Lessons from the Upper Room: Abide
Reflections on Session 1
John 15:4-14
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.
If you read the scripture above, you may have noticed that I made every instance of the word abide bold. I find this incredibly interesting. During Wednesday's lecture, Todd pointed out—with the caveat that this wasn't a theological observation—that Jesus says "abide" 11 times in the upper room.
In this upper room scene, Jesus is teaching the eleven disciples (Judas having left earlier) about what it means to be one of his followers. Todd mentioned that he likes to imagine Jesus looking at each disciple as he says each abide in this section. While there's no way to prove it happened like that, I can't shake this wonderful image from my mind: our Lord gazing at each of his disciples—who would eventually give their lives to spread his gospel—asking them to abide in Him.
This abiding is the source of everything else in the Christian life. You can't love God and love others as yourself without first abiding in Christ.
I encourage you to go back and read through it one more time.
Grace & Peace,
Brother Michael
