In John 15:5, Jesus emphasizes His role as the vine. If you’re anything like me, you may struggle with forgetfulness or casually drift away from abiding in Him, relying instead on your own strength. This reminder is for us. In just five verses, Jesus tells His disciples for the second time that He is the vine—it’s not us, our gifts, our abilities, our determination, drive, or ambition. It’s not our cleverness, finances, or possessions. It’s not dependent on what others say about us, or any false vine we might put in His place. There is only one true vine: Jesus.

The wonderful truth in John 15 is that as we abide in Him, He abides in us. He takes a lifeless branch and infuses it with heavenly power from above. Apart from this supernatural union, Jesus teaches us that we can do “nothing.” Take a moment to reflect on the weight of that phrase: “No thing.” Author John Piper elaborates on this idea:

“Oh, how we need to wake up to how much “nothing” we spend our time doing. Apart from prayer, all our scurrying about, all our talking, all our study amounts to “nothing.” For most of us the voice of self-reliance is ten times louder than the bell that tolls for the hours prayer. The voice cries out: You must open the mail, you must make that call, you must write this sermon, you must prepare for the board meeting, you must go to the hospital.” But the bell tolls softly: “Without Me you can do nothing.”

As we contemplate this reality, it’s easy to feel discouraged. However, let’s shift our focus away from ourselves and back to the vine. The Lord Jesus graciously invites us to abide in Him, offering us the opportunity to exchange our “nothingness” for His fruitfulness.