reminded me of the price Jesus paid to give us life. Jesus had produced plenty of fruit in His three years of ministry before He went to the cross.
Then the cross; our broken Saviour beaten and bruised, dare I say even an ugly sight upon the cross. But just like the vine a new season was coming, a time when more fruit would be produced.
Jesus did die, but when He was raised to new life He went on to produce much fruit through those He died for. That fruit continues to be harvested today as people hear the gospel and respond to such a loving grace.
If you are part of the fruit coming from the vine, our Saviour Jesus, then these precious words from John’s gospel should speak to you. We are to remain in Him, the source of life, only then will we produce much fruit. Don’t be found detached from Him, such branches become nothing more than broken twigs, snapped under the harvesters feet.
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