Reading Plan: 

John 15:1-17  

Simple Is Not Always Easy 

Author: Ben Wade 

The Book of John, written by John the apostle, son of Zebedee, makes it clear that Jesus is not just a man, He is the eternal Son of God. Yet, how often are you and I guilty of casually tossing around His words and going about living our own way? In Chapters 2-12, we see the message and ministry of Jesus. We see Jesus meeting with individuals, preaching to great crowds, training His disciples, and debating with religious leaders. Of the eight miracles recorded in the Gospels, six are unique to the Book of John.  

Our passage today takes us to John 15:1-17. The first thing that I notice as I flip the pages of my Bible to chapter 15 is all the red letters. The red letters tell me that these are the words of Jesus! In Chapter 13, Jesus washes the feet of His disciples, as well as shares the Last Supper with them. After the Last Supper, Jesus goes into a time of teaching His disciples. This is so cool! Jesus knows what He is about to face. He knows that one close to Him, whose feet He had just washed, whom He had shared a meal with (not to mention the last three years), is about to betray Him. Jesus knows He is facing a torturous death on the cross, but He is still intentional and engaged in teaching His disciples.  

This brings us to Chapter 15. I specifically want to hang out on verse 5.  

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5  

“Remain in Me.” That is the command from Jesus. Simple, right?  

 One thing that I am realizing about us as people is that we are so smart that we tend to dismiss simple. If it seems simple, it must not be effective. So often this is our default mindset. But, let’s be clear. Simple does not mean easy.  

Back to the command: “Remain in Me.” I am currently reading Live No Lies by John Mark Comer, and I think it answers the question of how we remain in Christ. 

“Attention is the beginning of devotion. The starting place of devotion to God and movement into His Kingdom is simply to set our attention on His Spirit and Truth.  

So, here it comes, here’s the secret: Spend time in quiet prayer and scripture upon waking each day. (If you are reading this devotion, you are off to a good start! Keep it up!) Recently a friend of mine shared with me that the single most impactful decision he has made this year was to buy a desk and sit at it each morning while he reads his Bible.  

The Goal of reading scripture is not information but spiritual formation. To take on the mind of Christ, to think as Jesus thinks. To fill our minds with the thoughts of God. It rewires your brain, and from there, your whole person.  

Jesus tells us in verse 4, “No branch can bear fruit by itself: it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit, unless you remain in me.”  

Reflection:  

• What is preventing you from starting each day with quiet prayer and scripture?  
• Identify a time and place for you to start your day each day with prayer and scripture.  
• Don’t take this journey alone. Who in your circle do you need to bring alongside you? Hold each other accountable, encourage each other, and share what God is showing you as you spend time in His word.  
• Prayer: God, thank You for being the Giver of life. Your word is clear, if we remain in You, You will remain in us, and we will bear much fruit. Lord, help us to establish rhythms and habits of reading Your word daily and turning our attention to Your Spirit and truth. Amen.  

Family Application: The True Vine 

Author: Jana Whittington  

• Today’s passage is from the book of John. This book is one of the Gospels, and it’s in the New Testament. Here, Jesus teaches us about the vine and the branches. Let’s dig a little deeper so we can better understand what Jesus means when He says, “I am the true vine.” Ok, picture a tree. Jesus is the trunk and the roots of the tree. The branches are all connected to the tree or the vine. If you break off a branch from a pear tree, will pears continue to grow off of that branch? Of course not! The branch cannot grow fruit unless it is attached to the tree or the vine.  
• Jesus is the vine! Who do you think the branches are? We are the branches! And we can only grow fruit when we are attached and connected to Jesus! Now, let’s talk about the fruit. What fruit is Jesus talking about? Fruit is great! It is sweet, and it’s good for you! Fruit is the good stuff that comes out of your life when you love and follow Jesus. We have to be connected to Jesus, the true vine, so we can produce good fruit. 
• Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” This is a good checklist for us all. Jesus wants us to grow and produce good fruit. He wants us to love others as He loved us! And Jesus will help us grow when we stay connected to Him. 
• Prayer: God, thank You for teaching me! Thank You for loving me! Help me to show love to others! Help me to grow and to stay connected to You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.