Well this next lesson follows closely on the heels of the last, continuing the point that Jesus has made in vs. 2, particularly concerning "...those branches in Me that bear no fruit...". Now of course, there are basically three things that could cause a branch to stop bearing...first, by simply "running out", like most all fruit-bearing branches eventually do (imagine a strawberry plant, which runs out and needs replanting every other year or so). Secondly, they get diseased, as with the dreaded "black knot", which marks the end of a tree's usefulness. And then, as with all of us, there is the inevitable old age, plain and simple...when they just wither up and quit, in many cases, for no observable reason, other than their capacity for fruit-bearing is ended (see 2 Peter 1.3-10).
"...these He taketh away." That is, the Husbandman. Now I just had to consult "parallel translations", regarding verses 2,3, and came up with this meaning for that phrase, "He cuts away any branch on Me that stops bearing fruit, and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more. You must remain in union with Me, and I will remain in union with you." And vs. 6, "If anyone does not remain in union with Me, he is thrown away as a mere branch...that is picked up to be put on the fire and burned."
Now try as you may, there is simply no other way to interpret that, or explain it away, either one...a fruitless branch is only fit for the fire. But the Lord would not have wanted His learners' attention focused on the fruitlessness, but on the "much fruit". To be sure, the fire sears a very strong impression upon our minds, but He would not want disciples to serve Him out of fear...rather, a burning desire to please, to honour and to glorify Him! Really, what other purpose should good spiritual fruit serve?
But then, there's this matter of the pruning, sometimes unsparingly, for the purpose that the branch bear even more, or even better fruit. "...But you are already clean...", and made ready for every season of life, by, as He says in vs 3, the cleansing of His very word...the same word by which we are born, and matured, and purged as well (see Romans 5, James 1). The purpose being, not to fit us for heaven, but to fit us for earth...for life here day-by-day, on this third planet from the sun; to make us more fruitful that we are, and for the benefit of others, and for the the glory of God! Peter has recorded that, "...souls are purified by obeying the truth through the Spirit." And Paul has written that, "...we are washed, sanctified and justified by Jesus Christ."
So, as He says in vs.4, "Abide in Me...". Come and walk in My shoes and I'll wash your feet every day, but you must engage your will, to do it. Those eleven had been washed in the water of His words, but fruit-bearing involves "abiding". However, in order to "abide in Christ", we must first "be in Christ"...to have a fully conscious, sustained relationship with Him, by Holy Spirit. And when that be the case, He goes on to say, He "abides in us".
Is that simple enough? When you think of it, if you break relations with someone, they, out of necessity, break relations with you. That's one of the so-called, "laws of nature"! "Tea for two, and two for tea; me for you, and you for me. O can't you see, how happy we both would be?" Because the branch cannot bear fruit of itself.
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