The Source of Life

“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. When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” John 15:5,8

Every Christmas my daughter and I drive out to the local tree farm and walk up and down the rows for an hour or so until we find the perfect Christmas tree. When we bring the tree into our family home, it fills the entire house with the wonderful smell of fresh pine. However, despite our best efforts to keep water in the tree stand, soon the needles become dry and brittle and start to shed everywhere. Though it appears to be thriving, our Christmas tree is, well, dead. Actually, it was dead the day we brought it home. We will keep the decorations on for a few weeks, but once a tree is cut off from its source of life, it cannot thrive. It will eventually be tossed to the curb.  

Jesus describes our relationship with him as a vine and its branches. He is the vine, the source of life. And we are the branches that find our life in him. In order for us to live a fruitful life, we must remain connected to Him. If we are apart from Him, we may appear to be thriving. But if our source of life is not in Him, we will eventually dry up like the needles on that Christmas pine. “Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit,” Jesus says. They will thrive. This brings much glory to the Father.