John 15:1-17
In John 14-16, Jesus is preparing his disciples to carry on his ministry after he is gone. In the middle of all that, he gives them a simple image to describe exactly how he envisions them becoming fruitful in their mission. Jesus is the True Vine, the source of love, life, and joy. The Father is the Vine Dresser, pruning for fruitfulness and cutting off dead wood. And the disciples are branches, fragile offshoots, wholly dependent on the vine but surprising in their capacity for fruitfulness. Over the month of September, we're digging into this rich metaphor, exploring the kind of fruitfulness Jesus promises to create in us and what our role is in that process.
September 6, 2020 - Steve Hart