Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing
“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.“
John 15:4 NIV
The context of our verse today is Jesus speaking to His disciples just before He was crucified.
He tells them, “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.“ (John 15:5-7 NIV)
If we’re branches in the Vine, we’re bound to bear fruit. We can only bear fruit when we remain in Jesus and obey His commandments.
“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.“ (John 15:9-10 NLT)
As branches grow by their connection to the vine, so we grow as we remain connected to Jesus. Our existence (and fruitfulness) are both dependent on staying connected with Him.
How then do we stay connected with Jesus? Most importantly, we must read the Scriptures that speak of Him. This puts special emphasis on the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, however, (as Jesus says when speaking to the Jewish leaders), the Scriptures point to Him, not only the Gospels. “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!“ (John 5:39 NLT)
Then again, in Luke 24:27, Jesus admonishes the two followers who were walking with Him to Emmaus after His resurrection, “Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.“ (NLT)
By reading the Bible more frequently, the better we’ll get to know Jesus. By praying more frequently, whether in private or in a group, the better we’ll get to know Him. How much I have learned through hearing the prayers of mature Christians!
The resources of earth are limited and often unavailable. Go to where the supply is everlasting. Jesus stands ready to give you everything you need.
“A vine is of very little use other than as a fruit bearer. You cannot build houses with the wood of a vine. You cannot make furniture from it. It is of very little use even as fuel, for when cast into the fire it flames up a moment or two, and then it is gone. A vine was intended to bear fruit.“ Henry ‘Harry’ Ironside