A Wonderful Invitation: Abide in Me!

When I was growing up in Monsey, NY (about 40 miles north of New York City), we had a home with a about ¼ of an acre of property. When we moved there in 1963 there were a number of fruit trees in our backyard: a cherry tree, an Italian plum tree, and a pear tree.  As people who had come out of the city, my parents didn’t really know how to properly take care of fruit trees. Thus, over time a branch would die here and there, and my dad would have to cut it off. Then, another branch would die, and my dad would cut it off.  After a few years, there was really nothing left and the whole tree had to be cut down. Such was the case for the cherry tree and the plum tree.  The pear tree, however, had a bit of a different history. 

For quite a number of years our pear tree survived with but one major branch yet alive. Every other year it would produce a bountiful harvest of fruit. Those were great years. During the in-between years, however, it would produce but one or two pears.  Sadly, after a number of years, it too began to stop producing any fruit at all as that final branch began to die as well.  Soon that final branch, along with the whole of the tree, had to be cut down. 

These are the kinds of pears that grew on our tree!

In John 15, Jesus gives the illustration of the vine and its branches to highlight the importance of abiding in him. He says, “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. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”  (John 15:5-6 – ESV)  

Notice that in these verses there’s a wonderful invitation as well as an important warning.  The invitation is to abide in Christ—i.e. to connect ourselves so deeply to Jesus that his life, by his Spirit, is able to flow into us. Think of it! Jesus invites us to live our lives in such a way that we are in him and he is in us!  It’s a way of speaking about a depth of relationship wherein we are constantly aware of his presence at work within our lives.  And the result is, we will bear fruit—even much fruit (vs. 8).  The warning is, if we will not live our lives in that way, we will be cut off from him; for if we are not abiding in him, our spiritual lives will begin to wither and die.

Andrew Murray, in his book “Abide In Christ” notes that Jesus’ first invitation to his disciples was, “Follow me.” He goes on to say, “When about to leave for heaven, He gave them a new word in which their more intimate and spiritual union should be expressed. That chosen word was: Abide in me.”  It’s a wonderful invitation. 

So, I want to encourage us today to accept Jesus’ invitation to live our lives deeply and wholly connected to him. After all, it is only in him and through him that we will be able to live lives  that will bless those around us, bring glory to God the Father, and fill our hearts with the joy and satisfaction that comes by living a life filled with good fruit!   

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris