In John 15, verses 4 to 11, the word remain appears eleven times. The Greek word it is translated from, menō, simply means to continue in, or to continue to operate in.
Remember, in the broader context of this passage, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure. He says, in effect, even though He’s going to go away physically, they can continue to operate in connection with him. They can continue to walk together. They can continue to minister together. They can continue to live together.
John 15:5, ““I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain (menō) in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit…”
The branch, he has told them, is dependent on the vine. If the branch loses the vital connection, it won’t bear fruit. In fact, he says, it will be the same as if (verse 6) the branch had withered and fallen off… I imagine he reached down and picked one up to show them—just a dry branch from the ground.
He said to them, look, this branch cannot bear fruit, it’s not worth anything. We would just gather it up for the fire. But this is not you, you can remain connected to me. You can continue to bear fruit.
I think it’s fair and right to read this this way. I don’t think this is Jesus peering down over his glasses, head down, saying, “Now you look here,” pointing his finger, ”if you don’t bear fruit, I’m going to cut you off and throw you into the fires of Hell.”
Compare the wording with verse one, where Jesus says he is the vine. It’s a different word—the difference between like and is.
He doesn’t say you are that branch: cut off, withered, and cast into the fire. What he does say is that if you bear no fruit, then your usefulness to the gardener is like this dried up, branch—this kindling.
But you are not that. You are a branch, connected to Christ. You were meant to bear fruit, and there you will remain.
In John 15:3, Jesus told his disciples that they had been cleansed by the power of his words. In verse 7, he continues, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to the father’s glory, that you bear much fruit…”
It is possible, whatever our circumstances, whatever our challenges, whatever distance we feel from God, to continue (menō) in Him. This is to the gardener’s glory, that you continue to bear the fruit you were meant to bear—showing to the watching world your vital connection to Jesus Christ.
I don’t believe God is looking for an excuse to cut you off and cast you into Hell. Instead, I believe He wants to protect you, to gather you to Himself, and to nourish you by his son Jesus Christ. He wants you continue in Him, to bear abundant fruit for His kingdom, and to be a blessing to His world, for His glory.
This is the last in a three-part series. The first addressed The Nature of the Vine and the second The Nature of the Gardener.