Jesus has set the backdrop. God is the Master Vineyard Keeper. Jesus is the Vine. We are the branches. Authentic lives produce fruit. Fake lives get thrown out. Our lives must not only look good, but also taste good. There must be a tangible difference to our lives.

But how?

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4)

How do we have an authentic, successful life in God’s Kingdom?

Abide, reside, dwell, remain, make a permanent residence in Jesus.  

Our temptation is to visit Jesus. Show up at his house. Drink coffee. Sit on his couch. Talk for a while. Leave. Live however you want.

Jesus calls us to make him your permanent home.

Then Jesus says that if we abide in him, he will abide in us. He will take up a permanent dwelling place with us. This is an amazing promise of Jesus. It is from this promise that our entire life flows. 

For Jesus, everything flowed from dwelling with the Father and the Father dwelling with him. His Father’s will was all that mattered. The only way for him to know God’s will was to dwell in him. He did things that made no sense and it was because his relationship with the Father. For example, his ministry was going really well in one area. After a time of prayer with his Father, Jesus told his disciples it was time to move to another area. Man’s wisdom would say, “Stay here, ride out the wave.” Even his disciples gave him that advice. God said, “It’s time to move.” Jesus knew when to move because of dwelling in his Father (Mark 1:35-39).

This has to be the success we are chasing. The success of remaining in Christ. Where everyday we get up and have one job description on our mind, “Make my permanent residence in Christ today.” Let our fruit flow out of that.  This truth is designed to set us free. Our culture says it is all about success. To be somebody, we must produce. If we are not producing, we are not worthy. It isn’t about being worthy or producing. Our success is dwelling with God himself.

Jesus says that if you’re dwelling in him, fruit will naturally be produced. He even says it will be produced in abundance. But what happens when you are in the middle of a fruit drought? Doubts start to set in. You might think that you aren’t a part of the Vine. The temptation is to struggle and fight to show your worth.

Let this be a freeing reminder. Jesus told us that there will be times of pruning. 

What if you find yourself in the middle of a pruning time?

Lean into it. Remember that our success is found in taking up permanent residence in Jesus, not producing fruit. Every person who finds success in God’s Kingdom will go through pruning. If you see someone going through a time of fruit production, ask them about their pruning. 9 out of 10 times, they will have a pruning story. Use their story to remind you that Jesus’ promised a day where fruit would be abundant. Use that as motivation for perseverance. Get up everyday seeking to make your dwelling place with Jesus, not figuring out how you can produce fruit.

Because in the end, 15:5 tells us the importance of leaning into a time of pruning.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

A branches’ success is only in staying on the vine. You will never see a branch lie on the ground ten feet from the vine and start sprouting grapes. Everything essential to the branch flows through the vine. The vine keeper makes the conditions right. The vine is the conduit by which all the nutrients for life flow. The branch sits there and produces fruit because of the relationship it has with the vine.

When we have success, we can start to think that we are the ones producing fruit. God in his infinite wisdom takes us through a time where the only thing we can do is remain in Jesus. It isn’t until we see Jesus as our everything that we will remain in him. We may visit, but we won’t remain.

We all can trade knowing Jesus for appearing to know him. Jesus was tempted to trade knowing God and his will for appearing to know God. Every one of us will have this same temptation. Living a fake life may fool everyone around us. It won’t fool the Master Vineyard Keeper.

“If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (15:6)

Jesus keeps coming back to warn us of the temptation of appearing to know him, but not truly knowing him. No disciple, even Judas thought he was Jesus’ betrayer. This reminder keeps us honest. Instead of assuming we are okay, we must take this into consideration. We have to wrestle with this reality. Some people look good and aren’t. Is that me? 

Imagine living each and every day with one job description. It isn’t how much fruit you produce. It isn’t if you are worthy to be with God. Our job description is simple. Permanently reside in Jesus. Through this, everything we need in life flows.

We are only a few days into our #N90T reading. What is God showing you through the life of Jesus?

John 1:1-15

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