If the Christian life can be summarized it is with these words that Jesus said. He is using figurative language to teach spiritual truth. The vine in the Old Testament was Israel. Jesus is saying that he is the vine now. He is the source of all spiritual life. The disciples are the branches nourished by the vine. The Father is the one that cares for the vine and consequently the branches. Jesus told his disciples to abide in him in order to bear fruit. It follows that the fruit is a result of being in Jesus, therefore it is related to Jesus’s character. The fruit they will bear is to be like Jesus.
Abide isn’t a once and for all, it’s a daily thing. Abiding not in any person (wife, husband, children), thing (material), plan (present or future), purpose (life goal), church (service) but in Jesus. Only in Him we can bear fruitful character that redlects Him. Living in our own human efforts (apart from Him) we can’t bear fruit, do anything long lasting or reflect His character. We can live life in our efforts but we will never experience the fullness of what it means to abide in Him. Our life will be spiritually shallow and will need pruning by God the caretaker.
Jesus told them, and us of course, that we abide in Him when we keep or do what He says (vv. 7, 10). This takes intentionality and spending time (being rooted in Him) with Jesus every day. There is just no other way.
Why would we not want to abide in Him?
