All right, well this morning we're continuing on with Jesus and his teaching on the night of his betrayal.
We're in John chapter 15. If you have a Bible with you, you can open it up to that passage.
Or there's the black Bibles in front of you there under the seats, or it'll be on screen this morning.
We've been exploring some of the different elements of Jesus' analogy here with vine and branches and fruit.
We've talked about how God is the gardener, how he's at work like a gardener to bring about a fruitful vineyard, a people full of good fruit.
We've talked about how Jesus is the true vine, how he is the source of life and of all that is good.
We've talked about how we are the branches, those of us who believe in him.
And we talked at length two weeks ago about pruning and how God does that pruning work in our lives so that we will be even more fruitful.
Well, this morning we're going to come back to this passage, but we're going to come at it from yet another angle.
Our focus this morning is going to be on this word that we see in verse four, remain, or as some translations that you may be more familiar with, abide.
In verse four, Jesus says, remain in me as I also 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.
What does it mean to remain or abide in Jesus?
How do we do that?
What is Jesus wanting these men to do?
This will be our focus for this morning.
And then we'll end by reflecting on this sweet reality that Jesus remains in us.
I suspect that many of us wrestle with this simple command that Jesus gives.
Remain in me.
It's so easy to say it.
But what does it mean?
How do we do it?
We're looking for clues to this right here in this passage in what Jesus said.
And the first one comes to us here in verse four.
Jesus says, remain in me.
As I also 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.
So Jesus uses this analogy from the vineyard to explain a little of what it means to remain in him.
He says, it's like with the branch of a plant.
Of course, Jesus is referring to grapevines.
But most of us are not too familiar with grapevines.
So let's imagine something similar grown in our climate.
Tomato plants.
Picture in your mind a tomato plant.
Imagine that main shoot.
The vine.
And then the branches coming off of that main shoot.
Jesus says, no branch can bear fruit by itself.
So just picture one of those branches of your tomato plant by itself just lying there on the ground.
Broken off.
Separated from the vine.
Will it produce fruit like that?
No, says Jesus.
In order for the fruit to grow, it must remain in the vine.
It must stay connected.
It must continue to be attached.
Now let's translate the metaphor of vines and branches to people.
That's what Jesus does here.
He says, just as it is with the branch and the vine, so it is with you.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
So God, the gardener, wants to see good fruit come from our lives.
Things like I mentioned a couple weeks back.
Love.
Honesty.
Faithfulness.
Self-control.
Gentleness.
Compassion.
Forgiveness.
Holiness.
But just like the branch of a plant,
you cannot bring forth these good things
by yourself.
On your own.
I was thinking about this this week.
You know, if all this stuff I just mentioned
is the stuff that God wants to see in our lives,
if that's what pleases Him,
can we please God on our own
without Jesus?
Can we live that loving life
with God's kind of love
that He wants us to live
towards others
without Jesus?
Your pride may tell you,
yes,
but Jesus says, no.
No branch can bear fruit by itself
on its own.
We need Christ
to live a life that pleases God.
We need Jesus
and what He gives
and what He does in us
to bring forth that good fruit
that God is looking for in our lives.
And so Jesus says,
you must remain in me
like a branch.
You must remain in the vine
to bear fruit.
Now this word remain
in the original language
that John wrote in,
it simply means to stay
or to continue.
There's nothing out of the ordinary
about the word.
Its meaning comes from the analogy
here
as Jesus uses it.
To remain in Jesus
is like a branch of a plant
staying connected
to that plant,
continuing to be
enjoined
to the main shoot.
In other words,
Jesus is saying,
don't leave off from me.
Don't walk away from me.
Stay fastened to me.
Stay joined to me.
What is this command
in this analogy
really about?
It's about relationship.
Stay in relationship with me,
says Jesus.
This is what it's all about.
And in case there's any doubt,
we need only look a couple verses
down to verse 9
and Jesus will say it
loud and clear.
As the Father has loved me,
so have I loved you.
Now remain in my love.
If that's not an invitation
or call to relationship,
I don't know what is.
This whole analogy
of vine and branches,
it tells us something
of the kind of relationship
that God desires
with his people.
It's meant to be
a permanent
and ongoing
relationship.
Think about the connection
between a plant
and its branches.
How are the branches
connected to the plant?
Well, it's not like this.
There's some kind of
an interlocking mechanism
here that allows him
to stay connected
for a time.
But the way this is designed,
it can connect
and disconnect
and connect
and disconnect
as much as you want,
as much as you need.
These things, though,
are only meant
to be together
when this thing
runs out of battery.
Is that how our relationship
with Jesus should be?
We come to him,
we relate to him,
just when we're really
in need of something
from him.
The rest of the time,
though,
we're kind of off
on our own,
living as independent
agents,
not too worried
about him.
No.
The branch of a plant
is meant to be
connected
all the time.
Ongoing.
Permanent.
It's a part of the plant.
And it has to stay there.
In the same way,
we're meant to be
in a continual,
ongoing,
permanent relationship
with Jesus,
our Savior.
We also see here
in this analogy
that this is meant
to be a very deep
and intimate
relationship
between Jesus
and us.
Think again
about how
the branch
is attached
to the tree.
It's not
plug and play
like your iPhone.
There's a real sense
in which that branch
is a part
of the tree.
It's one
with the plant.
In fact,
sometimes we don't
even bother
to distinguish
between the branch
and the tree.
We just say
that whole thing,
the tomato plant,
the whole thing,
it's all a plant
or that tree.
It's all the tree.
And this is a picture
of the kind
of relationship
that Jesus desires
with these men
and with you
and with me
where we are
one with him.
We are so deeply
joined with him
that we are a part
of him
and he
of us.
We're not just,
you know,
loosely affiliated
with him.
We're not just
in today's vernacular
subscribe to his channel.
It's not as though
we've just clicked
the like
and the follow button
on Jesus' profile
and we just
take our regular updates
and that's about it.
No,
this kind of relationship
that Jesus has
for us,
it's a deep,
it's an intimate
relationship
where we become
one with him,
united with him.
Paul,
in his letters,
didn't even hesitate
to refer to all
who belong to Jesus
as members
of his body,
that is the body
of Christ.
Just like your hand
or your foot
is a member
of your body.
And so,
remain in me
like a branch
remains in the vine.
It speaks of this
deep and intimate
relationship
that we have
with Jesus.
Again,
verse 9
leads us
in this direction.
As the Father
has loved me,
so have I
loved you.
Now remain
in my love.
As Jesus
calls these men
to a certain
kind of
love relationship
with him,
he thinks about
the love relationship
that he has
with his Father.
And it is a rich,
deep,
and intimate
relationship.
That's the kind
of relationship
that he is
pulling and
calling his
followers to.
And so,
when Jesus says,
remain in me
like a branch
remains in the vine,
he's calling us
to continually
give ourselves
to him,
to this kind
of relationship
with him,
this ongoing,
intimate,
love relationship.
relationship.
Now we might
wonder,
why does Jesus
seem to emphasize
this so much?
If you
have kind of
skimmed through
the whole passage,
you'll notice
that he talks
about this
quite a bit.
Remain in me.
Neither can you
bear fruit
unless you
remain in me.
Verse 5,
remain in me.
Verse 6,
if you do not
remain in me.
Verse 7,
if you remain
in me.
And verse 9,
how many times
he says it,
it's amazing.
Why is this
such a big deal?
What's the
temptation
or the danger?
Well,
according to Jesus,
there is a real
danger
if you do not
remain
in him.
Verse 6,
if you do not
remain in me,
you're like a
branch that is
thrown away
and withers.
Such branches
are picked up,
thrown into the
fire,
and burned.
That's stated
pretty strongly,
isn't it?
But if we're
following this
analogy,
it makes
perfect sense.
It's not just
that we can't
bear fruit
without Jesus,
it's that
without Jesus,
we will wither,
we will die
spiritually.
That's how it
goes with the
branch of a
plant or the
branch of a
tree.
When it gets
separated from
the tree,
what happens
to it is it
just sits there
on the ground.
Eventually,
the life that
was in it
disappears.
Its flexibility
and greenness
just fades
away.
The leaves
turn brown
and crunchy.
The branch
itself becomes
gray and
dry and
brittle.
And it's
now good
for almost
nothing
except for
getting a
fire going.
It kind of
amazes me
just how
relevant Jesus
is 2,000
years later.
I think about
this all the
time when I
go out into
my backyard.
We have a
huge poplar
tree in our
backyard and it
seems like
every time I
go out there
there's at
least one or
more branches
that have
broken off,
that have
fallen down on
the ground.
And guess what
we do with
them.
We pick
them up,
we put
them in a
trash bin,
designated
sticks,
and I
drive them
out to
the dump
and dump
them in
the burn
pit.
there's a
very real
danger to
leaving off
from Jesus,
to walking
away from
him.
You will
wither.
You will
die, says
Jesus.
If you
choose to
walk away
from Jesus
and go and
live for
yourself, do
things your
own way,
rejecting him,
you won't be
connected to
Jesus, the
vine.
And if
you aren't
connected to
him, then
you won't
have what
he gives,
what the
vine gives
to the
branch, which
is life.
We need
a continuing
relationship
with Jesus,
an abiding
relationship, and
without that,
we're in real
danger.
Now, I know
there's some
debate about how
we should take
these words of
Jesus, and the
question rolling
around in some
of your minds
is, well, can
we lose our
salvation?
Are you saying
that?
Is Jesus
saying that?
Jesus says a
similar sort of
thing at the
beginning of this
section in verse
two.
He says, the
Father cuts off
every branch in
me that bears no
fruit.
This is a really
important discussion,
and so we're
actually going to
save that question
for next Sunday.
I don't want to
rush it.
I don't want
anybody to get
any funny ideas.
we'll talk about
it next week, but
for now, I hope
you don't just
dismiss this
warning of
Jesus here in
verse six.
If you do not
remain in me, you
are like a branch
that is thrown
away and withers.
Such branches are
picked up, thrown
into the fire, and
burned.
Jesus said this to
Peter, to James, and
to John that
night, and so we
ought to take it to
heart as well.
The relationship
that we have with
Jesus is everything.
It is our life.
Not just our
earthly life, not
just abundant life,
but it is our
life, eternal life.
It comes in and
through our
continuing relationship
with Jesus.
Listen again to
how John said it
back in chapter
three, verse
thirty-six.
He said,
whoever believes
in the Son has
eternal life, but
whoever rejects the
Son will not see
life, for God's
wrath remains on
them.
Listen again to
how John will say
it many years later
in his first letter
to the churches.
First John, chapter
five, verse eleven.
He writes, God
has given us
eternal life, and
this life is in
his Son.
Whoever has the
Son has life.
Whoever does not
have the Son of
God does not have
life.
Why is Jesus so
concerned that we
stay in this kind
of a close,
intimate, connected
relationship with
him?
Because just like
the branch of a
tree, our life
depends on it.
If we remain in
him, we will have
life.
We will have all
the good things that
come through Christ.
Christ.
But if we do not,
we will perish.
So remaining in
Jesus, this is of
the utmost importance
for every follower
of Jesus.
And this relationship,
it's not just a
one-way street.
Jesus doesn't say,
no matter what you
do, I will remain
in you, and you
will bear much
fruit.
No, it's a real
relationship that
Jesus is after.
It's a two-way
street.
He urges and
commands us,
remain in me.
There's something we
must do for our
part in this
relationship.
And it's not a
big list of good
works.
And it's not that
we must bear our
own fruit.
It's a relational
thing.
We must give
ourselves to
him continually
for the rest of
our lives.
Remain in me.
Stay in me.
And this is not
just something that
we do automatically.
I mean, think
about that.
If every single
follower of Jesus
just does this
automatically, Jesus
wouldn't need to
say this.
He certainly
wouldn't emphasize
it so much.
He wouldn't warn
us about what would
happen if we don't
do it.
it's not
automatic.
It's not
something that we
do without even
intending to or
thinking about.
We do need to
make some sort
of effort.
Jesus tells them
to remain in
him because it's
something they
must intentionally
decide to do
day after day,
year after year.
And so we come
now to this
final question.
How do we do
relationship with
Jesus?
We might be
tempted to think
that the disciples
had it easy.
After all, they
were with Jesus.
They could see
him face to
face.
They could just
talk to him and
ask him questions
and they could
listen to his
responses.
They could walk
with him on the
road.
But it's
here I think we
must realize Jesus
doesn't say remain
with me, but
remain in me.
He doesn't say
remain with me.
We've been hearing
Jesus talk this
very night about
how he's about to
leave his disciples
and they will not
be able to follow
him.
Jesus is about to
be taken from
them.
crucified.
And yes, he
will have several
visits with them
after he rises
from the dead, but
not long after that
he will be taken
up to heaven and
the disciples will
no longer be with
Jesus, at least
not like they
used to.
And I think it's
here that we
realize what these
words in John 15
are all about.
Jesus is preparing
them for a
different way of
relating to him.
than they have
right now.
Even though they
cannot remain with
him, they can
remain in him.
This relationship
he has with them
is going to
continue even
while he's
away.
But it's going to
look different.
And here's the
wonderful truth about
how it will be
different.
Jesus will not
be with them.
He'll be even
closer.
He'll be in
them.
Remain in me
as I also
remain in you.
Do you hear
that?
if you remain
in me and I
in you, you
will bear much
fruit.
Do you hear
this?
Yes, Jesus is
calling them to
remain in him.
But Jesus is
also assuring
them, I will
remain in you.
Do you hear
this?
Jesus will be
doing his part
of the relationship
with us.
He'll be like a
vine does to
the branch,
giving us all
that we need
for life.
He'll be giving
us everything
that we need
to bear much
good fruit.
He'll be
continuing to
love us just
as the father
has loved him.
And the truth
is the part
that he plays
on his side
of this
relationship
is far
greater because
he is the
vine.
Yes, we
need to
remain in
him, but
no, we're
not left
completely to
ourselves to
do it.
He remains
in us.
at times
we do
drift away,
give into
temptation,
blow it,
sin,
but Jesus
remains in
us.
He draws
us back.
He
disciplines
us lovingly.
He forgives.
there's a
sense in
which we
could go
back to
the beginning
of the
message and
look at
this whole
thing now
through Jesus
side of
this
relationship.
I will
remain in
you,
says Jesus.
Like a
tree holds
and nourishes
and gives
life to
its branches.
I will
stay connected
to you,
says Jesus.
In
relationship
with you,
I will
not let
you go.
I will
not abandon
you.
I will
not leave
you.
I will
not just
let you
fall to
the ground.
He's the
one that
desires this
permanent,
ongoing,
intimate,
and deep
relationship
with us.
And so
as long as
you remain
in me,
I will
remain in
you,
says Jesus.
I will
see to it
that you
bear much
fruit.
And all
of this
Jesus will
do in
them and
he does
in us
through
his spirit,
the Holy
Spirit who
he gives
to us.
So yes,
the relationship
between Jesus
and his
disciples will
change from
here on
out,
but not
for the
worse.
It will
change for
the better.
So how
do we
do
relationship
with
Jesus?
How do
we
remain in
him?
I want
to get
down to
the
practical,
but I
want to
connect it
to the
story that
we're
reading
here.
We do
it the
same way
these
eleven
men
learned
to do
it
after
Jesus
left.
No
longer
could they
see his
human
face
right there
in front
of them,
but they
learned to
trust in
his unseen
presence
within them
by his
spirit.
No longer
could they
see him
walking down
the road
right there
in front
of them.
So they
learned to
walk by
faith,
obeying the
commands and
the instructions
that he had
given them
about all
kinds of
things in
life,
wherever they
were,
with whomever
they were
with.
No longer
did they
see him
right there
in front
of them,
just open
up his
lips and
start
teaching,
but they
learned to
listen to
the Holy
Spirit he
gave later
and his
reminders of
what Jesus
said,
even leading
them to
write down
the very
words that
Jesus spoke
to them.
In one
sense,
doing
relationship
with Jesus
is unlike
any other
relationship
that we
have.
He lives
in us
by his
spirit.
He's
unseeable
with our
eyes,
he's
untouchable
with our
hands,
and yet
we are
commanded
to believe
in him,
to trust
him,
to speak
to him,
to listen
to him,
to serve
him,
to obey
him,
this one
living in
us who
we can't
see.
But in
another
sense,
doing
relationship
with Jesus
is very
much like
other
relationships
that we
have.
We talk
to him
when we
pray,
we listen
to him
as we
read and
reflect on
the words
that he
spoke.
Like the
disciples,
we learn
from his
example and
his actions
as we read
and reflect
on the
things that
he did
and how
he lived
when he
was here.
We serve
him and
we do
his work
by obeying
his commands
wherever we
are with
whoever we're
with in
anticipation of
the day when
he returns
and we will
see him
face to
face.
This is how
we do
relationship
with Jesus.
This is how
we remain
in him.
we could
boil it
down
really
simply
to just
a few
words.
Words of
some of
those familiar
songs.
Trust
and obey.
Or the
kids song
read your
Bible,
pray every
day.
And it
might irk
you to hear
that this
is it.
That this
is how we
do it.
Like that's
it.
Trust and
obey.
Read your
Bible, pray
every day.
That's how
we do
relationship
with Jesus.
I mean,
come on.
Reading a
book,
talking to
the air.
But that's
the secret.
It all
comes down
to what's
in your
heart as
you approach
this book.
As you
get down
on your
knees to
pray.
What's in
your heart
as you sit
down and
read your
Bible?
Are you
there just
to check
off another
box?
And be
a good
Christian?
Or do
you sit
down to
read this
book with
a hard
attitude of
Lord, I
am here
to listen
to you
speak for
your servant
is listening.
That's the
hard attitude
of relationship.
What's in
your heart
as you get
down on
your knees
to pray?
I guess
I'll have
to pray
again here.
I'm
supposed to
do that
to be a
good Christian
even though
I don't
really feel
like it.
It kind
of feels
like I'm
just talking
to the
air.
Or do
you come
with this
heart
attitude?
Lord
Jesus,
I'm tired.
I'm worn
out today.
I don't
even feel
like praying
but I
know that
you are the
one that I
need to
talk to
now.
And you
pray.
That's the
heart attitude
of relationship.
And it
makes all
the difference.
If you're
wondering why
this doesn't
feel like
relationship,
could it be
that you
haven't been
treating these
things like
relationship?
Reading your
Bible.
Prayer.
prayer.
That's how
we talk
to and
listen to
Christ today.
He speaks
today through
his words.
The same
words he
spoke long
ago.
This is how
we remain
in Jesus.
Doing the
things he
has commanded
us to do
day after
day.
Serving
our king
even while
he's away.
This is how
we remain
in Jesus.
And so I
want to
encourage you
today simply
in this way.
Give
yourself
wholly,
completely
to him.
To that
relationship
with him
through his
word,
through prayer,
through
obedience,
through worship,
through complete
surrender.
He is the
vine.
And we are
the branches.
God
let's pray.
Father in
heaven,
it's a
wonderful
relationship
you have
made for
us with
our Savior
Jesus.
And there
are depths
to it that
we long
to grow in
and understand.
And I pray
that that
would be what
happens for
each one of
us here.
Whether
young or
old,
that we
would never
grow tired
or disinterested,
but that we
would continue
to know the
depths of
your love
for us.
That we
would continue
to find
sweet
joy
in walking
with you
day by
day.
Help us
to remain
in you.
Protect us
from anything
in our
world,
in our
own hearts,
that we
try to
separate us
from you.
Thank you
for the
assurance that
you remain
in us.
In Jesus'
name,
amen.