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What this scripture tells us to do
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“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunesto make it bear more fruit. 3You have already been cleansedby the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide In me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that youbear much fruit and become my disciples. 9As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servantsany longer, because the servantdoes not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
What does Jesus tell us to do here?
1. “Abide” in Him. The underlying Greek tells us to endure, persist, not fall away from Him. That meaning is reinforced by the context of this instruction. Jesus had just delivered disturbing news and He knew His disciples were entering into a very trying time; He wants His disciples to stay on track in spite of what’s coming. The instruction Jesus gives here is similar to that given in Sirach 2, Sirach 4:11-19, and Sirach 6:18-31. Jesus is telling us to cling to, not abandon, Him.
2. “[A]sk” God for help in knowing and doing His will and for the things (emotional, material, relational) He wants us to do so. This instruction parallels that given in Sirach 2:17; Sirach 4:12, and James 1:5.
3. Strive to “‘bear’ ‘much’ ‘fruit.’” The Greek words used here connote intentional effort to bring forth a good result. Jesus is calling for focused effort to achieve good, good for and from Him. And given that He is instructing us to bear “much” fruit, this implies that such effort is not a one time or sometimes thing, but that it is an ongoing focus of our lives.
4. “’[B]ecome’ my ‘disciples.’” To intentionally progress toward learning and living Jesus’ teachings and taking on His nature/ways.
5. “[A]bide in my ‘love.’” To remember, accept, rely on Jesus’ affection and concern for us, the fact that He views us as His “friends.”
6. “‘[K]eep’ my ‘commandments.’” To revere and conscientiously seek to live out Jesus’ instructions, teachings, commands.
7. “[L]ove one another as I have loved you.” To prefer, have affection for, regard the welfare of, come to, serve, bless, strive to be with each other. The importance of this is instruction reinforced by the context in which it is given. The disciples were entering into a very harrowing time; they would need all the mutual support they could get in order to get through it and get done all that Jesus intended.
8. “[L]ay down’ one’s ‘life’ for one’s ‘friends.’” To intentionally and thoughtfully subordinate our desires, wishes, interests to those of the folks God has placed us in fellowship with.
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