Loving God, you call us to learn from Jesus and to keep our lives rooted in him. Strengthen our connection with Jesus by the power of your Spirit, and teach us to abide in your love; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Last week we heard about abiding in Christ - being rooted in Christ - having the light of Christ within us - being knit together into the body of Christ. All of these are images that help us to understand what abiding in Christ actually means. It is an inner union with Christ that keeps us connected with Jesus and enables us to live out of that relationship with him.

This week, we also hear about abiding in Christ, and we are reminded of the results of that inner union. There are three things that are mentioned in this whole passage from John that happen when we are rooted in Christ: effectual prayer, glorifying God through our fruitfulness, and fullness of joy (Jn. 15:1-17). Let's explore these one at a time, beginning with prayer.

There are two promises related to prayer that are found in John 15. The first one was in last week's gospel, where Jesus says: "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (Jn. 15:7). The second one is very similar and is found in today's gospel: "I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name" (Jn. 15:16).

It might be easy to take part of these promises to heart and forget about the rest of them. I suspect that most of us are drawn to the part that says, "ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Yet, those who have lived their faith for a good period of time know that it doesn't quite work like that. One part of the promise does not stand up without the rest of it, and the rest of it essentially says that our prayers are effective when we want what Jesus wants and do what Jesus does. And so, if I am coming to God in prayer with only my selfish desires, God's answer will most likely be "no." However, when I pray according to Jesus' words and will and follow Jesus' example in my life (both of which happen by the power of the Holy Spirit), answers to prayer will be far more evident.

Most of you probably heard the news this week that Pastor Harry Lehotsky is facing untreatable and terminal cancer and has been given only a few weeks to live. I have little doubt that if he could choose, he would want to have more time to spend with his wife and children and more time to continue in God's work. Yet, when he spoke this week it was not all about what he wanted. Instead, it was all about what God wants. He said something like this: If God chooses to work a miracle, "that would be cool. But if I die, I get to meet the person I've been working for all these years." To me, this is what it means to abide in Christ - to place ourselves in God's care and ask that God's will (not our own) would be done through us. And so, in Harry's case, no doubt he (and many others) will pray for healing, and then leave it in God's hands as to how that prayer is best answered.

This is wanting what Jesus wants, and the "bearing fruit" that is connected with this promise is doing what Jesus does. As you probably noticed, bearing fruit is mentioned quite often in John 15. We are told that God is glorified when we bear much fruit and become Jesus' disciples (Jn. 15:8). We are told that we have been appointed to go and bear fruit that will last so that the Father will give us whatever we ask in Jesus' name (Jn. 15:16). Earlier, we are also told that the branches that don't bear any fruit will be removed and that those that do bear fruit will be pruned and cleansed in order to bear more fruit (Jn. 15:2-3). However, it seems to be left up to us to interpret what "bearing fruit" actually means.

From the gospel of John we learn that bearing fruit comes from abiding in Christ and he in us - remaining rooted in Christ. We also learn that it goes along with being disciples, or learners, or followers of Jesus. It seems that there is death involved, too, for John writes about the grain of wheat that falls into the earth and dies in order to bear much fruit (Jn. 12:24). But still, what exactly is this fruit?

It seems to me that there are three answers that emerge from the rest of the New Testament. The first and most obvious answer is the fruit of the Spirit. Paul writes to the Galatians and says, here are the things that the Holy Spirit produces in those who belong to Jesus Christ (in other words, the fruit of the Spirit): "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23). All of these are qualities that appear in the lives of believers.

A second answer is closely connected to the saying, "you will know them by their fruits" (Mt. 7:20). In other words, whatever is in our hearts will become known in what we say and what we do. The gospels teach that a good and faithful heart is not going to pour forth a whole bunch of vile speech. In other words, what comes out of our mouths is always going to show people what is in our hearts (Lk. 6:43-45). By the same token, how we act comes out of what is in our hearts. And so a heart that belongs to Jesus is going to produce actions that imitate Jesus' life and service to others.

It is, in fact, this imitation of Christ that leads to the third type of fruit. There are all kinds of images in the gospels related to the harvest and bringing people into the kingdom of God. The third type of fruit is actually people - gathering people in - being disciples and making disciples.

And so abiding in Christ - being rooted in Christ - leads to bearing fruit: the fruit of the Spirit, what we say and what we do, and bringing others into the kingdom of God. For all of these things, keep in mind that we do not do this on our own or by our own will-power. It is the Holy Spirit who works through us, and it is Jesus who first comes to us and who says, I love you, and I have chosen you, and "I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete" (Jn. 15:11).

I sometimes wonder if there would be more joy among Christians if we were able to see ourselves as God does. In his book What's So Amazing About Grace?, Philip Yancey challenges us to see ourselves as "the one Jesus loves". He mentions the sociological theory of the looking-glass self which says that we become whatever the most important person in our life thinks we are. Yancey mentions this and then asks the question, "How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible's astounding words about God's love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?" (Zondervan: 1997, p. 69). How would our lives change if we were able to look at ourselves and say, "I am the one Jesus loves" -- "I am the one Jesus has chosen."

There are a relatively small number of people whom I have met who seem to have grasped this truth and who exhibit a quiet joy that comes out of abiding in Christ. The ones whom I have met spend a lot of time in prayer, want what Jesus wants, and do what Jesus does. They have given the Holy Spirit free reign in their lives. Yet, even for these people, it is not happy, happy, joy, joy, all the time. This makes sense, as even Jesus was not joyful all the time.

There where times when Jesus rejoiced and there were times when Jesus wept. Yet, joy was never far away because of the prominence of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' life. For us, too, joy comes from the Holy Spirit, and it comes and goes. We can't just go out and get it, or feel joy on demand, but when we abide in Christ - stay rooted in Christ - it will come.

Joy will come, along with the other fruit of the Spirit. Speech and actions that reflect Jesus will come. Being disciples and making disciples will come. Answers to prayer will come. These things will come because Jesus loves us and has chosen us and invites us to abide in his love. These things will come as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, and to keep us connected to Jesus, and to help us to grow, even as we remain rooted in Christ. Amen. Come, Holy Spirit. Amen.

Easter 6(B) John 15:9-17
May 21, 2006
St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore
? 2006 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved