A wee message of Joy
Sometimes, when you’ve had a tough few days, you just need to hear some good news don’t you?!!
It was a tough day:
- Jesus had been talking to the disciples at the last supper about his impending death:
- He was going to be leaving them
- He was going to be betrayed
- He was going to die
How must the disciples have felt when they heard this? When Judas got up and walked out? When Peter who adamantly claimed he would follow Jesus no matter what was told he would deny even knowing Jesus before the end of the night? They were no doubt confused and scared.
But Jesus wanted to reassure them and encourage them
In John 15:11 He says “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Jesus’ joy in us?
Our joy complete?
This must be good news!!
What is it he says that will bring them such joy in the midst of their confusion?
Here’s what he says:
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
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. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and 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 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Jesus is God - the perfect man, the great “I am”
Jesus is the true vine – unlike Israel in the Old Testament, He bears fruit in our lives.
God is the gardener, tenderly caring for us and pruning us to be more fruitful.
Jesus calls us to remain or "abide" in him;
Abiding means being connected, nourished, fed by Jesus in his word.
It means being in a love relationship with him, and with the father, who works in us to produce more fruit.
It means being called friends and not servants.
And it connects us to one another in love.
Do join us on Wednesday night at Women to Women as we explore this chapter more and talk about how we abide and how abiding affects our prayer lives.
Women to Women starts at 7:30pm in the church santuary, but why not pop in earlier for a cup of tea and some fellowship.
