Daily Devotions
John
John 15: 1-17 "ANOTHER IMPORTANT TOPIC"
Day 210 – John 15
ANOTHER IMPORTANT TOPIC
There was so little time left. Jesus still had much to say to His beloved Disciples. He had done all He could to prepare them for what lay ahead. He knew that His Disciples, though they loved Him, would be scattered. They would be running for their lives, cowed by the show of Roman military might employed against Jesus.
Jesus had sought to forewarn them of His soon demise. But the topic was so over-wrought with human emotions, that the Disciples could not absorb all that Jesus sought to teach them. As Jesus closed the discussion of one subject, after a short while, He opened up another important topic. And once again, the brilliance of Jesus as a Master-Teacher shone brightly.
IMAGERY AFTER EFFECTIVE IMAGERY
Jesus was a true Master-Teacher. One of the most effective ways in which He sought to teach His Disciples (and the multitudes too) was to encapsulate what He had taught in the form of simple but deeply profound statements. These statements have been noticed by Biblical scholars and are often called, “The Seven I Am’s”.
Let’s make a list of these special statements.
1. “I am the Bread of Life” John 6:48
Another variation saw Jesus saying,
“I am the Bread which came down from heaven”
John 6:41 (John 6:58)
2. “I am the Light of the World” John 8:12
Jesus made an application of this statement in this text.
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world”
John 9:5
3. “I am the door of the sheep” John 10:7 (John 10:9)
4. “I am the good Shepherd” John 10:11
Jesus made a number of applications of this statement. Let us consider two others:-
“The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
John 10:11b
(John 10:15b)
“I am the good Shepherd and I know My sheep,
and am known by My own”
John 10:14
5. “I am the Resurrection and the Life” John 11:25
6. “I am the Way, the Truth, and The Life” John 14:6
7. “I am the true Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser” John 15:1
PROFOUND TRUTHS FOUND IN EACH STATEMENT
The words Jesus used to encapsulate the doctrines He taught were simple ones. Even if a person were to be illiterate, he could still understand the rudimentary ideas of what Jesus sought to communicate. However, His words hid many profound truths which only the diligent and faithful would discover and fathom.
At any point of time, each of these Seven Statements carried powerful messages:-
1. There was a Message of the Promise of Salvation.
2. There was a Message that Probed the hearer’s Relationship with Jesus.
3. There was a Message that Provoked the heart to examine itself.
4. There was a Message that Produced definite results, or fruit!
APPLICATION OF THESE PRINCIPLES
Jesus had now come to the last of the series of statements beginning with the words, “I am”. Soon, He would be leaving His Disciples. His work on earth was coming to an end soon. He couldn’t have chosen a better phrase to end this series of profound statements. He said,
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.”
John 15:1
Let us try and apply the four principles mentioned above to this statement.
1. It was a statement involving salvation. A true believer is one who is vitally linked to the Vine, as a branch.
2. This statement probed the relationship of each individual believer to Jesus. Was there a relationship in the first place?
3. The thinking disciple would certainly be provoked to examine his heart. What kind of a relationship did he have with Jesus?
4. The believer would know where Jesus was coming from when He spoke, using the imagery of the vine. He was expecting fruit from all who professed faith in Him. If there were true faith and a healthy relationship with Jesus, then fruit would follow. Fruit would be the natural outcome of a healthy relationship with Jesus.
BELIEF IN JESUS IS A DYNAMIC AND LIVING RELATIONSHIP
Jesus never taught the concept of a “passive faith”. Unfortunately, many today seem to be contented with a mere verbal expression of faith, and little more! How we must be provoked within our soul to re-consider our understanding of what it means to speak of having faith in Jesus as our Saviour! Few things are as critically important as the examining of our hearts with reference to true salvation in Jesus.