Elmhurst CRC

Daily Dose of Easter - John 15: 3-4

May 09, 2023 Rebekah Wilson Season 1 Episode 335
Elmhurst CRC
Daily Dose of Easter - John 15: 3-4
Show Notes Transcript

Rebekah Wilson, Alpha Team

Rebekah Wilson  0:07 

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s daily dose of the Word of God. Today is Tuesday, May 9th and this is Rebekah Wilson. This week we’re journeying with Jesus from the tomb, exploring the vine of John 15. I’ll be reading John 15: 3-4 from the NLT..

Rebekah Wilson  0:26 

You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.

Rebekah Wilson  0:43 

My family lives in the house that belonged to Jonathan’s grandparents. At one point, his grandma wanted a little more privacy in her backyard so she put in two trellises and planted four vines; two vines per trellis (maybe some of you can relate). Over the years, she was known to have beautiful landscaping and it became the pride of her life. We moved in to the house in 2012 and attempted to maintain the beautiful exterior, despite having young children. Alas, neither Jonathan nor I have much of a green thumb, and about two years ago, we noticed that one of the vines wasn’t looking so good. The trellis on the left is a lush green, grows in full each summer and produces a pretty flower that I just found out is part of the hydrangea family. We do actually like our neighbors, but this particular vine is so thick and abundant that it provides a wall of vine between the houses. The trellis on the right however, must have had something happen to it. All we can figure out is that at some point the vine was severed from the root and that branches of the vine started to die off until the whole trellis was full of dry, dead vine. We finally cut the vine off the trellis last fall and it was amazing to observe that the branches of the vine had grown (what looked like) little arms that came out of the branch and helped the vine attach to the trellis. The trellis is still standing, so that wasn’t the problem. The problem seemed to be that the vine had been severed from the base of the plant. And this was fatal to the vine.

Rebekah Wilson  2:32 

When I read this passage of scripture, I always think of our two trellises out back. It is blatantly clear how remaining in the vine - remaining in Jesus - helps us to grow, thrive and produce fruit. The abundance of beauty and life is so apparent. Likewise, the barren trellis is a stark warning of what happens when we disconnect from the vine. We can have the best support, the strongest trellis, the safest procedures or protocols, but without a connection to the true vine (Jesus), we stand no chance of growth or fruitfulness. But, what does it look like for a human to “remain in Jesus?” I think there’s the obvious activities, like reading our Bibles, praying and coming to worship. While these are all good activities, remaining in Jesus goes beyond outward actions and to our inner desires and thoughts. Like a barnacle clings to the ocean rocks, our hearts need to cling to Jesus in order to weather the waves of life. Listening to what God is telling you, obeying his voice and having the humility to remain teachable, all contribute to a life that remains in Jesus. We need to remind each other and continually teach our hearts that Jesus alone provides the way of our flourishing.

Rebekah Wilson  4:01  

Will you pray with me? Father God, We praise you for being the vine that we can cling to. Thank you for sending your Son to earth, and paving the way for us to remain in him. Please forgive us when we try to sever ourselves from the vine and go out on our own. Please allow us to come back to you quickly, to repent and to draw near to you. Help us to desire a deeper intimacy with you as we cling to the true vine. Amen.