John 15:5

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”  The vine is where all the nutrients come from for the branches. I will draw a parallel using this verse and Matthew 28:18b-20a, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;” We cannot go anywhere or do anything without Christ in us and the Holy Spirit power moving through us, just as the branches cannot thrive and have leaves showing that it is alive without being connected to the vine. In the parable of the fig tree Matthew 24:32, “When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.” The branch puts forth leaves showing it is alive, but there is no fruit yet. We don’t send new converts out to make disciples because they have not abided in Christ long enough for the Word to abide in them (see Matthew 15:7a). When we go to make disciples of all nations, we need to have the direction of the Father, the provision of the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit in us so we can produce that in them. Just as a tree can bear bad fruit because of the lack of nutrients from the roots, we can produce weak Christians if we don’t give them the nutrients from the Word to help them grow. This is SOooo important that we understand this before we try to help others understand it, so they can go and bear fruit (making disciples). When we abide in Christ and His Word abides in us, we will bear much fruit and by this, my brothers and sisters, the “Father is glorified” (John 15:8). Are you abiding in the Word enough to bear good fruit? How about bearing much fruit?