Thanks Julie and Tammy. Many wonderful and also deep things in this chapter. Thanks for thinking and for questioning. I was just engaged in a conversation with someone about questioning. I think questioning is wonderful especially when we question with a real attitude to understand. When we acknowledge that our mind is limited and that God's ways are beyond our ways, then God can reveal Himself little by little to us. Our lack of understanding doesn't change the character of God but the character of God can change our understanding. This next week is a really fun passage - I hope you all get a chance to read and consider.
Jesus is telling His disciples that His leaving has a purpose. Jesus must die and rise again in order for His disciples (and us) to have eternal life in heaven with Him. His leaving may produce pain but it has a great and wonderful purpose! He isn’t asking the disciples to understand it – He is asking them to trust Him. When the disciples ask “the way” there – Jesus doesn’t tell them the literal way but tells them that He is the avenue to get there. Doesn’t this typify many events in our life? There are times when things are scary – when we are confused or afraid. Jesus doesn’t always allow us to understand but we must trust Him – trust that there is a purpose and trust that He would not leave anything undone. Jesus knows things that I don’t and I need to trust Him – I may not know the literal way but I know THE WAY.
I was really struck by the interaction between the words love and obedience. It says that if I love God, I will obey and if I obey, I love Him…..then it also says that God will “show himself” to those who love and obey. This is a little confusing to me….but I think being a parent helps me understand it a little more. I feel loved when my children obey me – because they have faith in me, respect me etc. And vice-versa – I can love (actively not emotionally) my children more when they obey me. Of course I love them unconditionally when love is an emotion or a commitment but I can actively love on them or bless them or move to a new level of relationship with them when they obey me. When I obey God I can experience much more of Him. The path to knowing and experiencing God is to give up myself and obey God – to yield to Him, to obey Him, to trust Him etc. Obedience requires me knowing what He is telling me – I can only know that if I am reading the bible, praying, listening to the Holy Spirit etc.
This week we will do John chapter 15. I love the Vine and Branches analogy and want to spend most of the time this week just thinking about the different characters mentioned and the first 4 verses of this chapter. Think about the roles and the characteristics of the vine, the gardener and the branch. Think about the fruit.
A word about the cutting off of branches that have no fruit….these are not Christians who aren’t living a certain way. These are non-Christians….or people who go through the motions of believing but don’t really believe…or as one commentary said, people who “profess” but don’t “possess.”
Notice that the word “remain” or “abide” is mentioned 11 times in this chapter. Think about what this word means.
We did a small group study years ago on the concept of abiding in Christ- it was very impactful for. I wish I could remember the name of the book because I would recommend it to all of you. I'll try to find it. Anyway.....one evening we were saying, "just try to imagine how different our lives would be if we were truly abiding in Christ all the time." Think of it- our thoughts, emotions, actions, speech, all of it preceeded with Christ at the focus and all of it done in communion with him. The constant knowledge of his presence would change so much- my attitudes, words, anxiety, etc, etc, etc would be drastically affected. Now, in this life, in our sinful nature and state, I don't think it's possible to achieve this level of abiding. But I want it!!! :) I know that I can be a lot closer than I am though, by being much more dependent on the Lord, and much less independent and self absorbed. A branch is dead without dependence on the vine and all the nourishment and care that comes with it. When I am not dependent on Christ, the fruit will not be good, ripe, nourishing fruit.
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