Tuesday, February 19, 2019: John 15:4-5
“4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Jesus used the word “remain” or “abide” 11 times in this passage. Not only that, but John also used the word “remain” 40 times in his Gospel, and twenty-seven more times in his letters. Abiding is a picture of utter dependence, a prayerful confidence that Jesus is enough—that He is where we find our hope, peace, and purpose—and that He will do what He promises.
When you consider who John was and what he experienced, his emphasis on remaining in Christ is even more meaningful. John was the apostle God chose to remain longer than any of the others. He was one of the first chosen to be a disciple and is thought to have outlived all the others. His brother James had been the first of the disciples martyred. The others had been martyred for their faith. Not only that, but John also had physically leaned on Jesus (John 13:23-25) and regularly positioned himself closest to Jesus during Jesus’ earthly ministry.
To go on faithfully serving Christ in the world, to continue without the physical presence of Jesus beside him and without his brothers walking with him, John understood the importance of abiding. He knew he could do nothing of kingdom value unless Jesus did it through him. And if Jesus was in him, there was nothing he couldn’t do. The same is true for us when we are utterly dependent on God, praying in His presence. We remain in Him and He produces fruit in us.
- When in your life have you felt closest to God? How did that closeness impact your prayer life? How might you seek to draw nearer to Him in this season of life?
- Pray: Jesus, you are the vine, my very source of life. I know you abide in me; teach me what it means to abide in you every moment of every day. Apart from you, I can do nothing. Spend some time this week seeking to abide in the presence of Jesus by meditating on who He is, as revealed in Scripture, and His promises to His people.