I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything. - John 15: 1-5 CEB
There’s a rap song by O.T. Genasis (featuring Young Dolph) entitled “Cut It.” One of my favorite lines in the chorus states “…You need to cut it.” Anyone who has heard O.T. Genasis’ song know it is about cutting something totally different than unfruitful branches. However, there are things in our lives that God needs to cut, remove, and/or trim so we can live in the fullness of our purpose.
I grew up watching my grandfather and my uncles provide tree-trimming services to various clients (Shout out to Tree Man II in the Metro Atlanta area!). I watched them climb multiple trees cutting branches, and sometimes entire trees, with ease and skill at what seemed like impossible heights. I looked at it as a source of income. However, as I grew older I understood why the tree branches needed to be removed and trimmed. Dead branches are unfruitful and jeopardize the health of the entire tree as they invite disease and unwanted insects to take up residence. Similarly, dead branches in our lives jeopardize our purpose, our joy, our effectiveness, as well as our spiritual, mental, and even physical health. Removing unfruitful branches and pruning healthy branches is essential to the life of the tree, and to the tree thriving and reaching its full potential. Just like the natural trees, there are things in our lives that need to be removed, trimmed, and pruned so we can produce more fruit and reach our full potential.
John 15:2 highlights two actions: (1) removing unfruitful branches, and (2) trimming fruitful branches so they can bear more fruit. Both actions involve cutting and enables us to produce more fruit, but the reasons for the cuttings are quite different. This devotional covers removing unfruitful branches, and next week I will cover trimming fruitful branches.
Jesus is the TRUE VINE
The primary emphasis of this text is on remaining (or abiding) in the vine. Jesus states that He is the true vine. The vine is the source of life for the branches. It provides the water and nutrients by which the grapes are produced. Branches are utterly dependent upon the vine, and without the vine, there could be no fruit. If you’re like me, you’ve tried to make other things the “vine” in your life. Those other things could be success, career, family, money, status, relationship, intellect, your hustle or grind, your plans, your own efforts, etc. However, none of those things can sustain you for the long term and enable you to produce fruit in all seasons. Only Jesus can.
Jesus desires greater fruitfulness for you
A lot of us suffer from “Just a” syndrome. We settle for just a job, just a relationship, just a life, or just a little bit of security. God does not want us to settle for just fruitfulness. It is His desire for us to bear much fruit. You were chosen to bear fruit. Jesus proclaims, “[m]y Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples. … You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” (John 15: 8, 16). Coby Martin, author and pastor of Sojourn Grace Collective, sums this up perfectly by stating:
In other words, you could say that when our lives are characterized by the fruits of the Spirit, when we come awake to the fullness of who we are, when we show love to others, ourselves, and to God, when we are genuinely making a difference in our efforts to break in God's Kingdom to earth like it is in Heaven, then the Creator of the Cosmos is honored and praised. … God's efforts to renew humanity, to reconcile Creation, are vindicated when our lives bear a lot of fruit. So then, to that end, God is keenly invested in the bringing about of much fruit in our lives. It's a classic win-win: we get to experience the abundant life, and God gets to demonstrate to a watching world what human flourishing looks like.
Jesus came so we could have life—indeed, so that we could live life to the fullest (John 10:10). He knows us so deeply and knows what we are truly capable of. We haven’t even touched the surface of our true potential and all we can do in God. As painful as it can be, the removal of unfruitful areas, things, and people is something that can take us from fruitfulness to greater fruitfulness. Henry and Richard Blackby describes sums this up perfectly in stating:
God is determined to remove anything that keeps you from experiencing Him to the fullest. If your commitment to your job is keeping you from obedience to Him, God will declare war against it. If a relationship, materialism, or a destructive activity is keeping you from obeying God’s will, He will wage war against it. (Experiencing God Day by Day)
Don’t get it twisted, “fruitful” is not synonymous with good deeds or worldly efforts and success. Also, just because something is “unfruitful” does not always mean that it is bad, but it does mean it is keeping you from reaching your full purpose. Not everything that is good to you is good for you. You know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:20). You know an apple tree is an apple tree when you see the tree bearing apples. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23.) We cannot see into the human heart, but we can see the fruit of a person’s life or the absence thereof.
Branch Removal is a process
There is a process involved in removing a tree branch. You don’t do it with just one cut. Proper trimming of a large tree involves three cuts: (1) Notch Cuts, (2) Relief Cuts, and (3) Final Cut. (“How to Trim Large Tree Branches,” https://todayshomeowner.com/how-to-trim-large-tree-branches/amp). The Notch Cut is an initial small notch to keep the bark from splitting when you make the next cut. Relief Cuts remove the weight of the branch, so the final cut can be made without the branch splitting and falling. The Bible’s charge for us to strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up (Hebrews 12:1) is like a Relief Cut. We can’t walk and run in our full purpose if we continue to carry that excess weight and baggage. The Final Cut removes the entire branch. An experienced tree trimmer will not make the Final Cut until the weight has been set aside. For some of us, God is waiting for us to allow Him to remove the weight so He can make that final cut.
Cuts hurt
In all 36 years of my life, I have yet to have a cut that did not hurt. Even the smallest paper cut can generate excruciating pain. Needless to say, cuts were not mean to be enjoyable. Many times when God has to remove habits, relationships, people, and roots from our lives it can be painful, especially when the object of removal is something we enjoy and don’t want to let go. For instance, most gyms are closed now due to COVID-19. Since I rarely go to the gym, removing that option to workout did not affect me. However, the removal of romantic relationships I wanted was devastating. Even though I knew why God removed them and understood that it was necessary, my knowledge and understanding didn’t make it any less painful. God knows what needs to be removed from our lives so we can be fruitful, reach our full potential, and most importantly, totally abide in Him.
Growth often means pain, and growth without pain is an oxymoron. However, if you continually abide in Jesus, ultimately the process will bring peace, joy, wisdom, purpose, and strength. God shows us Himself through suffering. I know it may be hard to hear these words, and I know from experience, that they are even harder to live. However, when lived, these words will transform your life.
Cuts requires healing
Cuts leave scars or wounds that needs to be healed. When you cut off a tree branch, the tree forms a special callous tissue (like a scar) that covers over the wound to keep out disease and decay. That scarred part of the tree will be there forever, sealed off so that the rest of the tree can keep growing.
The goods news is that you don’t have to heal alone.Just like the callous tissue, Jesus covers over our wounds. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). He will never leave us or forsake us and will be with us forever and always until the end of age (Deuteronomy 31: 8; Matthew 28:20). He provides protection so we can keep growing. We all have to grow and we cannot do it if we are stagnant. Strength grows through struggles, courage develops in challenges, and wisdom matures from wounds – Unknown.
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