June 14, 2024
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. John 15:5
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. To abide means to make your home somewhere. Abide in Jesus. Ask what you wish, and it will be done for you. You will bear much fruit. You will be loved. You will have value. You will have Commandments to treasure that will guide you, and even when you fail to fulfill them, the love you abide in forgives you. Christianity isn’t so complicated. Be near Jesus. When things are good, rejoice in Jesus. When things are bad, find shelter in Jesus. When you are guilty, be forgiven in Jesus.
It might be more comforting if Jesus didn’t tell the disciples how He was going away, literally a paragraph above this one. Abide in me or you will wither and be thrown into the fire, but also, I’m leaving now, bye. Jesus is preparing the disciples for His passion. He is going away to die for them and for you. He is going away to make the vine worth abiding in, to pay for the forgiveness you receive in blood, and to earn your place in the resurrection, where you will be given all good things you ask for.
Jesus departs from the disciples. He dies. He rises. He ascends. And now we can share their frustration. The God-man doesn’t tour towns in the Middle East where we can go visit when we need something.
It changes the word abide, not because we don’t make our home in Jesus anymore, but because to abide with Jesus doesn’t mean to visit Jerusalem. It means to go to church. The Holy Spirit is sent where His Word is preached, where His sacraments are administered. He doesn’t insist you follow Him from town to town. He calls you to the font to be baptized into His death and resurrection. He calls you to abide in Him in your Baptism that gives you all that He promises. Love. Shelter. Comfort. Forgiveness. Worth.
Abiding in Jesus isn’t limited to those who go on tour with Him or even those who copy His good deeds. He brings Himself to you in your church. Now you know where to find Him, and He is never far, so that when things are good, He is there to rejoice with. When things are bad, He is there to shelter you; when you are guilty, He is there to forgive. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Christ, holy Vine, Christ, living Tree, Be praised for this blest mystery: That Word and water thus revive And join us to Your Tree of Life. (LSB 595:5)
- Rev. Harrison Goodman is the content executive for Higher Things.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.
A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House.