Day 1 — Branches on the Vine

“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.”

— John 15:4–5 (BSB)

Picture a grapevine. It has a thick, twisty main stem growing up out of the ground. That’s the vine. Spreading out from it are lots of branches. And hanging from the branches are big bunches of juicy grapes.

Now imagine you snap one of those branches off and lay it on the ground. What happens? For a little while, it still looks green. But soon its leaves droop. The grapes shrivel up. After a few days, it’s dry and brown. A branch can’t live on its own. Everything it needs, the water, the food, the life, flows into it from the vine.

On the night before He died, Jesus used this picture to explain how His followers would grow. “I am the vine and you are the branches.”

Jesus is the source of everything we need. When we stay connected to Him, His life flows into us, and we “bear much fruit.” But He also said something very honest: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”

That changes how we think about being a good person. A lot of people think following Jesus means trying really, really hard to be kind and patient and good. So they grit their teeth and try. And they end up tired, frustrated and grumpy, because it doesn’t work!

Jesus says the secret isn’t trying harder. It’s remaining in Him. The word remain means to stay, to live, to make your home somewhere. You remain in Jesus by trusting Him, talking with Him, reading His Word and obeying Him, day after day.

Do you know what’s in grape juice? Stuff that came up from the roots, through the vine, into the branch, and into the grapes. Fruit is simply what happens when life flows through a branch.

That’s what this book is about. Over the next 30 days, we’ll look at the fruit Jesus wants to grow in you. But never forget: it all comes from staying connected to the Vine.

Think about it: Why do you think trying really hard to be good on your own doesn’t work very well?

Try this: Draw a vine with branches in your notebook. On the vine, write “Jesus.” On one branch, write your name. You’ll add fruit to it as you go through this book.

Dear Jesus, You are the vine and I am a branch. I can’t grow good fruit on my own. Help me stay connected to You every day. Let Your life flow into me, and grow Your fruit in me. In Your name, Amen.