It is a Thursday night of an incredibly crazy week. The biggest celebration of the year is literally upon them and the city is overflowing with people. Beginning on Sunday of the previous week, Jesus' words and actions have taken on a new sense of urgency that can both be felt and seen.
Jesus started His week by entering the city on a donkey, announcing his authority as King. Jesus then enters the temple and tosses tables, telling the people to stop messing up HIS Father’s house. He gives speeches about who is in and out of his kingdom, scolded the religious elite, and had some of the most amazing and tender moments with his friends. After eating a meal and washing the feet of his friends, they start the walk to the Garden, where Jesus will be arrested and led to slaughter. Now, in a full step towards the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus tells his friends, “I chose you and I chose you to bear fruit and that that fruit would remain…”
These words leave his friends with a sense of importance, fear, anxiety, and a sense of being loved. Because we see all of these moments in hindsight, we can see how Jesus finished his sentence; pause, though, and examine how He DID NOT finish his sentence.
I chose you…
to be mature
to be successful
to be happy
to be healed
to be prosperous
Can I be honest? “To bear fruit” feels like an unlikely ending to this sentence, yet it is the one Jesus chose. In fact, the whole sentence is awkward. In the day of Jesus, disciples chose masters, yet in the Kingdom of God, the Master chooses the disciples. If that isn’t upside down enough, the Master has an agenda: Go Bear Fruit that lasts.
Okay, hit the pause button again for a second. What is Fruit and what is fruit that lasts?
Fruit in this context is the multiplication of more disciples. Jesus is saying here, “this kingdom work we are doing is just getting started and it is going to take each of you making disciples too - you know - bearing fruit.”
I think it is important to remember, fruitfulness is the strategy of our Creator. To sustain life and health on the earth, God made things fruitful and then told people to work towards fruitfulness too. Every day I eat something that is the fruit of a harvest. When Jesus was launching this movement called the Church, he strategically chose people, people whose fruit would last generations.
It is also true that within the DNA of an apple is an orchard. The seeds carried with a few apples have the potential to produce an apple orchard. Within the DNA of every Christ-follower is another disciple.
Finally, I would suggest that the only real fruit that remains is the fruit that reproduces. Jesus said, “I want you to bear fruit - I even chose you for that reason. Oh, and I want that fruit to last.“
I have a basket where I put my apples, pears, oranges, and other fruit. This fruit has two “non-remaining” traits. Most of the time it gets eaten and this bears no fruit. Sometimes I do not get to it and it goes bad and ends up in the trash - also not fruit-bearing. If I wanted the fruit in my basket to bear fruit, I would need to get the seeds and plant them.
Let me finish this blog series by observing that fruit is natural. It is how God created, designed, and commanded creation. It is also how he designed the Church. When someone follows, they move towards trust. As trust grows, the love of God fuels their heart and they love. Loving leads to imitation and imitation leads to fruit that remains. If you are reading these words and struggle to bear fruit, go back and ask these questions.
Am I following?
Am I trusting?
Am I loving?
Am I imitating?
Where there is a no, then make an adjustment. Where there is a yes, give thanks.