Good morning!
Greetings in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is the vine, and we are branches. If we are attached to Him, and He will be with us. From Jesus, we receive the love of God, and our lives bear much fruit in Jesus Christ. Through us, people can see Him, and through our real life interactions, people can experience the love of God, which is totally different from anything on earth. What we can see and touch fades away, and eventually disappears from its existence. This also applies to human relationships. Today’s friends and even lovers can become enemies tomorrow, not because of peoples’ intention, but something unexpected and uncontrollable takes over and nullifies people’s original intention and desires. This is really sad and unfortunate. However, the love of God is unconditional, and will never change because God is always faithful and not like a human, who has a rotating shadow around Him.
All things might pass away on earth, the love of God will remain with us forever. Those who are attached to the vine receive this love and are built on this unchanging and immovable love like a solid rock. No matter what was happened in one’s life, Jesus will not refuse, if anyone come to Him, and confess sins, and receives Jesus as Savior, because His mercy and love is greater than all our sins. Being attached to Jesus Christ means constantly receiving this love. The love flows through hearts and mind like blood, cleans and transforms the person to be a child of God. The old self is gone, a new eternal creation begins. Like a mother loves and natures her baby to grow to a mature person, God pours out His Love on the new borne Christian to grow and mature in His Love. Once this process starts, it will never stop till His love completes — maturing to a level to bear fruit. We are all in this process, and even today we are following the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who walked the walk before us.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:15-16)
Another truth of being attached to Jesus Christ (the vine) that we, Christians, are that we are belong to one Lord. That is, from Jesus Christ, who is the head, we, branches, are connected together and complete one body of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul uses “ligament” to describe this relationship of how we are connected each other, which is a short, strong and flexible connective tissue, we are connected each other by an intimate, tightly-knitted and caring fellowship in Christ. We support each other, and grow together. The goal is to build up the full body of Jesus together in our lives. When we form this loving body of the Christ, it will be evident, and cannot be hidden. Like a lamp at night, the emanating light of the Love is far reaching, and touches those who are in dark, and gives comfort, hope and peace.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:9)
As the Father, God, loves Jesus, Jesus loves us. God gave His only begotten son, when we were sinners and even against Him. Jesus, even though He was betrayed, bitten, humiliated, and pierced, loved us till His death on the cross. This is the love that make us one with Jesus Christ and with fellow Christians. Thus, we ought to abide in the love, and live out this love, which is unconditional and sacrificial, because He demonstrated this love first. Praise God! His mercy and love endures forever.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Let’s pray together. We want to be His faithful disciples by loving each other unconditionally as Jesus did so that we can shine the light of love of Jesus Christ to those who are still suffering in darkness. His Name will be Glorified, and on earth and in Heaven. His kingdom will expand to the end of the earth.