“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
John 15:1-17 uses a vineyard to symbolize our relationship to God the Father. Jesus uses this imagery to reveal truth about our relationship to him. When you read, “apart from me you can do nothing,” how do you react? Does this statement stir up anger or confusion? No one likes to feel unimportant or worthless but what does Jesus mean when He talks about us being so useless apart from Him?
The verse above doesn’t mean that we are unable to carry on ordinary activities such as waking up on time, preparing a meal, and driving to work. Jesus is actually talking about our inability to produce anything with eternal value. No matter how hard we try on our own, we can never create something that will last forever.
Pastor Mark Lile used a great analogy in his sermon this week that relates to this concept. He asked who the richest man in the world was one hundred, two hundred, and three hundred years ago. Do you remember their names? No matter how successful we are on our own, everything we produce on earth will wither and die. Mark went on to mention the names of disciples like Peter, John, Matthew and James which were all ordinary men before they became a part of Jesus core group of followers. Jesus radically changed each of their lives so much that we still name our children after them.
As we move through the week, reflect on what God promises us when we abide in him and him in us. He is the only one that can impart eternal value into our lives. Praise God this week for the strength and joy he gives us through his sovereignty.
Matt
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