Jesus said these things “that your joy may be full.” Wouldn’t you like to know how to get ahold of that?
This is Scripture for Students. I’m Steve Whitacre, president of Trinity College and a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. I want to help students build a daily habit for life-long Bible reading. Today is March 25, 2025 and this episode of Scripture for Students is called Some Gardening Advice. Grab your Bible and let’s get started.
Our readings for today are Exodus 36, John 15, and Proverbs 12.
Please open your Bibles to John 15.
When my family moved into the house that we live in now, we inherited a botanical garden. The former owner had worked at a nursery—the kind with plants, not children—and as far as I can tell, he bought two or three of everything and planted them all in his yard. It was beautiful; something new started blooming about every 10 minutes. But it was an impossible amount to keep up with for a young family. So when his yard became my yard, we started systematically removing some of the more high maintenance plants. Some of them we dug up by the root ball and gave to friends. Others, I attacked with a chain saw. I would cut all the branches off the trunk, then cut the trunk down at ground level, and dig up the roots. It was a lot of work. I made huge piles of branches and it never ceased to amaze me. When I stepped outside the next day, the branches I had piled up to be burned were already beginning to die. In less than 24 hours, the leaves started wilting, the color failed, and the branches started drying out. I learned firsthand what happens to a branch that doesn’t stay connected to the plant. It dies.
In today’s Scripture for Students we’re going to look at John 15, where Jesus explains that the same rapid death that came on the plants I cut down can also happen to your soul. Please follow along with me as I read John 15:1–17,
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 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.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
May the Lord bless the reading and the hearing and the keeping of his Word.
Do you see what John 15 teaches us about gardening? Jesus says, “I am the vine;” this is the last of the seven major “I am” statements that Jesus makes in John’s gospel. Christians are branches that are supposed to be connected to the vine. The branches receive nourishment, support, and structure from the vine. The Father is a vinedresser. He surveys his garden and takes one of two actions: any branch that doesn’t bear fruit, he cuts off and throws in the fire. Any branch that is bearing fruit, he prunes.
Pruning can be painful but it is part of how branches stay healthy as they are connected to the vine. Now, verse 5 might be the most important verse in this section. Here, Jesus says, “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.”
Just like the branches in my yard need to be connected to the plant to survive, Jesus is saying that Christians must abide in him. If Christians do not abide in him, it says, we can do nothing. The original language is really strong. But this means the inverse is also true: if we do abide in him, he will empower our service to him. Naturally, this raises a very big question: what does it mean to abide in him? Well, Jesus doesn’t spell it right out, but there are at least three clues here. First, Jesus links Christians being in him to his words being in Christians. He says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you…” This seems to mean that Christians who bear fruit are people who have God’s word in them. If you want to bear fruit by abiding in Christ, get his words in you by reading his word every day. If you are listening to this podcast, you’re getting that done! And we can extend that a little bit by asking: how do we apply God’s word? In every situation, we ask: “What does Scripture say?” and then resolve to live accordingly.
Second, verse 10 continues the thought when it says, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.” A Christian is a person who obeys God’s commands. So we abide in Christ and continue to benefit from his empowering help by keeping his commandments. It is always a good time to stop and ask: am I keeping God’s commandments? Are there any ways I’m not obeying God? Are there any steps I can take to obey him more closely?
Third, verses 12–17 pinpoint a specific way to keep God’s commandments: by loving one another. This is such an important command. Jesus says: it isn’t just that we are to love one another. In verse 12–13, we are to love one another as he has loved us, which was to lay down his life for us. It is not likely that God is going to call one of us to die for our friends. But we are called to lay down our lives like Jesus—to live in a way that puts others first, that flees from selfishness, that is eager to serve. This is a beautiful picture.
It would be a great exercise to talk to your parents about these verses. Ask them for their evaluation about all three of these areas: first, ask them if they think you are growing in your love for God’s word. Second, ask them if they think you are growing in your obedience to God’s commands. Third, ask them if they think you are growing in your love for God’s people. Be humble with what they say and ask for their help to know how to grow and change.
It will be worth it if you do. And you don’t have to take my word for it. Look at verse 11: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” I’d like some of that, and I bet you would, too.
That’s all for today. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with a friend and follow us on Apple Podcasts.
This content is sponsored by Trinity College of Louisville. We shape young men and young women for Christ and for the church. Learn more at TrinityCollegeLou.com. Until next time, keep growing!