4 "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
5-8 "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
9-10 "I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.
11-15 "I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.
16 "You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
17 "But remember the root command: Love one another.
Gosh there's so much here that I don't know where to start.
I've got no idea what that whole thing is about God cutting out every branch that's in Jesus that doesn't bear fruit in verses 1-3. But I'll leave that for another day since I'm someone who wants to live for Jesus and I don't think that puts me in the totally non fruit bearing group.
Verses 5 - 8 talk about being connected to Jesus and living our lives that way so that, through our connection to Him, we can bear fruit. How can I in my daily life stay connected to Him? Time in His word, talking with Him, thinking about Him, putting Him first . . . . it always comes back to these things. Reminds me of saying in AA: It's simple but not easy. Understanding the concept is one thing, but actually doing it is another.
Oh Father, please help me stay connected to You. May I put You above all else in my life.
One theme in the rest of the verses here is about loving God and loving others. The implication is that if God's love is real in us, then we will love others.
Oh Father, I'm so selfish. Help me see ways to love everyone who is in my life today. Empower me to love when I can't. Thank You for Your love.
There's also that statement in the 16th verse about God choosing us that so many people get hung up on. Rather than getting into the idea about that meaning He didn't choose some people, I want to focus on how grateful I am that He chose me! I believe that we only have so much time and mental ability and I want to choose to focus in the right places and I believe that's where my focus needs to be on this topic.
Oh Father, thank You so much for choosing me!! I'm so acutely aware of how unworthy I am and I thank You Jesus for dieing for me and for interceding for me even now. I can never thank You enough.
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