More Than Just a Story - the Book of Johnنموونە

Jesus gives us a simple but powerful picture: "I am the vine, and you are the branches." Just like a branch can’t survive on its own, we can’t grow or bear fruit if we are disconnected from Him. A branch that isn’t attached to the vine withers, dries up, and eventually dies. But a branch that stays connected? It thrives, grows strong, and produces fruit.

Jesus is telling us that He is the source of life. When we stay connected to Him—through prayer, reading His Word, and connecting with one another—our lives will naturally produce the things (fruit) He desires: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But if we try to live in our own strength, apart from Him and apart from others, we will struggle. Jesus says, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.”

This isn't an exaggeration or hyperbole for effect. Just as a branch that is cut off is incapable of producing fruit, when we are cut off from Jesus, we are incapable of producing the things that come from Him.

At the heart of this passage is love. Everything flows from love because God Himself is love. Jesus tells us, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” His love is not based on what we do or how well we perform—it is constant, steady, and unshakable.

And then Jesus gives us a command: “Love each other as I have loved you.” He isn’t talking about the kind of love that comes and goes, that’s based on feelings or convenience. He’s talking about a deep, sacrificial, and selfless love—the kind of love He showed when He laid down His life for us.

Loving others isn’t always easy. People can be difficult, relationships can be messy, and life can be hard. But when we remain connected to Jesus, His love flows through us. We don’t have to love others in our own strength—we can love them with the love that comes from God.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it perfectly: “It is not the fruit that makes the branch good, but the abiding in Christ that produces the fruit. The command to love one another is inseparable from the command to abide in Christ, for apart from Him, love is impossible.”

We can’t manufacture real, lasting love on our own. Love that reflects Christ comes only when we stay connected to Him. The closer we are to Jesus, the more His love overflows in our lives.

Jesus makes it clear that love is not just a suggestion; it’s a command. “This is my command: Love each other.” Not when it’s easy. Not when it’s convenient. But always. Love each other!

When we remain in Him, we will grow, we will thrive, and we will see love in our lives. The closer we stay to Jesus, the more His love will seep into our words, our actions, and our relationships.

Are you actively staying connected to Jesus, the true vine, through prayer, Scripture, and time with Him and other followers of Jesus? If not, what is one step you can take today to abide in Him more fully?

In what ways have you been trying to produce fruit—like love, patience, or kindness—on your own strength? How can you shift your focus from striving to abiding in Christ?

Who in your life is God calling you to love with His kind of selfless, sacrificial love, even if it feels difficult? How can you rely on Him to love them through you?