Living in Jesus, Abiding in Him (28)

 

“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” John 15:8.

 

One of the patterns we see in John 15:1 – 17 is of fruit. We begin with fruit in the second verse (15:2) and we conclude with fruit in the penultimate verse (15:16).

 

How critical is fruit? “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (15:2).

 

We saw in verses 4 and 5 that we cannot bear fruit unless we abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in us (“abiding” is another pattern in our passage). We must have koinonia with Jesus Christ, we must live in Him and He must live in us for us to bear fruit.

 

In verse 8 we see that the Father is glorified when we bear much fruit – not just some fruit here and there, but much fruit.

 

Then in verse 16 Jesus says, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give it to you.”

 

Notice that bearing fruit is connected to prayer in verse 16, also please notice that prayer and fruit are connected in verses 7 and 8.

 

If prayer speaks to us of koinonia with the Father, then we see that just as we must abide in Jesus the Vine to bear fruit, that we must also abide in communion with our heavenly Father to live fruit-bearing lives. This, of course, is how it must be when we consider that the Father abides in Jesus and Jesus abides in the Father…and we abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in us.

 

“…that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us…that they may be one, just as We are One; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one.” (see John 17:21 – 23).

 

Jesus is to be our Way of life, the Father is to be our Way of Life; in this Way of Life, as we abide in the Vine, as we speak to the Father and the Father speaks to us…we bear fruit.

 

In verse 16 Jesus says that He has chosen us and ordained us so that we would “go” and “bear fruit” and that our “fruit would remain.” Our fruit is to be lasting, not momentary. Unlike the fruit of the natural world which is consumed and gone, or which falls to the ground and rots, our fruit in Christ is to remain – for after all, if we are abiding in the Vine our fruit is produced by the Life of the Vine – by God of very God, then it is inconceivable that the fruit of God would rot, it cannot be corruptible for He is incorruptible.

 

To be sure we do not always see this, perhaps there are times we wonder if we ever see it, but God sees the work of His Word and His fruit.

 

Is it possible that we are attuned to spiritual fast food, that we look to immediate satisfaction without considering whether there is sustainable fruit in our teaching and activities? Are we so focused on producing satisfying Sunday morning experiences that we no longer produce satisfied lives in Jesus Monday – Saturday?

 

A people addicted to instant gratification are not likely to grow in Jesus Christ and they are not likely to bear fruit that remains. It is a rare pastor and church leadership that is able to resist the demand of our culture, including our church culture, to keep us entertained and instantly gratified, distracted from the Christ of the Cross and the Cross of Christ – which calls us to what one author has termed “a long obedience in the same direction.”

 

And this thought leads us to how lasting fruit is produced. In John 12:12:24 - 26 Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

 

Where is Jesus? He says that where He is, we will be. Where is He?

 

He is laying down His life for us (John 15:13), He is falling into the ground and dying, He is producing much fruit for the Father’s glory.

 

Are we with Jesus? Are we losing our lives? Are we dying with Him? Are we falling into the ground with Him? Are we rising with Him?                 

 

Is our way the way of instant gratification and temporary fruit?

 

Or is our Way the Way of the Cross of Christ and the Christ of the Cross?

 

Are we, are our congregations, producing fruit which remains?