John 15:1
Ever notice all the downed branches after a strong Summer storm? If they lie there for several days, the leaves on those fallen branches fade from green to brown. That’s because they got separated from the life-giving tree they were once attached to, and now died.
Jesus used the image of a vine and its branches to describe life in him. In the seventh “I am” statement of John’s Gospel, Jesus declared, “I am the true vine.” Like branches that depend on a tree or vine, we only have true life when we are connected to Jesus. Only when we are attached to him are we “tapped into” God. Jesus provides our sustenance for the daily challenges of living.
But being connected to Jesus is not merely an end in itself. Branches produce leaves and fruit. Only by remaining connected to him, as a branch is connected to a tree or vine, can we bear the fruit of Christlike living. By the power of God’s Spirit in us, we can bear the spiritual fruit of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23)
When we are connected to the true vine, to Jesus himself, we produce fruit, glorifying God and drawing others to his love and mercy.
Like a branch attached to the vine, are you connected to Jesus and bearing fruit?
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