City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. ⁹ Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

John 15:1-11

Commentary

Jesus’ declares with His first words in this very familiar metaphor that He is the true vine (v. 1). There are false vines; there are other things people attach themselves to and try to draw life from, and those things bear different fruit. For some it is a relationship, for others a career or wealth. For me it was basketball.

I grew up in Bloomington, Indiana and attended every IU home game during their 1976-77 season in which they were 36-0, won the NCAA tournament, and became the last undefeated college team. Basketball was my life from the time I could walk, and with a fair amount of athletic ability and enormous work ethic, I became good enough to earn a place on a college team. I put a lot into basketball, and I sucked as much as I could out of it. From basketball I drew my identity, my self-confidence, and my purpose. It was a vine, but it was not the true vine. As a result, it produced the fruit of self-centeredness, pride, and selfishness. And here is the thing: what I drew from basketball was never able to sustain me. The joy that came from the accolades and the attention, playing well or winning, was always incomplete and transient. 

When I developed tendinitis in my knees after my freshman season in college, and the doctor told me if I kept playing, I would be limping for the rest of the my life, I made the difficult decision to quit. When I did, I realized how completely I had attached myself to a false vine. It was only after being cut off from a false vine that I connected in a real way to the true vine.

Application

Jesus is the true vine (v. 1). We cannot bear the His fruit unless we are connected to and abide in Him (v. 4). And if we try to to attach ourselves to a false vine, we will produce the wrong fruit, be dissatisfied, and die (v. 6). God is glorified when we bear the the fruit that comes from drawing life from and abiding in Jesus (v. 8). And, it is only when we do that that we experience the fullness of true joy that surpasses the shallow impersonators provided by false vines (v. 11).

Prayer

Lord, help me always to abide in You, so I can bear the fruit that always satisfies. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.