I Am the Vine, Ye are the Branches

John 15 is a chapter of scripture that I believe we all really need to read often and ponder deeply.  It is a powerful reminder of what our place in the world is and how we must rely on the Savior completely.  On the one hand it helps to humble us to see that without Him we are nothing: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).  On the other hand, though, we see the incredible spiritual power we can have through Christ: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).  If we truly center our lives in the Savior, recognizing that our power to do anything rests in Him, we can have our prayers answered in a remarkable way.  But it all hinges on an understanding that without the Savior, we can do nothing of lasting importance. 

               One of the themes that stuck out to me today as I read through John 15 is that, even as followers of the Savior, we should expect difficulty on our path.  In just the second verse of the chapter we have this warning: “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”  In other words, if we don’t bring forth fruit—i.e. through righteous living—then we will eventually be “taken away”, certainly not the outcome we should be looking for.  We would expect the next statement to be an opposite thought, saying something about how those who do bear fruit will be blessed.  But that’s not what it says: if we bring forth fruit then we get “purged” in order to “bring forth more fruit.”  I see that as a kind of pruning that the Lord will do to us as we seek to follow Him.  We also are warned about the difficulty of following Him in these words of the chapter: “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).  Again instead of what we might expect—i.e. if we follow Him we will be spared from persecutions—we learn of the difficulties and dangers of walking the disciples’ path. 

               Ultimately, though, this sermon is filled with hope for the disciple.  We are told that we can “bring forth much fruit” as we abide in Him, and that He loves us and we can “continue in [His] love” as we keep the commandments.  Not only can we have His love but we can be His friends.  We also learn that the purpose of the Savior’s words is that our “joy may be full,” despite those difficulties we will face as followers of Christ.  The Savior also promised “the Comforter” to come to us, which will bear witness of the Father and the Son.  These are the great blessings that we can receive from the Lord as we seek to truly abide in Him and depend fully on Him.