John 15:1-17
The Vine and Branches
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Jesus tells us how to get Complete Joy in our lives...He lays out the road map for the Journey to Complete Joy...“As the Father has loved Me, so have I LOVED you...Now remain in My LOVE...If you keep My commands, you will remain in My LOVE, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His LOVE...I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete...My command is this: Love each other as I have LOVED you...
Jesus tells us that to have Complete Joy in our lives it is to remain always in His LOVE and to keep His commands...Now this is not a one time quick method, but Complete Joy is a process...The experience of Complete Joy that He talks about takes some time, quite a bit of time...The experience of Complete Joy is not something we just get today and learned quickly...Loving and following His commands take time and takes discipline...Prayer and studying the gospels, the Bible, and Jesus takes time...There is a cost to this commitment to Him...Faith takes time, it is not something we can get in one lesson and then forget about...To get to a strong faith and to His Complete Joy is a lifetime commitment and not a one day instance that just happens...