What Does it Mean to Abide in Jesus?

Exploring this layered command

This year, I am abiding in John 15. My word of the year is “fruitful,” so it is fitting. Particularly the first half, which reads like a beautiful poem:

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.

John 15:1-8 ESV

Remain vs. Abide

The key part of this scripture for me is the action that brings about the fruit: abiding. Different translations use the word “abide” while most newer ones use “remain.” I can picture what “remain” means, as in “remain plugged in,” but I am fascinated by the word “abide.”

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines abide as “to bear patiently: tolerate,” or “to endure without yielding: withstand” as in, “I cannot abide such hypocrites.” Then there is an archaic form, and this is the version I believe Jesus meant: “to wait for” or “to remain stable or fixed in a state,” as in “a love that abided with him all his days.”

Meanwhile, remain means “to be a part not destroyed, taken, or used up” or “to stay in the same place or with the same person or group.”

Fixed Yet Transformed

So, revisiting the scripture, the abiding that Jesus is referring to is a sense of being “fixed” in place, yet being transformed from the inside out: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” The branch must stay in place, close to the source; it cannot move.

I love the imagery of a vine growing long and wild but still connected to a source. The idea that it can never grow by itself is obvious to us. It needs to be attached to something. Just like us. We need to be attached to something.

Jesus posits that he is the true vine, the true thing to be attached to. Everything else leads to being cut off or withering. It seems harsh, but as a gardner you don’t want a withered or dead branch to continue to be attached. It will draw precious resources away from the other branches that are healthy. So you decide to cut it off.

What’s interesting is that only the gardener (the vinedresser) can make this decision. They have to be experienced enough to know what a healthy branch looks like, as well as the point of no return, at which a dying or dead branch has to be removed when there is absolutely no hope left. And branches can die for many reasons: they don’t get enough water or sunlight; they’re growing in an awkward position, or they are injured by something, etc. But it’s the gardener who sees all this and makes adjustments.

So the importance of abiding is made plain. It’s life or death for the branch.

Architecture of Abide

So, going by this imagery, maybe abiding means:

1. To stay attached (Every branch in me)

2. Stay connected (Abide in me, and I in you.)

3. Receive precious resources (ask whatever you wish)

4. Be transformed (he prunes, that it may bear more fruit)

5. Live with other branches (branches, plural)

6. Bear fruit (bear more fruit)

7. Make the gardener happy (By this my Father is glorified)

8. Bear much more fruit (and so prove to be my disciples.)

It’s the Gospel in shortform. The Father loves us, cares for us, and sent his Son to help us stay connected to him. The Son sent the Holy Spirit to help us remain in his love.

It’s a beautiful picture of the Kingdom.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for being our vine.
Help us remain in you,
As you remain in us.
Prune the branches
that are no longer serving us.
Help us bear much fruit.

Amen