John 15:5 - The 7th I AM Statement of Jesus; I AM the Vine!
John 15:5 (ESV) I am the vine; you are the
branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is
that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can
do nothing.
John 15:5 (NLT) Yes, I am the vine; you are
the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in
them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me
you can do nothing.
John 15:5 (CEV) I am the vine, and you are
the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I
stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of
fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.
John 15:5 (MSG) I am the Vine, you are the
branches. When you're joined with me and I with you,
the relation intimate and organic, the harvest
is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't
produce a thing.
INTRODUCTION
Twenty-three times in all we find our
Lord's meaningful "I AM" in the Greek text of this
Gospel 4:26; 6:20, 35, 41, 48, 51; 8:12, 18, 24,
28, 58; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6;
15:1, 5; 18:5, 6, 8). In several of these, He
joins His "I AM" with seven tremendous metaphors
which are expressive of His saving relationship
toward the world.
"I AM the Bread of life" (6:35, 41, 48,
51).
"I AM the Light of the world" (8:12).
"I AM the Door of the sheep" (10:7, 9).
"I AM the Good Shepherd" (10:11, 14).
"I AM the Resurrection and the Life"
(11:25).
"I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life"
(14:6).
"I AM the true Vine" (15:1, 5).
[MacArthur Daily Bible 2003]
COMMENTARY PEARLS
How Do I Have a Quiet Time?
Im a new Christian who is trying to
figure out how to grow closer to God. Friends tell
me I need to have a quiet time with God each
day, but I cant figure out exactly what to
do.
Denalyn and I like to go to the same
restaurants over and over again. You could call our
dates predictable, but for us they are special. We
like the food. We like the servers. We like the
atmosphere. When were there, we remember special
moments weve shared before. Our hearts open up
we lose track of time because were
comfortable in that place. We talk to each other, listen
to each other, laugh, and cry. I love those
times!
A quiet time with God is very similar to
a date. Here are some tools to help you keep
your very special date with God.
Decide on a regular time and place.
Select a slot in your schedule and a corner of your
world, and claim it for God. A familiar place will
remind you of similar feelings you experienced
before with God. You need to get comfortable.
How much time should you take? As much as
you need. Value quality over quantity. Your time
with God should last long enough for you to say
what you want and for God to say what he wants.
You should bring on your date an open
Bible - Gods Word, his love letter to you. You
wont necessarily hear God speak out loud, but you
can hear what he has to say through his eternal
dialogue with humanity.
You also need a listening heart. Dont
forget the admonition from James: The man who
looks into the perfect mirror of Gods law, the
law of liberty, and makes a habit of so doing,
is not the man who sees and forgets. He puts
that law into practice and he wins true
happiness (James 1:25 Phillips). Listen to the lover
of your soul. Dont just nod your head,
pretending to hear. Your date knows when youre
engaged.
So does God. Just as you wouldnt miss
your date with a loved one, claiming you were too
busy, make sure your date with God is on the
calendar, and do everything in your power to keep it
special. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at
maxlucado.com]
Practicing the Presence
How do I live in Gods presence? How do
I detect his unseen hand on my shoulder and
his inaudible voice in my ear? A sheep grows
familiar with the voice of the shepherd. How can you
and I grow familiar with the voice of God? Here
are a few ideas:
Give God your waking thoughts. Before you
face the day, face the Father. Before you step
out of bed, step into his presence. I have a
friend who makes it a habit to roll out of his bed
onto his knees and begin his day in prayer.
Personally, I dont get that far. With my head still
on the pillow and my eyes still closed, I offer
God the first seconds of my day. The prayer is
not lengthy and far from formal. Depending on
how much sleep I got, it may not even be
intelligible. Often its nothing more than Thank you
for a nights rest. I belong to you today.
Give God your waiting thoughts. Spend
time with him in silence. The mature married
couple has learned the treasure of shared silence;
they dont need to fill the air with constant
chatter. Just being together is sufficient. Try being
silent with God. Be still, and know that I am
God (Ps. 46:10 NIV). Awareness of God is a fruit
of stillness before God.
Give God your whispering thoughts.
Through the centuries Christians have learned the
value of brief sentence prayers, prayers that can
be whispered anywhere, in any setting.
Imagine considering every moment as a
potential time of communion with God. By giving God
your whispering thoughts, the common becomes
uncommon. Simple phrases such as Thank you,
Father, Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord,
You are my resting place, Jesus can turn a
commute into a pilgrimage. You neednt leave your
office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where
you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or
the classroom a chapel. Give God your whispering
thoughts.
And last, give God your waning thoughts.
At the end of the day, let your mind settle on
him. Conclude the day as you began it: talking to
God. Thank him for the good parts. Question him
about the hard parts. Seek his mercy. Seek his
strength. And as you close your eyes, take assurance
in the promise: He who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep (Ps. 121:4
NIV). If you fall asleep as you pray, dont
worry. What better place to doze off than in the
arms of your Father. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional
at maxlucado.com]
COMMENTARY
Four Habits to Rest in Gods Goodness
How do you rest in Gods goodness? How
do you experience the abundant life he has for
you?
Here are four daily habits that will help
move you from overwhelmed to overflowing.
1. Stay connected to Jesus every day.
I am the vine, and you are the
branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined
to you, then you will produce lots of fruit.
But you cannot do anything without me (John
15:5 CEV).
If you try to go through life on your own
power, youre going to be overwhelmed. A toaster
cannot fulfill its purpose unless its plugged in
to the power. You cannot fulfill your purpose
and enjoy Gods goodness unless youre
plugged in to his power.
2. Replace your complaining with
gratefulness.
Do everything without complaining and
arguing (Philippians 2:14 NLT).
Science has proven that complaining and
practicing gratitude both have an impact on your
health. Complaining is a deeply unhealthy emotion.
On the other hand, studies have shown that
gratitude is the healthiest emotion. It produces
serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin in your brain - those
are the chemicals that boost happiness and lower
stress.
3. Stop being stingy, and start being
generous.
Bring the full amount of your tithes
to the Temple, so that there will be plenty of
food there. Put me to the test and you will see
that I will open the windows of heaven and pour
out on you in abundance all kinds of good
things (Malachi 3:10 GNT).
God wired a universal law into the world:
The more you give away, the more youre going
to get. He did that because he wants you to
become more like him. God is a giver. Everything we
have is the gift of Gods generosity. The more
generous you are, the more God is going to bless you
in every single area of your life. Your life
will overflow!
4. Stop comparing, and start being
content.
It is better to be content with what
little you have. Otherwise, you will always be
struggling for more, and that is like chasing the
wind (Ecclesiastes 4:6 NCV).
Contentment is not abandoning your
ambition. You ought to have ambition. You ought to
make the most of what God has given you.
Contentment doesnt mean you dont have any goals,
dreams, or plans for your life. Contentment simply
means you dont need more in order to be happy.
Youre happy right now with what youve been
given. Contentment means your happiness doesnt
depend upon circumstances; it depends upon God, the
Good Shepherd who has blessed you with every good
gift.
By nature, we are discontent. But by
Gods grace, we can rest content in his goodness
to us. When you grasp that most things in your
life are simply gracious gifts from God, your
life will go from overwhelming to overflowing.
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
CLOSING THOUGHT
"I am the true vine. Isaiah once told a
parable about Israel being a vineyard and My Father
being disappointed in the fruit, but I want you to
know that I am the true Israel. I came to
represent everyone My Father has ever called to be His
own. Everything He wanted His people to be, I am.
You never have to worry about fruitlessness if
you let Me live in you.
"That's what branches do: they sit on the
vine. Did you really think you had to strain and
strive to eke out some semblance of fruit? What
would your efforts accomplish that My Father
needs? Yes, He appreciates the heart behind your
effort, but He appreciates even more your awareness
that without Me, you can do nothing. When you
rest in Me and let Me live in you, fruitfulness
will happen. I will spill out of you and affect
those around you. I call you to be before I ever
urge you to do. Whatever it takes, you must learn
to be in Me and let Me be in you.
"I don't want you to ask me how to do
that. Any words I can say about 'how' will cause
you to shift into self-effort to make it happen.
What I'm telling you instead is simple but
difficult. Though it isn't complicated, it goes against
the human nature you have been steeped in since
birth. I want you to meditate on Me by faith to
envision My life flowing through your legs and out of
your feet, through your arms and out of your
hands, through your heart, into your head, and out
of your mouth. Hold that image in your mind.
Then go live. That's it. Trust Me and see. I am
the life that flows through you."
Jesus, tune me to Your flow. Fill my mind
and heart with a picture of Your life within me.
And please bear much fruit for Your glory. [The
One Year Experiencing Gods Presence
Devotional by Chris Tiegreen re vs. 1, 5]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
John 15:4, 5 - The Crucial and Vital
Relationship With Christ.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20170915-0913.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio (currently live):
https://bible.awr.org/the-warning/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
