Parting Words-Part 5- Fruitfulness
Parting Words • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsHere Jesus speaks to His disciples of the importance of abiding in Him and the fruitfulness it will produce in them.
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Transcript
Introduction-John 15:1-8
Just prior to this Jesus has been assuring His disciples that though He would be leaving them soon, they would not be left alone.
He has promised them that the comforter, the Holy Spirit would come, and would dwell within them.
At the close of chapter 14 we find Jesus speaking of the advancing enemy and then instructing his disicples to arise and go.
It may be that at this time they began to make their way toward the Mount of Olives.
Jesus next begins to illustrate the vital nature of their connection with Him as a vine and its branches.
This certainly may have been brought about by the visible imagery around them of vineyards begin cultivated nearby. Regardless the imagery Jesus used would have certainly been familiar to His disciples.
The illustration is given to reveal to the disciples an important spiritual truth.
The Characters Involved
The Characters Involved
Jesus Christ-the true vine (Vs. 1)
Jesus Christ is represented here as the source of life and fruitfulness.
The vine is the most vital part of the plant which provides nutrients and strength to the branches.
God the Father-the husbandman (Vs. 1)
The husbandman is the one who prunes and tends to the vine to ensure its ability to produce both quality and quantity of fruit.
You and I-the branches (Vs.5)
The branches are the portion of the vine which bear the fruit of the vine.
In this particular illustration some branches are fruit bearing while others are unfruitful.
This we will look at in greater detail as we work our way through the passage.
The Fruit
The fruit here represents Christlike character as it is produced in the lives of those who are in Christ.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The Treatment of the Branches (Vs. 2-3)
The Treatment of the Branches (Vs. 2-3)
In the very beginning of this illustration there is a clear distinction between those branches which are not bearing fruit and those which do bear fruit.
Jesus begins by speaking of the husbandman’s (God the Father’s) treatment of the branches.
The first statement made is that those branches which are not bearing fruit he “taketh away.”
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
The fact that these branches bear no fruit at all seems to be a clear indication that they lack the most vital connection to the vine. There may be some superficial connection but the connection that taps into the life of the vine(Jesus Christ) is missing.
This seems to represent those who may have some superficial connection to Christ but that do not have sincere faith in Him and so are lacking that most vital life-giving connection to Him.
Then there are those branches which are bearing fruit and yet the husbandman does not simply leave these branches alone but purges them in order that they may bear more fruit.
This is the process by which our spiritual growth progresses, as we bear fruit the father then purges us by various means in order that we may bear even more fruit.
This is a continual process whereby we continue to bear fruit and our lives continue to be transformed to a greater degree.
The pruning is the process by which that which would hinder our fruitfulness is cleared away in order that we may bear greater fruit not only in quantity but also in quality.
Jesus also mentions here that the disciples are clean through the word that He had spoken to them.
It was His word which had made them clean as they yielded to Him.
Abiding in Christ (Vs. 4-7)
Abiding in Christ (Vs. 4-7)
Jesus here speaks of the importance of “abiding” (remaining)in Him.
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
The branch (the believer) cannot bear fruit by its own strength but can only bear fruit through abiding in the vine.
It is clear that the disicples relationship with Christ will ultimately determine his fruitfulness.
Our fruitfulness is not based upon our own abilities but is the direct result of our relationship with Jesus.
If we long to bear more fruit we must deepen our relationship with Christ.
If we abide in Him continually and He abides in us then we will naturally bring forth much fruit.
Without Him we can do nothing. This is true in the broad sense but also in the particular sense here that apart from Christ we cannot produce any fruit that would please the Father.
In verse 6 Jesus speaks of the fate of those who do not abide in Him. These are marked as useless and are cast aside and burned because of their unfruitfulness.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Then Jesus mentions another blessed benefit of abiding in Him. That those who abide in Him and His words abide in them shall have their prayers answered.
It is to be expected that when a man is abiding in Christ He will be in tune with His will and will ask only for that which is consitent with the will of God and thus can expect that his prayers will be answered.
The Father is Glorified (Vs. 8 )
The Father is Glorified (Vs. 8 )
It ought to be the primary ambition of every believer to glorify God and here is given a guarantee that if we will abide in Christ we will produce much fruit and this will serve to the glory of our heavenly Father.
When the believer bears much fruit his life will show forth the power of Christ to tranform and will impact others as a result.
God is glorified when others can see the change God has wrought in us and when our lives impact the lives of others drawing them to Christ.
Jesus also states here “so shall ye be my disciples”, indicating that this fruit would serve as the evidence that they were indeed His disciples.
The disciple of Christ is known by his fruit just as others and the one who calls himself a disciple but does not bear fruit is frankly a fraud.
The true disciple will be recognized by the Christ honoring fruit that is produced in his life.
Conclusion
In this passage we can see the importance of abiding in Christ that we may live fruitful lives to the glory of God.
We also see the clear consequence of an unfruitful life as the unfruitful branches were taken away and were ultimately to be burned because of their lack of usefulness.
It is certainly God’s desire that the life of every believer would produce fruit and this will be the case for every one who abides in Christ and He abides in them.
If you do not know Christ it is impossible that you should produce any fruit that is pleasing or that would glorfiy the father.
This we can only do in Christ and not of ourselves.
What you need today is to begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that He may abide in you and you in Him that you may produce fruit to the glory of God!
If you are a believer who has produced little fruit to the glory of God then it is time that you deepen your relationship with Christ that you may produce much fruit through abiding in Him.