Key Scripture:
John 15:2a. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; …
Key Idea:
The branch is exactly like the vine in every aspect–the same nature, the same life, the same place, the same work. In all this they are inseparably one.
— Murray
Pray for revelation:
Lord Jesus, I pray Thee, reveal to me the heavenly mystery of the branch, in its living union with the Vine, in its claim on all its fullness. And let Thy all-sufficiency, holding and filling Thy branches, lead me to the rest of faith that knows that Thou workest all.
— Murray
Key words:
Branch.
Before a vine can produce fruit, there needs to be a branch. More on fruit tomorrow, but to continue the comparison of Jesus to the vine, we are the branches. Focus on that idea. The vine is the main trunk of the plant. It grows in the ground and provides life giving nourishment for the branches.
A vine doesn’t normally grow fruit on it directly, it grows branches, and those branches is where the fruit is produced.
There needs to be unity. The branch needs to stay connected to the vine to stay alive. We need to stay connected to Jesus to have a healthy life with him. The purpose of a branch is to bear fruit. That is just what it does. It stays connected, it recieves life, and it naturally produces fruit.
Just spend time thinking about your personal unity with Jesus. We’ll dwell on the rest of this part of the verse tomorrow. Until then, stay connected, and keep these thoughts about the relationship of the branch to the vine in mind today.
Through all the storms of life, keep thoughts of Jesus handy in your mind.