In recent years, setting personal goals has been a priority for me. People have various reasons for goal-setting, whether to track accomplishments, spur personal growth, or, in my case, establish priorities. As we approach the turn of a new year, many of us leverage the transition to contemplate changes in our lives. What adjustments can we make to enhance productivity, achieve more, and ultimately experience greater joy in the coming year?
Imagine having morning coffee with Jesus on the last weekend of the year. He wants to help you think through your goals and priorities. While it might seem far-fetched, we don’t need to wonder what Jesus would tell us.
Whatever plans we might share with Jesus, His message to us would be so much better, “I am all your power. I am all your life. I am all your joy. If you prioritize Me and make Me the cornerstone of your life, I will reside in you, bringing the very life of God into you.”
This is what John 15 is all about. Over the next few weeks we will explore what Jesus has to say to us about the utmost value of knowing Him. John 15 gives us 9 reasons why prioritizing communion with Christ is the most important thing in our life.
Reason #1 – He is the only source of life v. 1
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” – John 15:1
A vine is a vital source of organic life, providing fuel and sustenance. The essence of Christianity is encapsulated in the image of the vine. When humans sinned we severed our connection with God, leading to death and deformity. Jesus, sent by the Father, is the vine of life for a dead world. To regain life, we must be grafted into the true vine, Jesus Christ. Anything else we trust for life and sustained joy will leave us withered.
Jesus emphasizes not just being “the vine” but “the true vine,” distinct from false vines. Israel, according to the Old Testament, turned out to be a false vine. Trusting anything other than Jesus for life will eventually leave us dry.
As the true vine, Jesus, being God, is the source of all life. His incarnation reunites the connection between God and humanity, His death removes the dividing wall caused by sin, and His resurrection unites us with a resurrected, eternal, glorified person. Through faith, we are forever alive in Him.
Disconnected
I have come to rely on my Apple Watch that I wear everyday. It gives me alerts on my calendar, shows me the weather, and I even use it for an alarm when I wake up in the morning. So every evening I come home and I plug it in so that when I go to bed it will be back to full charge. Recently, my watch was dead because the charger mysteriously became unplugged from the wall. I had put my watch on the charger, but the charger was disconnected from its power source. I could have left my watch on the charger for three whole days and it still would have been just as dead as when I attached it.
And this is what life is like when we try and attach ourselves to things hoping they will give us life. Only Jesus is the ultimate power source. It is only when we are attached to Him that we find life.
Connected
So from the outset, the crucial question is: Are we plugged into the source? Is our life connected to the current of Christ’s life? Trying to find life, improve, and reform without a vital connection to Jesus is like attempting to charge batteries without plugging in the charger. Union with Christ is the necessary foundation for communion with Christ – connecting to life is the necessary foundation for living life.
Next week we will continue with two more reasons why we must prioritize communion with Jesus.
