Apart from Me, you can do nothing.
When I read John 15:5 the other day, the words of Jesus struck me as rather odd: “Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” I then wondered how these words might have struck the disciples when they heard them. Did they think of Jesus as a dictator, a type of control freak who wanted to keep a tight rein on all of their activities—someone always making sure they were under His strict surveillance? That type of speech seems abusive and oppressive. When they heard it for the first time did they wonder if Jesus was an insane egomaniac who had tricked them into joining a religious cult? I mean, what healthy person goes around telling others, “Apart from me you can do nothing”?
If the disciples didn’t believe Jesus was God and the expected Christ (John 1:41-45, John 4:26, John 10:30-33), the promised Messiah who loved them deeply (John 15:12-13), they wouldn’t have accepted “for apart from me you can do nothing.” In fact, later the apostle John wrote, “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life” (1 John 1:1).
The disciples truly believed that Jesus was who He claimed to be: God incarnate (Matthew 1:23), the Savior of the world (John 3:16; Acts 4:12), and the One who loved them deeply (Zephaniah 3:17). That’s why they were willing to suffer persecution and death for His sake. And if the disciples who walked with Jesus staked their lives on Him, so can we. Even if His words seem to be odd, we can trust Him. He’s proven Himself to be faithful and trustworthy—the true Son of God!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Matthew 6:19-34
More:
Read 1 John 1:1-5 and consider why the disciples’ eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life resulted in joy.
Next:
Where in your life do you have difficulty trusting Jesus and His words? What does it mean for you to remain in Him today?
Gary Shultz on July 2, 2015 at 6:24 am
Ah yes, sometimes things do seem strangely odd and I’m sure to the disciples it was staggering. However, they also saw events and witnessed to personal life like no one else ever did. A few things we must be convinced of, His power, His plan, His compassion, His perfectness and you can probably throw in a few others. Once we begin to see Who He really is what He says takes a little digestion until the two come together. So while we digest we can rest in what we know to be true. Thanks for something to chew on.
Ruth O'reilly-smith on July 4, 2015 at 4:56 am
Marlena, I’m reminded of Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine”. Although God’s ways seem odd when perceived with our human understanding, I’m grateful that, “God has made everything beautiful for its own time…” Ecclesiastes 3:11. As we grow in our understanding of God, we grow in our understanding of His ways – may we daily seek to know Him.