Abiding - Part 1

In John 15 Jesus shares an allegory with His disciples which is perhaps the most glorious picture in Scripture of what it means to have an intimate relationship with Him.

The key word expressing this relationship is "ABIDE" or "REMAIN" (vv.4,5,6,7, etc).

To picture this to His disciples, Jesus uses the allegory of a grape vine and its branches and fruit. The vine supplies life to the branches so that fruit can be produced. This "connection" of branch to vine is a picture of the relationship a believer is to have with Jesus.

• This is a REAL connection. That is, the believer is really connected to Jesus. This is not just a concept, it is a spiritual reality, just as real as a physical branch is connected to and part of the vine.
• This is a VITAL connection. That is, life flows in this connection. The branch has no life of its own except that which comes from the vine. Abide and live. Stop abiding and die.
• This is a PERSONAL connection. The branch and vine represent real people: Jesus and believers; Jesus and you and me. This connecton involves RELATIONSHIP.
• This is a PURPOSEFUL connection. Branches are connected to a living relationship to the vine IN ORDER TO bear fruit. We are connected to Jesus for fruitbearing. This is why we will see that fruitbearing becomes evidence of who is and who is not a real branch.
• This is a CONSTANT connection. This is what "abide" or "remain" means: you stay there, you don't move around, you don't seek other connections in the place of this one. You seek to stay in the place where this relationship can draw life and bear fruit.

And Jesus makes "abiding" a COMMAND, "Abide in Me and I in you" v.4. That is, if we are a believer, a disciple, we are always to be abiding. If we are not abiding we are sinning. This abiding should always define our relationship with Jesus.

What does it mean to ABIDE in Jesus? I.E., HOW do we do it? Thankfully, Jesus tells us and we will look at this in coming blogs.