“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.“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.If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
-John 15:1-8 NKJV
Recently we came upon this portion of scripture in the 30 day My New Life Scripture Writing Plan. That caused me to remember an old post I’d written. So I took it out and dusted it off because I think we might need a reminder today. Or maybe just I do 🙂
So much in this portion of scripture to study and apply to our lives!
Jesus is speaking to us as much today as He was when He said those words to the disciples.
If, and only if, we are truly abiding in the Vine will there be fruit. Notice we do not make the fruit but we are bearing the fruit. As branches, we are displaying or holding the fruit. Picture anything that has the purpose of displaying something else. When you look at a vine full of fruit you will notice the fruit, not the branch that is holding the fruit.
Keeping this in mind should help us be quick to give all glory to God.
Let’s live each day seeking to bring attention to Jesus, not ourselves!
Are you interested in studying more about vines, branches and fruit? I suggest you get a copy of Beth Moore’s book Chasing Vines. I happened to read it just as the Pandemic started and it was so very timely. The book has a major focus on how we are to thrive even though the circumstances are difficult, details about pruning, and so much more. I did not read it for review but am suggesting it because it’s a good choice for delving deeper into the subject.
We don’t seem to take much note of this important day each year. It seems lost between the Resurrection and Pentecost. I do wonder why we don’t put more focus on the Ascension.
What an amazing time the disciples were experiencing with Jesus after His resurrection! They must have eagerly listened as He taught them. Jesus spent time preparing them for His departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The time was approaching quickly when the disciples would be sent on the mission to share Jesus with all the world.
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” – Acts 1:9-11
In his book, Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions, Timothy Keller writes “At the ascension, Jesus leaves the space-time continuum and passes into the presence of the Father. He is still human, still our second Adam . . . and still our Advocate—yet now he has been so glorified that everything he does has a cosmic scope . . . any time-space limitation passes away.”
Today Jesus is continuously present with us through the Holy Spirit and He is also present in Heaven. He is King over all always!
Let us be included with all those who have loved and yearned for and welcomed His appearing and His glorious Return! (see 2 Timothy 4:8)
And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. – 1 John 2:28
What exactly bothered Martha about Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus?
I hope you take some time to ponder this and other questions that come to mind in this study. Sometimes we are quick to listen to someone explain when we are actually well equipped to read and learn on our own. If you are a believer you are not alone because Jesus is present with you. The same Jesus that spoke to Martha is with you today. Pray that you will see and understand what Jesus has for you to learn as you dig into the story of Martha and Mary.
Please read the passage again and then share your answer about what was bothering Martha.
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.Butone thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
We already saw in Part 1 that Martha’s upset was no slight irritation but the overflow of a deeper problem. The way she spoke to Jesus suggests the possibility that she was not only disturbed by the many things and what her sister was doing but she may have even been upset with Jesus.
Martha was in an agitated state when she observed her sister sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Sitting at the master’s feet was the place of a student
The fact that Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus made it absolutely clear that she was a devoted disciple.
I am well aware that it is not popular in today’s culture to say outright that Martha was wrong. But she was. I’m not sure why so many who write about Martha seem to feel compelled to defend her.
Jesus corrected Martha and heartily approved of Mary’s choice. There was nothing vague about the response that Jesus gave to Martha.
Martha must have been taken by surprise when Jesus answered her. What do you think she might have felt and thought about what Jesus said?
Let’s dive a little deeper into the upset about Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Most of us grew up with the line that Martha was the active type and Mary the passive or contemplative type, and that Jesus is simply affirming the importance of both and even the priority of devotion to him. That devotion is undoubtedly part of the importance of the story, but far more obvious to any first-century reader, and to many readers in Turkey, the Middle East and many other parts of the world to this day would be the fact that Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet within the male part of the house rather than being kept in the back rooms with the other women. This, I am pretty sure, is what really bothered Martha; no doubt she was cross at being left to do all the work, but the real problem behind that was that Mary had cut clean across one of the most basic social conventions. It is as though, in today’s world, you were to invite me to stay in your house and, when it came to bedtime, I were to put up a camp bed in your bedroom. We have our own clear but unstated rules about whose space is which; so did they. And Mary has just flouted them. And Jesus declares that she is right to do so. She is ‘sitting at his feet’; a phrase which doesn’t mean what it would mean today, the adoring student gazing up in admiration and love at the wonderful teacher. As is clear from the use of the phrase elsewhere in the NT (for instance, Paul with Gamaliel), to sit at the teacher’s feet is a way of saying you are being a student, picking up the teacher’s wisdom and learning; and in that very practical world you wouldn’t do this just for the sake of informing your own mind and heart, but in order to be a teacher, a rabbi, yourself. Like much in the gospels, this story is left cryptic as far as we at least are concerned, but I doubt if any first-century reader would have missed the point. – N. T. Wright
Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel (see Acts 22:3)
Jesus said “Mary has chosen”
Chosen is not difficult for us to understand. It means to choose, select, choose for oneself.
So there was a choice, an option and it was available to Martha as well as Mary.
What did Mary choose?
We have the same choice today. It does not matter what your gifts, talents, interests, personality traits are— it is a choice
This relationship is offered and available to followers of Jesus but not forced upon anyone.
Whole-hearted devotion and a life of discipleship or something less? The choice is yours.
The next time the Bible mentions the sisters is found in John 11:1-11
Don’t skip reading that important portion of scripture! I am not covering it at all in this study. But please don’t miss it!
Let’s close this study by reading another time Jesus comes to visit in John 12:1-8
Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,“Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
But Jesus said, “Let her alone;she has kept this for the day of My burial.Forthe poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” -John 12:1-8 NKJV
(The anointing at Bethany is a subject worthy of a separate study but we will touch on it briefly here as it is relevant to the current study of Martha and Mary)
Notice that Martha is again serving but perhaps not overwhelmed by the activity like she was before. I like to think that this time she chose to serve something simple prepared in advance allowing undistracted time with Jesus.
Jesus was again approving of Mary and defending her actions.
Mary is again quietly keeping her focus on Jesus. As a devoted disciple, she had listened, learned and believed what Jesus taught. She had followed His teaching so closely that her belief spilled over into this worshipful act of anointing Jesus.
What do you notice about Mary in this portion of scripture?
What is Jesus saying to you through these verses in Luke 10:38-42 and John 12:1-8?
Please share your comments below
Here is a blog post that contains some practical help for living daily as a devoted disciple of Jesus – Constant Prayer
In John 6:1-15 we read about Jesus, the disciples, and a large crowd of hungry people. Jesus provides a meal for all the people even though the only food available was 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. There is so much in this account to study and savor. However, this post is going to be about what happened next. Jesus invited me to linger with Him recently in John 6:16-21. He gently brought to my mind some points that I hadn’t noticed before.
The disciples had finished gathering 12 baskets full of leftover bread and fish pieces. Don’t you wonder what they must have felt like as they pondered the miracle they had just witnessed? They didn’t just witness the miracle but Jesus had allowed them to actually be a part of what happened. Imagine being one of the crew cleaning up after this picnic. Well, we could easily stay here, but let’s move onto the evening and see what happens next.
We know from John 6:15 that Jesus had gone to the mountain alone. We find the disciples at the sea.
Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles,they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. – John 6:16-21
Do you find it perplexing that the disciples would leave without Jesus? John does not tell us but in Matthew 14 and Mark 6 we read that Jesus had instructed the disciples to leave.
Picture yourself at the scene. Would you quickly jump in the boat with the disciples or desire to stay behind with Jesus?
When I imagine myself at the scene, I am reluctant to leave Jesus. I want to stay and wait for Jesus to return or maybe He even invites me to be with Him on the mountain. I certainly don’t think I would be eager to join the group in the boat. Or would I?
What about me now, today? Do I wait or do I rush ahead? I’m sorry to say that there have been many times that I didn’t wait for Jesus.
Back to the disciples
They ventured out onto the sea after dark, rowed for miles and the wind was blowing hard. The disciples struggled in their own strength when they had to make the trip without Jesus. So different from just a few hours earlier when they were basking in the afterglow of a miracle.
Have you had this kind of experience after proceeding without Jesus? I sure have.
But then Jesus
At first, the disciples are fearful but then they see it is indeed Jesus. Jesus has arrived walking on the water. As soon as Jesus entered the boat they were suddenly at their destination. So much here in verses 19-21 to discover and I hope you will spend some time exploring.
I am so glad that Jesus will come to get me when I have gone out in my boat without Him. But I don’t want to live like that. I want to be where He is always. Jesus is my destination.
Make it your goal to be with Jesus, stay with Jesus and follow Him. It’s not about you fitting Him into your plan. It is His plan for you to follow Him step by step, moment by moment.
Welcome to the conclusion of the series on worry. I hope you were able to spend some time in John 15. This is the portion of scripture where Jesus explains a critical aspect of our relationship with Him. Here we find our key to victory over worry and so much more. Not striving but abiding, not trying but trusting, not you but Him. If you would like to spend time in a deeper study of the word, Abide, a good place to start would be this LINK at Bible Hub.
” Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.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.” -John 15:4,5 NKJV
Reading these verses in several different translations is very helpful. Below is the Holman Christian Standard which uses the word remain instead of abide.
HCSB
We are to be attached to Jesus as the branch is connected to the vine. The vine is everything to the branch.
Abide, remain, and stay are all good, but I particularly love the word that Corrie ten Boom choose. She used the word nestle.
Remember when Jesus told the parable of the vine and the branches in John 15? He said the secret to abundant living is in staying attached to the vine. An unattached vine has something to fear. Not only can it not produce fruit, but it will be burned in the fire. But an attached branch has no fears. All it has to do is nestle close to the vine, and the vine does all the work, sending its sap through the branch and producing luscious grapes. It is not the branch that produces the grapes, it is the vine. ~ Corrie ten Boom
So when worry comes, refuse to be carried away. Instead, immediately call on Jesus. Devote your energy and time to focus all the more on Him. Not your ability but His power. Victory is in Christ Jesus.
Corrie ten Boom sometimes quoted the following lines from a poem. The author is unknown.
Cowardly, wayward, and weak,
I change with the changing sky,
Today so eager and strong,
Tomorrow not caring to try.
But He never gives in,
And we two shall win, Jesus and I.
Corrie ten Boom said “Prayer is the sturdy answer to worry. I urge you to find a place where you can be alone with the Lord. Let it be your own little private prayer chapel.” Corrie wrote much about the topic of worry and fear because it is such a common problem for many believers. A number of her books have chapters devoted to the subject. She wrote one book entirely about gaining freedom from worry, fear, tension, and anxiety. The title of the book is DON’T WRESTLE, JUST NESTLE.
How do you respond to worries and fear?
I have a little practical method that I’ll share with you now. When I find myself beginning to feel stressed, or anxious … I stop and pray.
Stop whatever I am doing at that moment
Start talking to the Lord
Ask Him to take over and handle it completely
Surrender to His control
Expect to have the worry replaced with peace and calm from Jesus
Thank Him
Repeat as often as needed
Do you have a plan? Do you have certain scriptures ready for these times?
Please share in the comments below.
I am praying that each person reading this little series will nestle in close to Jesus.
Has this series been a help to you? Do you know someone that you should share this with? Don’t forget to share your worry plan in the comments. I love to hear from you ♥
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Remember when Jesus told the parable of the vine and the branches in John 15? He said the secret to abundant living is in staying attached to the vine. An unattached vine has something to fear. Not only can it not produce fruit, but it will be burned in the fire. But an attached branch has no fears. All it has to do is nestle close to the vine, and the vine does all the work, sending its sap through the branch and producing luscious grapes. It is not the branch that produces the grapes, it is the vine. ~ Corrie ten Boom
