Resting in Jesus

October 14 – Resting In Jesus – John 15:1-8

We all have a relationship with God. Each one of us can own and live into this reality. However, do we know that the core of this relationship is about God’s unconditional love? What does it mean to trust the love of God in Jesus and to live by this love?  Do we have more of a tendency to rest in God’s love, or do we tend to strive to receive God’s love in Jesus? What drives our life and ministry? Are we driven by our own strength or by our relationship with Jesus Christ?

To understand where we are on the scale of resting and striving, we will turn to John 15:1–8.

15 “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.

The Message sums up this passage this way. “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you.” John15:4

This passage is a reminder that God wants an intimate relationship with us. In this relationship we discover the joy of living our real and lasting lives. The hard part about faith is that we can know a lot about God, yet never truly know God. If we don’t intentionally pursue a relationship with God, then we begin to live off our ideas about God. For example, we live out of the information we have received about Jesus from our tradition, religious experiences, and families. Sadly sometimes we can even teach about Jesus and serve on committees, but when it comes to a relationship with him, we can have a difficult time with what this means.

But the great news is that God loves us. His universe was incomplete without you. And when your sins separated you from God’s holy perfection, God chose to come to earth and die for your sins. He has done all the work and He is waiting to spend time with you. Think about that. The Lord of the universe is waiting to be with you. So just spend time with Him and let that relationship grow! (Editing Note: Last paragraph added by Tracie when she divided this lesson)