Bearing Fruit
READ
There's something deeply satisfying about biting into a perfectly ripe piece of fruit – the sweetness, the juiciness, the way it nourishes your body. Jesus uses this imagery to describe what happens when we're properly connected to Him: we naturally produce the kind of life that nourishes both ourselves and others.
Let’s take a moment to read John 15:1-8:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
REFLECT
"I am the vine; you are the branches," Jesus declares. This isn't just a nice metaphor; it's a profound truth about how discipleship works. Just as branches can't produce fruit by themselves, we can't generate Christ-like character through willpower or good intentions alone. We need to remain connected to the source of life – Jesus Himself.
The word "remain" appears eleven times in this short passage. In Greek, it's meno, which means to stay, abide, continue, or endure. This isn't passive waiting; it's active, intentional connection. Remaining in Jesus means maintaining our relationship with Him through all of life's seasons – the sunny days and the storms, the times of abundance and the times of pruning.
Notice that Jesus doesn't say, "Try really hard to produce fruit." He simply says that if we remain in Him, we will bear fruit. This is the beautiful truth of discipleship: the Christian life isn't about striving to be good enough, but about staying connected to the One who is goodness itself. As we remain in Christ, His life flows through us naturally, producing love, joy, peace, patience, and all the other qualities that reflect His character.
But Jesus also mentions pruning, and this is where many of us struggle. The Father, as the gardener, cuts away branches that don't bear fruit and prunes even the fruitful branches so they'll be more productive. Pruning can be painful – it might involve removing relationships, habits, or pursuits that seem good but actually drain our spiritual vitality.
This is where the meta-practice of reflection becomes crucial. We need to regularly examine our lives and ask: What is bearing fruit? What is draining my connection to Jesus? What might God want to prune away so I can be more fruitful? Sometimes the things that need pruning aren't obviously bad – they might be good activities that have become distractions from our primary calling.
The fruit we're meant to bear isn't just personal character development. Jesus says that fruitful branches bring glory to the Father and prove that we are His disciples. Our lives become testimonies to God's transforming power. When people see genuine love, authentic joy, and sacrificial service flowing from our lives, they get a glimpse of what God is like.
This fruit also includes the multiplication of disciples. Just as fruit contains seeds for new growth, mature disciples naturally invest in helping others discover the life-changing relationship with Jesus. We don't hoard the fruit; we share it, and through the process, new disciples are born and begin their own journey of growth.
The promise is remarkable: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." This isn't a blank check for getting whatever we want, but a description of what happens when we're so connected to Jesus that our desires align with His. When His words shape our thinking, our prayers naturally reflect His heart and purposes.
Fruitfulness is both a gift and a responsibility. It's a gift because it comes from Christ's life flowing through us, not from our efforts. It's a responsibility because we must choose daily to remain connected to Him through prayer, Scripture, worship, and obedience. We can't produce fruit, but we can position ourselves to receive and channel His life.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
What fruit do you see growing in your life as a result of your connection to Jesus?
What areas of your life might need pruning in order for you to be more fruitful?
How can you better "remain" in Jesus amid the distractions and demands of daily life?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Jesus, thank You for choosing me to bear fruit that will last. Help me remain connected to You as my true source of life and growth. I trust You to prune whatever needs to be removed and to nurture whatever will bring glory to the Father. May my life produce fruit that nourishes others and points them to You. Amen.