Maundy Thursday Part 3

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. - John 15.1-17

There is so much to cover in Christ's monologue to his disciples at the Last Supper. This is one piece that always sticks out to me, but we should read the entire discourse (John 14-17) and meditate on it. In this passage Christ shows the necessity of good works in the believers life, and explains how these things come about. Christ is very clear that we must abide in Him to bear fruit. That's an incredibly humbling thing. We're so often guilty of individualistic, self-reliant thinking that to understand that unless with dwell in Christ, we can do nothing pleasing to God, that realization can be so offensive to us at times. Above that, when Christ says that in order to bear more fruit, we must be pruned, that also can raise the hairs on the back of our necks. To prune something means to cut away dead pieces so that it may thrive more, which in our understanding means disciplining us and removing things from us that hinder our growth. And beyond that, we can't even help ourselves grow, it is the work of God! This can easily offend us until we reflect on the perfection and wisdom of our Father and then reflect on how the Scriptures say than He who began a good work in me will continue it until the day of completion! We are a fickle people and our desires change constantly. It is so relieving to know that the One who is perfect, and absolutely wise, and can never change, it is He who takes care of us and causes us to grow and bear more fruit! The pruning work of the father, and the abiding in the son for their power to do good works is a complete gift! But we don't see that unless we're humbled. The only other alternative offered is being cut off completely and thrown into hell, and that is much less attractive than being pruned and being able to do an ever increasing amount of good works, and these good works in turn glorify the Father. So we see that abiding in Christ is a complete gift and is ultimately a blessing and not drudgery. This brings us to the matter of affections. Christ elaborates and relates the duty of good works with the affections of loving Him. Love is related to duty because to love Christ is to obey his commandments. Obedience is the fruit of love, not just duty, and that is the key to good works. Anything that man can label "obedience" to the law of God, that is not rooted in love for God, is not in fact obedience. Christ did not say that love was a product of obedience, no. He said that obedience was a product of love! The love comes first, and where there is no love, there can be no obedience. Jesus obeyed His Father, even to give up his life for us on the cross, and because of His love for His Father, He remained abiding perfectly in His Father's love. Likewise, we are called to live a life of love that brings forth obedience, possibly even obedience to death, so that we may remain in Christ's love. He shows us the depth of His love for us, that even though we are his servants, he calls us friends, because we are now adopted children and have nothing hidden by the Son in regard to what the Father shared with Him. Christ kept no secrets from us, but shared with us all the secrets of the kingdom that were revealed to Him, because we are now friends, children, of God. This is indeed an amazing blessing. One of the final things Christ emphasizes again is the fact that our bearing the fruit of good works is not of our own doing since "you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." Christ chose us so that our fruit would abide! There is nothing fickle and changing about Christ, who is one with His father, and because we are chosen by Him (not by ourselves), our fruit is of an imperishable seed that will endure till the end, and we will prosper! Another blessing of being chosen by the unchangeable Christ is that whatever we ask in His name we shall receive! The key is growth since the more we grow the more in line our thought process is with God, and the more heavenly things we will ask for. This is why it is so necessary that we are chosen by God, because His choices are effectual and permanent. What he chooses can never be changed, and it will come about in it's fullness, so we will continue to grow and will never be forsaken! Oh, what a beautiful truth! Let us grow up embrace and love it, and let us be humbled by it and glory in Christ alone! Let us love God and love one another, this is the obedience we are commanded to!