These are wonderful chapters of John's gospel. In the thirteenth chapter Christ shows himself as the one who will keep on cleansing us as we need it. In the fourteenth chapter he speaks words of comfort and tells of his coming again. In the fifteenth chapter Christ is the vine and we are the branches - part of that vine. Could he give us any clearer picture of how close we are to himself? Christ did not say. 'I am the root, you are the branches'. He said, 'I am the vine, the whole vine. I am everything and you are part of me.' Isn't that a wonderful truth? So that the branch can bear the fruit of the vine, it must be open to allow the sap of the vine to flow through it. Then there will be fruit. How does that apply to us? Our Lord uses the word 'abide'. It can mean to 'remain in a certain place' but in verse 10 Christ clearly says that to obey him is to abide in him. It means to remain in uninterrupted fellowship with Christ. We can only know his continued fellowship as we obey his words and do those things that please him. Christ also called us his disciples, learners or followers (v.8). But what does he say about us as disciples? He tells us that as the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of sacrificial service is seen in our lives, God will be glorified. Isn't that what Christ was and always is most interested in? That was his continual motive. One final question. Is the glory of God always our one desire or is our own glory what we want tall too often? A PRAYER: Lord teach me how to obey your Word day by day so that I may truly abide in you.
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