John 15:1-3-“I am the true vine, and my Fatheris the vinedresser.  2  Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 

Lately my youngest daughter has gotten into gardening, and is really excited to see her herbs and vegetables grow this summer.  The one thing I wanted to make sure she understood was how important it is to manage it.  That a gardener or vinedresser must be mindful of what aids or impedes the produce from growing…

In the context of this passage, Jesus makes sure that we understand the function of His relationship to the Father (and us) using gardening metaphors.  Though Jesus is the nourishing Vine for abundant/eternal life, it is the Father who is the vinedresser or gardener, who knows perfectly what is needed and what is not for the branches (which is us) to flourish, bringing Him glory…(John 15:8)

The amazing thing about Jesus was that He knew while on earth, that He wasn’t “the point”.  By that I mean, Jesus always lived in submission to the Father, and in glorifying the Father unto death, He would be exalted.  This is the mentality that allows God to prune us, abiding in Christ to bear fruit to glorify the Father .  Thus proving we are making God the point, and not ourselves. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus expounds on the nature of our relationship to Him in order to be fruitful.  From abiding in Jesus, the fruit of the Holy Spirit reveals our growth in patience, love, humility, self-control, etc. (i.e. becoming more like Christ).  But if these things are not being produced and growing, it reveals we are not abiding in Christ, allowing God to prune us for more fruit to glorify Him. (John 15:4-5, Galatians 5:22, 2 Peter 1:5-13)

Growing in fruitfulness from abiding in Christ, might be the greatest witness in situations that do not change.  God the Father as the vinedresser wants to challenge our perspective.  Do we see life and things in it needing to change, more than we see our need to change?  When we seek to abide in Christ, the focus will be on how God must be “the point” for me to change, and overcome situations by faith instead of lingering ineffectively in it.  (Psalm 55:19, 2 Peter 1:8)

In other words, to be truly effective for the Kingdom in every situation we are in, whether personally, family, job, ministry, etc. bearing fruit is the goal.  Because it proves we are striving to abide in Jesus, while revealing His glory to be “the point” of life .-In His Love,

Ld