Fruit of the vine
Key Verses: 5, 12-14, 16
Jesus uses a picture from His culture that all the people of His day would have readily understood. Everyone knew about grapevines. They knew that pruning was necessary for fruit production. They knew what happened to a branch that was disconnected from the vine. Jesus applies these lessons to Himself. We must stay connected, vitally connected to Him. If we don’t we lose the connection and we wither and die. We must receive the nutrients from the vine in order to survive. We need the life of Jesus flowing to and through us if we are to produce fruit.
One fruit is love, love for God and love for each other. Jesus showed us His love by laying down His life for us. The highest military honors go to those who put their own life on the line for others. The greatest acts of valor come from actions that show the individual valued other’s lives more than their own. Jesus put His life on the line for us. He did this so that we could be fruit bearing people. He wants us to have lives that do more than consume. He wants us to have lives that produce.
Loving others means that we have to put our own priorities on hold and meet their needs. Love is self-sacrificing. Love is something the Lord will push through us if we are connected to Him, just as the sap is pushed though the vine. If we are connected, love will flow. If love is not flowing, then we must question our connection to Him.
REVIEW: Acrostic Theme & each chapter’s phrase.
The Arnold Journey 