Something that has been made very clear to me as I look across the landscape of the 21st-century American church is this: Jesus has a lot of fans but not a lot of followers. What I mean by that is there are a lot of people who consider themselves Christians who come to church, Sunday school, VBS, and youth who like what being a Christian gives to them, but do not want to follow what Jesus said in Luke 9:57–62. If our desire is to be a follower or disciple of Jesus, then we must take Jesus ’ call seriously in the Great Commission to make disciples. But you can’t put the cart in front of the horse. To make disciples, you must be a disciple, and to be a disciple means you are abiding in Christ.
The first aspect of abiding in Christ is that a disciple abides in His love (John 15:9–10 LSB). Prior to these verses in chapter 15:1-7, Jesus gives us a visual picture of what it looks like to abide in Him, and He uses the imagery of a vine and branches. Jesus is showing us that abiding is being connected to the source of life. In fact, the Greek word used here for abide is meno, which literally means “to reside in” or “to stay in,” as in lodging with someone. Jesus is saying, when you are abiding in me, you are lodging in me! Where you abide matters, and Jesus says here that you must first abide in His love.
A true disciple bears fruit; no fruit means no disciple.
Secondly, a disciple abides in His joy (John 15:11). This is a direct result of abiding in His love, and it’s a joy that is not self-produced. Jesus says that it is His joy that is in us. This comes in relationship and submission to Jesus. His joy becomes our joy, and as a result, our joy is filled up to the brim and is a key component that will define a true disciple. In fact, it’s impossible for a follower of Jesus not to have joy. Billy Sunday said, ”If you have no joy in your religion, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.”
Thirdly, a disciple abides in love for each other (John 15:12–13,17). Love is the defining mark of someone who is a follower of Jesus (John 13:34-35), and this is reinforced in 1 John 4:19–21. Do you love the person that sits next to you on Sunday? How about across from you? How about the one that irritates you or disagrees with you? How about your enemy? A true disciple or follower of Jesus abides in love for each other.
Lastly, a disciple abides to bear fruit (John 15:8,16). Jesus begins and ends this teaching with the same concept: a true disciple bears fruit. Bearing fruit does two things for the disciple. It glorifies God and connects you to Jesus. Yet this all hinges and is connected to being attached and abiding in the True Vine. This means that you cannot bear fruit on your own. Many of us know this, but do we live this way? Do you live in a way that shows your dependency on Jesus for the fruit you produce, or do you try to manufacture your own? One method leads to rest and life; the other leads to exhaustion and death. A true disciple bears fruit; no fruit means no disciple.
If you are abiding in Jesus, you will be different, you will act differently, you will love differently, and you will live differently. The difference, however, is not due to your strength, your effort, or your hard work. The difference is due to the persistent work of Jesus in you. Jesus is alive, powerful, and actively at work in his disciples to bear fruit! A disciple abides in Christ. Are you abiding in Him?
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