John 15 1-3 “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. .  .  .  4 “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with Me.  5-8 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire.  .  .  .  16 “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.  17 “But remember the root command: Love one another. The Message

Jesus says He is the Vine and we are the branches.  The only way we can bear fruit is if we are fully connected to the Vine so we can get the nutrients we need from the soil; and the characteristics of Jesus we must have from Him so we CAN bear fruit.  Unless we are getting all those things from Jesus we just can’t bear fruit; either the ‘fruits of the Spirit’ or the ‘fruit’ of making disciples.

He also says that if we ARE joined to Him, we will bear fruit that is ABUNDANT.  God will answer our prayers because we bear fruit.  And the world will know that we are Jesus’ disciples BECAUSE we bear fruit of God’s righteousness.

Finally, He says that we didn’t choose Him; He chose us, and put us in the world to BEAR FRUIT.  And the fruit we bear will remain, it will last, it won’t spoil and fade away; BECAUSE IT’S FRUIT FROM JESUS.  Makes me grin that He lets us be a part of this fruit-bearing project.