“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
If we could fully grasp these words, I think our favorite invitation of Jesus would be: “Abide in Me.” We are the branches… connected to the most beautiful, the most healthy, and the most productive Vine ever planted. The Gardener has planned it this way and the Vine simply whispers, “Stay in Me.”
And why would I not want to stay in Him? Without the Vine, I am nothing. Why would I want my identity to come from somewhere else? Jesus is the only source that matters. If I live in Him, why should I worry if my life is going to be productive? Jesus promises that if we remain in Him there will be much fruit… because fruit comes from Him.
Bruce Wilkinson wrote, “In abiding… you seek, long for, thirst for, wait for, see, know, love, hear, and respond to… a Person.” Everything centers in the Person Jesus Christ, who took our sins to the cross and died that we might be a part of Him. He has risen and He is our life!
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4