OK, now you're done reading (you did read it, right?). Go back and look for some things in this passage. Take some time to do this. Really slow down, let it soak in. Don't worry, you don't have to respond to these below.
- Look for the main theme.
- Look for words/phrases that repeat.
- Find the different "characters" that play a role in this section. Who do they represent?
- Ask yourself, "Why is this in Scripture?"
If you really read into what Jesus is saying, this is a matter of life and death. Not necessarily physical life here on earth. But eternal life. A better life for now and the future (note: better doesn't mean more comfortable, without difficulty, etc...). By following this Scripture, you can remain in Christ, which is a better life than life without Christ. He really does care about you. He knows you. He allows you to remain "attached" to him. And as we remain attached, we grow.
Hopefully you have experienced this in your own life. Sure, we aren't perfect at remaining attached to Jesus. But I hope that you have grown in your faith as you've spent time with Jesus.
This is what we want to give to other people. We want them to experience this life with Christ, a better life both now and in the future. We want others to be able to attach themselves to Christ, to experience His love, to experience the love of His people.
We aren't going to Costa Rica to be saviors, have a cool experience, or because we are obligated to go. We are going to point others to the Savior so they can experience Him, and to allow others to desire to walk close to Him and serve Him.
That's my story - that Jesus saved me, that I can experience God through Jesus, and because of that I want to follow and serve Him wherever He leads.
This is what we are called to, to invite people into life. Will you follow the call? Respond to these questions:
- Why do you think Jesus used the imagery that He used in this passage?
- What's love got to do with it? Why was love referenced so much when talking about remaining in Christ?
1. I think he used the imagery to show that he really loves us and that times aren’t always going to be easy.
ReplyDelete2. I think love is shown in a lot in this passage of scripture because it shows really what love is for Christians and how Christ shows love for us.
1) He used the imagery of the vines and branches growing and producing fruit to represent us as the branches and him as the tree and that we need him to be able to produce fruit/make the most of ourselves.
ReplyDelete2) Love is mentioned so heavily in the passage because it is trying to emphasize and show that God loves us.
1. He’s used the imagery to show how much he cares about us and that he’s with us always even in the trouble times
ReplyDelete2.love is all over the passage to ensure us how much he loves us
1.He used the imagery of the vines and branches because it is easy for us to see those things grow. Where as it is hard for our faith to continually grow unless we have a Christ centered relationship with him and through him. It is not easy but that is what he wants us to cut out of our life the bad branches and help blossom the good strong branches.
ReplyDelete2.Love is something that Jesus continually shows us. Regardless of the situation Jesus loves us through it all. He uses Love so much to emphasize how much he does love us and how he we can get him to love us more.
1. He used imagery so people could understand it easier since it was an example. It was to show that when a branch says connected to the vine like if we stay connected to God, we will bear fruit.
ReplyDelete2. He tells us to love each other. It is focused on love because we are supposed to share God with others.
1. I think he uses this imagery to help us understand the point he is trying to make.
ReplyDelete2. Love is something that is shown through the entire passage and it's something God wants us to show to others because he show it to us.