Chapter 13: Everything You Need
We have arrived at the fifth and final part of this book. In our pursuit of growing in our ability to communicate with others, we have studied the ways of the ultimate Wordsmith, Jesus. Not only did He, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, use His words to speak the universe into existence, but He also redeemed humanity as “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14) and spent 33 years on this earth declaring the essence of God’s Kingdom and establishing the bridge between the created and the Creator. Just as God empathized with humanity by recognizing our broken condition, engaged with us by coming to earth, explained His purpose, and embodied His message by dying for us on the cross, we have learned how to capture these principles and hone them to share truth with those in our world.
Before we conclude our time together, however, it is essential for us to take a closer look at how Jesus equipped those around Him. Even if we empathize with the person in front of us, engage with them, explain truth to them, and embody that truth in our actions, we will fall short if we do not help them apply the principles when they are on their own. As we will discover, the most important thing we can do in our equipping is to help the person overcome fear and believe they can live surrendered to God.
In Chapter 11, we took a deep dive into the significance of communion displayed in what is now famously known as the “Last Supper.” Later that day, another famous exchange occurred, now known as the “Farewell Discourse,” which will be the focus for the remainder of our chapter:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 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. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:1-27 ESV).
Does the future make you nervous? John 15 is part of a powerful speech Jesus gave shortly before His arrest, unjust trial, and eventual crucifixion. In the 14 chapters leading up to this moment, Jesus taught His followers, through both His words and His actions, how to live in alignment with God’s will. Now, these young disciples, who had left everything to follow Him for about three years, were faced with the unimaginable: Jesus was leaving. How could they face tomorrow without Him? How could they trust what was ahead without the One who holds the future? For the remainder of this chapter, we are going to take a closer look at John 15 as Jesus speaks to four specific topics that often make us fearful when we think about the future.
Topic #1) The Success We Desire
Everyone desires success. As a matter of fact, one of the primary reasons people may be motivated to listen to you in the first place is that they believe you have something to offer that will help them walk in victory. Thankfully, Jesus gives us three things we can do to be successful—or, as He puts it, fruitful:
1) Acknowledge Your Position
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away…” (John 15:1-2a).
When the Bible references authentic success, the term “fruitfulness” is often used. While we all desire to excel in our careers and relationships, true success is displaying the fruit described in Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV).
In order to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, we must first recognize our position. Jesus is described as the vine, our heavenly Father as the vinedresser and we are the branches—if we choose to place our faith in Him. This means we are not responsible for creating the power for fruitfulness; rather, we are responsible for staying connected to God, who is all-powerful. While it is possible to experience worldly success (such as riches, fame, and power) apart from God, it is impossible to experience true, eternal success if we are disconnected from Jesus, the true vine.
2) Allow God’s Pruning
“…and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you” (John 15:2b-3).
To successfully walk in the purpose and plan God has for our lives, we must allow Him to remove anything that is keeping us from bearing fruit. He makes it clear that we are ultimately “clean because of the word that [He] has spoken to [us],” but our eternal security through belief in Him does not mean we are automatically living in alignment with His will for us today. Whether it is bad habits, unhealthy relationships or negative thought patterns, we must allow God to remove anything that hinders our full surrender to Him!
3) Abide In His Presence
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4).
In our fast-paced world, it can often feel as though striving and straining are the only paths to success. However, God’s command is for us to abide in, not chase after, His presence. In the original language, to “abide” means to “remain” or “not depart.” This means our responsibility is to make intentional decisions to spend time with God. We can abide in Him through reading the Bible, prayer, listening to worship music, and engaging in Christian community. If you want to experience true success and bear the fruit of the Spirit, you must spend intentional time with Him!
Topic #2) The People We Love
Whether you are naturally extroverted or introverted, we all face moments when we need God’s help interacting with others. In this regard, God gives us one simple command for how we should relate to people: love them as He does. So, how do we love like Jesus?
1) Lay Down Your Life
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).
Do you find yourself worried about the people who mean a lot to you? Jesus can sympathize with this feeling. His choice to come to earth was driven by His love for us, knowing that it was only through laying down His life that we could have a relationship with Him. When it comes to the people God places in our lives, we are called to demonstrate Jesus’ sacrifice by serving them. Even when it is difficult or when it feels like we do not have much to give, we are called to meet the needs of those He places in our path.
2) Share What God Says
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).
Servants serve a purpose without requiring a relationship. Friends, on the other hand, are people we choose to be present with, regardless of what they can do for us. Jesus was speaking to His disciples—His friends—and He told them that everything He heard from His Father, He had made known to them. For us, truly loving people means sharing truth with them. God’s Word, the Bible, is the only source of perfect truth. We are never more loving than when we hear from God through reading His Word and then share what we have learned with others.
3) Expect Nothing In Return
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (John 15:16).
Jesus laid down His life for all of humanity, fully knowing that not everyone would believe in Him. He chooses us, even when we do not choose Him. In the same way, genuine love in our relationships means caring for others without expecting anything in return. When you view the relationships in your life as opportunities to serve rather than be served, fear and selfishness cannot remain.
Topic #3) The World We Offend
Contrary to popular belief, making the decision to follow Jesus does not automatically mean you are entering into a life of ease and luxury. As a matter of fact, Jesus warns His followers that they will face opposition, and within this warning, He emphasizes three key things for us to keep in mind about persecution:
1) Jesus Endured It
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18).
To be persecuted means to be attacked or vilified because of our faith in God. For Christians, it is natural to feel concerned or worried about this, but we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus endured the very worst of persecution. He was arrested and sentenced to death—not because He had committed a crime, but because He was viewed as a threat to the religious leaders. He was beaten and crucified on a Friday, only to rise again on Sunday. No matter the opposition we face, it pales in comparison to the hatred and persecution Jesus endured.
2) Obedience Attracts It
“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19).
At first glance, it may seem as though persecution only happens when we do something wrong. However, true obedience to God often leads to true persecution. Jesus never sinned—not even once—and yet He experienced immense hatred. As a matter of fact, if you have never been attacked or ridiculed because of your faith, it may indicate that you look more like the world than like Jesus.
3) Hatred Fuels It
“Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father” (John 15:23-24).
Darkness hates the light. When lost people, dead in their sins, are around someone who carries the light of Christ, they often detest it. This hatred fuels the desire to ridicule and attack Christians. You may not currently face life-threatening persecution, but perhaps you are being taunted at school or work. There is no need to fear—Jesus has already borne your pain, and your future is secure in Him.
Topic #4) The Loneliness We Avoid
Even when we are surrounded by people, it can be easy to feel alone. This is especially true for those of us who choose to go against the current of culture and speak the truth unashamedly. Thankfully, the great Wordsmith provides us with simple action steps we can take when loneliness attacks:
1) Embrace The Spirit
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father…” (John 15:26a).
We worship a triune God, meaning we serve one God in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As Jesus speaks with the disciples, they are worried that His upcoming departure means God will leave them. However, Jesus assures them that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will come. The moment we place our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. The Holy Spirit is the primary vessel through which we are equipped to share truth with others! When we feel lonely as Christians, we must pause and remember that God Himself is always with us, no matter what!
2) Live In Truth
“...he will bear witness about me” (John 15:26b).
The Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus, meaning He reminds us of Jesus' words and ways and strengthens us to live in alignment with them. When we lose sight of Jesus, we often lose sight of the Christian community He has surrounded us with. By living surrendered to Jesus, loneliness cannot take hold.
3) Tell The World
“And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:27).
One of the most powerful antidotes to loneliness is dedicating our lives to bearing witness to Jesus Christ among the lost. Intentionally surround yourself with mission-minded believers and overcome loneliness by making an eternal impact in the world around you. The life of the wordsmith is a life of purpose-driven community!
Conclusion: You Have Everything You Need
Jesus’ words in John 15 provide powerful encouragement for believers as we face uncertainty about the future. His message reminds us that success, love, persecution, and loneliness are all part of the Christian journey. We are called to abide in Him, trusting that true success comes from remaining connected to the true vine. In loving others, we must follow Jesus’ example by laying down our lives, sharing God’s truth, and expecting nothing in return. When facing persecution, we can take comfort in knowing Jesus endured it first and promised that our obedience to Him may attract opposition. Finally, even when we feel alone, we can rest in the reality that the Holy Spirit is with us, guiding, comforting, and empowering us to live out our purpose as messengers of the Gospel!
