Being connected to Jesus not only gives us life, but it also empowers us to bear fruit in our lives. Our main idea today is that when we are connected to Jesus, we naturally bear fruit, and His Word comes alive within us. Let’s take another look at John 15:1-8, where Jesus describes Himself as the true vine and us as the branches.
John 15: 1-8
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 branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of 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 abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears 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 them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
What a picture of love, joy, connection, empowerment and freedom.
Jesus conveys that there is a life connection between Him and us. Every bit of His life flows into you continuously, and there is nothing you need to do to facilitate it.
Jesus is the source of our connection John 15:1,2
In John 15:1,2 Jesus declares, 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 branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Here, we see that our connection to Jesus is vital. He is the source of our life and sustenance. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, we cannot live fruitful lives apart from Him. When we remain in Him, we are cleansed and empowered to produce good works. This connection is not just a one-time event; it is a continuous relationship that requires our active participation.
If you have ever wondered why your reactions are not as Christ-like as you had hoped or why you aren’t seeing the reflection of Jesus in your life?
What would you look like if you stopped eating and drinking? What would you look like if you stopped eating healthy and only ate fast food or junk food?
When we do not have a steady diet of God’s word, prayer, fellowship, and the mediation on God’s word, it is as if we have stopped eating and our spirit and soul become emaciated! Often what we do instead, because we are still hungry, is we feed ourselves with junk food (basically anything that is not God) that is when we begin to have spiritual cancers, spiritual heart problems and so much more. Physically, you might not see the issues, but spiritually you see you are out of control, have lost the joy, the love, and the grace, God has given you. We basically dry up from the inside because we no longer have his life pouring through us. If I can take this one step further it is like we are spiritually dehydrated; we just don’t feel right, we are tired all of the time, cold all of the time, and have one headache after another (spiritually speaking). I believe this is at times where the branch has withered and dying.
I have known many in my life whose physical bodies have given out on them, however they possess more joy, love, peace, hope and grace than the physically healthy because they are tied into life.
We bear fruit!
However, as we remain connected to Jesus, we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Galatians 5:22-25 tells us, But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
These qualities are not merely traits we strive for; they are the natural outflow of a life connected to Christ.When His Word dwells richly in us, we reflect His character and bring glory to God. The more we abide in Him, the more this fruit becomes evident in our daily interactions and relationships.
When you choose to remain in Him and stay connected to Him, these things are not something you strive for but become a more natural part of who you are each day. I would like to suggest that for some of you battling issues of the flesh, living this fruit-bearing life can feel like a catch-22. On one hand, we are fighting to overcome the sinful passions and desires that lead to envy, jealousy, lust, unrighteous anger, bitterness, manipulation, and so on. We struggle to overcome each of these feelings, but the Lord says that if we choose to remain in Him, resting in His word, prayer, and fellowship with believers, we will naturally crucify these things rather than fight to remove them from our lives.
Think about it in a natural way. Reflect on your life, your actions, and your reactions to various situations. How often do you notice your mother or father in you, especially in your responses? I know there are things you are aware of, like the different addictions, fears, and depression that you witnessed your parents or grandparents struggle with. Because of this awareness, you’ve decided not to follow that path. However, both positive and negative traits like being overly positive, overly critical, or judgmental are traits that sometimes seem hidden until someone points them out. At that point, you can either accept these traits and work on them or reject them, allowing yourself to repeat the same pattern. What I mean is that the more time you spend with the Lord, His word, and His people, the more you begin to reflect Him. It becomes a natural flow that you may not even notice. This is how the fruit comes alive in you. It naturally grows when you are connected to the vine and it empowers you to become who you were designed to be.
Just as your brothers and sisters were raised in the same household but often possess differing traits than you because they are gifted, called, and designed differently, so you will reflect from the Lord the innate gifts, talents, abilities, and personality the father designed in you. As you draw closer to Him, these are enhanced in you.
That is the reflection of John 15: 4-6
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears 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 them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
Then Jesus shares these last two verses we will tackle today.
John 15:7,8
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
This is a reflection of 2 Corinthians 10:5,6
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
The fruit of His word alive in us is that our minds are set on Him. Our way of thinking is based on His heart. When we know His word, it becomes part of us. Every thought is now founded on the Father’s way of thinking, allowing us to understand what He is doing. When His word is part of us, we will naturally bear fruit, as stated in Psalm 119:105.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Which we see further illuminated in Psalm 1:1-3
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
This fruit is what we talked about in Galatians, but it is also the character we develop to be like the Lord. We know his heart so well that Jesus even commands us that if we live God’s word, it will direct us in every way! Then He “commands us” to ask whatever we will because our hearts will be exactly aligned with His, and there will be a perfect communion with him. We will know exactly what he is doing, as Jesus did!
There is no longer darkness or confusion about what the Lord is doing as His word is alive in us.
Are you beginning to understand how much we miss out on because we are not placing ourselves in a position to receive His life flowing in and through us? The fruit, even of hope, escapes us when we don’t live attached to the vine.