Thoughts on the Gospel of John (144) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2024

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. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
John 15:6–8

Thoughts on the Gospel of John (144)
At that time in Israel, grape-growing was part of everyday life. The disciples could therefore envisage what the Lord spoke about, for example, branches being “pruned” so that they would bear more fruit.

As in other passages where the Lord takes up an everyday event to illustrate His teaching, His instruction goes beyond natural circumstances. The branches here have a responsibility, namely to remain on the vine. This is the emphasis. And what happens when they do not stay on the vine? The vinedresser cuts them away, so that they end up in the fire. This again alludes to a well-known procedure for vines not bearing fruit.

This is the crucial question: does the vine bear fruit or not? If it bears fruit, it is in good shape: it can bear even more fruit. The vinedresser does everything for it. But it is also true that everyone has to personally contribute to bringing forth “much” fruit. God the Father has great joy in believers who clearly demonstrate that they are disciples of Jesus, because their lives reproduce characteristics of their Master. Through this He is honoured.

Sadly there are also branches outwardly connected to the vine that do not bear fruit. This refers to people who are professedly disciples in a merely formal sense, but who otherwise bear no resemblance to Christ. They will one day suffer eternal judgment: the lake of fire.

Today’s reading: 2 Samuel 3:1-30 · Colossians 4:7-18