Devotion for April 2, 2012

[Arendt Rebecca]

E-Devotions

I Am the Vine "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 As a boy, the only vines I knew about were the ones Tarzan swung on. I spent a fair amount of time trying to find similar ones where I lived, but to no avail. Of course, in this verse, Jesus is not talking about the vines that hang from trees. He is referring to grape vines, which would have been very common in Israel. This is another of the famous “I Am” passages in the Gospel of John. In each of these Jesus is self-descriptive, telling his disciples who he is and what that means to them. As the Bread of Life, he is sustainer. As the Vine, he is the source of life. He is the vine without which no one connected to him can live. It is through the vine that all the nutrients reach the branches. The source of all life for the branches flows through the vine. This is a very profound statement that Jesus is making. Apart from the vine, there is no life. Apart from Jesus, there is no spiritual life pleasing to God. During a heat wave, branches that are severed from trees will wilt and shrivel very fast. There are other times of the year when, for a day or two, it doesn’t seem to matter that the branch was cut off from its nutrients. They keep their bright green color and look vibrant, but it doesn’t last. Soon it will be evident that the branch has lost its source of life. Not only is the life of the branch cut off, but with that also any chance of bearing fruit is ended. Jesus promises his disciples that if they abide in him they will bear abundant fruit. Disconnected from Jesus disciples can do nothing. The vines that I played with had no fruit and were not very good for swinging. They had very little value. In my search for a swinging vine I found a different type, a wild grape vine. My search ended as I sat in the woods and enjoyed the fruit. Connected to Christ, our lives can produce fruit that is sweet and desirable. We become a place where others can rest, find shade from the heat, and enjoy pleasant fruit that gives life and energy. Stay connected to the Vine.       To order, please send $14.95 (plus 2.95 S&H) Click the "Buy Now" button to purchase using Paypal or send a check to: Russell Eggert Ministries 6 Marsham Drive Marlton, NJ 08053 (Please include shipping address) Copyright 2011 Russell Eggert Ministries

Change your subscription
Unsubscribe

Powered by Joobi