Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Today is 2-for-1 Friday!
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The Questions
1) What does it mean to bear fruit? What is Jesus asking here?
2) Verse 2 says that he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. What does it mean to “prune”? Why does a gardener, prune plants?
3) Many people accomplish great things without Jesus. What does Jesus mean when he says you can do nothing without me? (verse 5)
John 15:1-11
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
Original Intent
1) What does it mean to bear fruit? What is Jesus asking here?
Fruit in this context is defined as the result or reward of work or activity. Jesus is talking about works and activities that advance the Kingdom of God. Ultimately, bearing fruit means loving others through the overflow of God’s love for you. “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13: 34-35 Love in action advances the Kingdom of God: we make disciples, we are generous with our time and money, we tell others about Jesus, and we encourage others, to name a few.
2) Verse 2 says that he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. What does it mean to “prune”? Why does a gardener, prune plants?
Pruning is the selective removal of certain parts of a plant. Gardeners prune plants to remove dead elements, control and redirect growth, improve the overall health of the plant, and to increase the quality and yield of the flowers or fruit. Pruning can seem painful for plants in the moment, but ultimately helps the plant thrive. Without pruning, a plant can grow out of control, dead and diseased parts can take over, and a plant will be held back from fully thriving.
3) Many people accomplish great things without Jesus. What does Jesus mean when he says you can do nothing without me? (verse 5)
When Jesus says you can do nothing without Me, He means that we can do nothing of eternal value or for the Kingdom of God without Him. The Pharisees did many things; they followed the letter of the law, they made sacrifices, and they gave out of their abundance. The Pharisees did lots of things, but it was all of their own strength and for outward appearances. Jesus said that they were like “whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside, are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity.” Matthew 23:27 Jesus was telling His listeners they must find their strength, identity, and love from God alone.
Everyday Application
1) What does it mean to bear fruit? What is Jesus asking here?
How are you bearing fruit in your life? Is evidence of God’s salvation in your life overflowing into love for those around you? It is easy to create a checklist of activities that may look like “fruit”. It’s not about how often you read your Bible in the morning, or how many committees you are on at church, or how much money you tithe. The fruit that God desires most comes from a heart of love and obedience, which grows exponentially the more that we spend time investing in our relationship with Him by praying and reading Scripture.
2) Verse 2 says that he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. What does it mean to “prune”? Why does a gardener, prune plants?
Pruning plants is a beautiful metaphor for how God shapes and grow His people. God uses circumstances and adversity to remove and trim parts of our lives that are not allowing fruit to increase. God may remove dead parts of our life that aren’t glorifying to Him. His “pruning” might feel difficult in the moment, but is ultimately for His glory and our good. My favorite part of this verse is that He prunes every branch that does produce fruit. Experiencing pruning means that you are producing fruit! Pruning isn’t a punishment; it is a benefit that comes from living out the love of God! He is making us more like Him and drawing us into greater abundance!
3) Many people accomplish great things without Jesus. What does Jesus mean when he says you can do nothing without me? (verse 5)
There are a lot of verses like this one, that make you feel good when you read them, all warm and fuzzy. We take comfort in the truth that Christ gives us strength and guidance, but do we really live this way? Do our actions indicate that we truly believe we can do nothing of eternal value without Jesus? The author of Ecclesiastes says that “Everything is futile… a pursuit of the wind.” Ecclesiastes 1:2b; 14b When we pursue accomplishments, fame, and riches, it all falls short of what God desires for our lives. When we pursue love for others, selfless serving, and open-handed generosity for the Kingdom of God, we do it through the love we have received from Christ.
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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