But if you live in life-union with me and if my words[f] live powerfully[g] within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father! John 15:7-8 TPT
Jesus has now risen and has been with His disciples helping them to prepare for His return to heaven. They need reassurance that once He leaves this earth they would not be left alone. Instead of Him being with them physically, He will empower them from within through Holy Spirit. In John 15 Jesus tells His followers that He is the Vine and they are branches and as long as they remain in Him they too can draw on the same power that raised Him from the dead and walk in victory. Jesus who is a word painter, created a picture of what it meant to receive this gift of salvation and Jesus living in us and us in Him. It would be an important message not only for His disciples then, but also for us now. Remember the ten of His closest disciples ran and hid during His crucifixion and afterwards and would need Him to forgive and restore them. Only John stayed at the foot of the cross. It always reminds me that he himself said he was the disciple Jesus loved and that thought of such love kept him at the foot of the cross. Today we can also know how much Jesus loves us and that He still is the God of restoration.
Although it is a very familiar passage, it is also very misunderstood because of verse two, that seems to contradict Jesus’ message of grace and forgiveness because it says that if a Believer doesn’t bear fruit, they will be cut off. But when we look at the Greek word for cut off it also means to lift up, support, bear up and prune. It also states that the branch is in Him and so it only confirms the definition of support. What a relief to know God doesn’t want to cut us off, but lift us up and support us while He also prunes us so we can bear good fruit, just like the other branches. Pruning is something that is profitable for all the branches that remain in Him to help them develop correctly. So when we’re being pruned we must remember it is for our benefit and His glory.
Today’s verse reminds us that the power of Jesus the Vine flows into us when we as the branches are in Him and He in u. Then our prayer life will be one filled with power, because we will be praying the Word and Isaiah 55:11 promises that His Word will never return void! Jesus is calling to each one of us to come into a relationship with Him, so He can empower us to show Him to the world and give Him the glory and honor he so deserves.
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