No. 496 “Why Don’t I See More Fruit?” August 23, 2026

No. 496 “Why Don’t I See More Fruit?” August 23, 2026 If you’ve been following Jesus for a while, you may have wondered, “Why am I still like this? Why do I keep getting angry about the same things? Why do I keep worrying about the same problems?” So we promise ourselves, “I’ll do better this time.” We try harder, set new goals, and make better plans. But change still comes more slowly than we hoped. In John 15, Jesus does something surprising. He doesn’t begin with the fruit. He begins with the source: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” (John 15:1). One word stands out: “true.” Why does Jesus call Himself the “true vine”? In the Old Testament, Israel was pictured as a vine that God brought out of Egypt and carefully planted (Psalm 80:8–11). Isaiah describes God preparing good soil, clearing away stones, and planting the finest vines. Yet when He looked for good fruit, He found wild grapes instead (Isaiah 5:1–7). God desired justice and righteousness, but His people failed to produce the fruit that matched their calling. It is against this long history of failure that Jesus says, “I am the true vine.” What Israel could not fulfill, Jesus Christ, the obedient Son, fulfills. And now His life flows to those who are connected to Him. That means our hope is not another promise to ourselves—“This time I’ll finally get it right.” Our hope is staying connected to the Christ who never fails. We tend to look at the fruit first. How much have I grown? How strong is my prayer life? Am I becoming a better person? But a branch cannot produce fruit by itself. Jesus says, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Spiritual fruit is not a report card we manufacture to impress God. It is evidence of Christ’s life flowing through us. That doesn’t mean we simply do nothing. Jesus gives us a clear command: “Remain in me” (John 15:4). The Greek word menō (μένω) means to remain, stay, or not leave. Jesus describes that life as letting His words remain in us (John 15:7), remaining in His love (15:9), and walking in obedience to Him (15:10). The Father cultivates. Jesus supplies the life. We remain in Him. And His life produces fruit. Are you tired of staring at what seems to be missing in your life? Look away from the fruit for a moment and look again at the Vine. The hope of the Christian life is not that the branch is strong enough. Our hope is that the Vine is true. This week, read Psalm 80:8–11, Isaiah 5:1–7, and John 15:1–11. Ask one simple question: “What am I connected to today?” Stay in His Word, and take one small step of obedience. Before trying harder to produce better fruit, learn to stay closer to Jesus. Before there can be good fruit, there must be the True Vine—Jesus Christ.