The Enabling Son of God
“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.” (John 15: 5)
Jesus used an intriguing object to illustrate our dependence on Him, and our utter inadequacy without Him. He always used teachable moments.
As they walked along there were branches of vines that had been pruned. Seizing the teachable moment, He used it to impress on His disciples and us the importance of being properly connected to Him.
Let us use the capacity of a tree to get some hint of how the sun enables the tree to do in response to it.
We are like a tree with limbs and roots outstretched like empty, needy hands. The tree doesn’t even have the self-energy to survive. It is dependent upon the sun for its energy. Once energized it works. The medium sized tree does the equivalent work of a man who does the following each day. If you were to carry 300 buckets of water, two at a time, up a ten foot flight of stairs, you would be doing what a tree does each day. Of itself, it can’t; but with the ability given by the empowering sun, it does. We can do nothing of ourselves; but with the power of the Son, we are enabled to work daily in the Kingdom.
The branch (believer) properly contacted to the vine (Jesus) responds obediently to Him. Further down in the text (John 15: 11) is found the result of obedience. It is JOY. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” This is creative joy such as an artist experiences when finishing a creative work of art or the joy a student experiences when answering correctly the last question on a test for which proper preparation has been made. It is the joy a mother experiences in giving birth. It is the joy of an athlete in the moment of victory.
There are two kinds of branches (believers).
PRODUCTIVE “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8).
As the Father was glorified by the Son so He is further glorified by the works of the followers of His Son, Jesus Christ.
NON-PRODUCTIVE These are Christians not actively serving our Lord. A person can be a Christian not serving our Lord, but NOT a disciple of Him as Lord. “No, Lord,” is a contradiction of terms. If the answer is “No,” He isn’t Lord. If He is Lord, the answer is always “Yes, Lord.”
The key to a productive Christian life isn’t mystical, it is sheer OBEDIENCE because of LOVE.
Our love for Him must be like His love for His Father. Refresh your love for Jesus right now. Talk to Him about your obedient love that you might have joy.