Abiding in Christ
John 15:1–11 | Baptism Sunday | Justin Doyle – July 20, 2025
Baptism Sunday is one of the best pictures of what the Church is meant to be people dying to self and rising to new life in Jesus. And what better passage to open than John 15, where Jesus calls us to abide in Him?
This chapter is deeply personal to me. The last time I preached it, I thought I’d never be in ministry again. But this chapter carried me. Why? Because it shows us two powerful truths:
Jesus is who we could never be.
Being united to Him is the greatest thing in the universe.
Let’s dive into this chapter through two big themes:
Expect pruning and Your position is clean.
🌱 Jesus Is the True Vine
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1). This is the final “I AM” statement in John, and it’s deeply rooted in the Old Testament. Throughout Scripture, Israel is described as God’s vine (Psalm 80, Isaiah 5), but it failed to bear lasting fruit.
So now, Jesus says, I am the true vine. The fulfillment. The source of real life and growth. Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeds.
✝️ This is the gospel:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift…” (Romans 3:23–24)
We can’t bear fruit without Him. But in Him, we can thrive.
1️⃣ Expect PRUNING
“Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2)
Here’s the hard truth: growth comes with cutting.
God the Father is the master gardener, and His goal isn’t comfort, it’s fruitfulness.
He removes what’s dead and disciplines what’s alive. That means even faithful followers of Jesus will experience seasons of pruning.
Think:
A hard diagnosis
Family tension
A tough workplace
Loss or suffering
🌿 Pruning isn’t punishment, it’s preparation.
Hebrews 12:6 reminds us:
“The Lord disciplines the one he loves.”
God is shaping you through your trials. He’s not wasting them. He’s working through them. The question is not if pruning will come, but how you will respond when it does.
2️⃣ Your POSITION is CLEAN
“Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3)
This is incredible. Jesus says, you are already clean. That means in Christ, you are already accepted, already loved, already forgiven.
So why does pruning still happen? Because your pruning isn’t for punishment, it’s for purpose. It’s proof that you belong to Him.
🧼 In John 13, Jesus tells Peter,
“The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet… and you are clean.”
You are pruned because you’ve been cleaned. You’re disciplined because you’re a son or daughter. And when God looks at you, He sees Jesus.
🧡 Abide in Him = Abide in Joy
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)
Jesus doesn’t invite us into religion, He invites us into joy.
Abiding in Jesus means remaining in His love, drawing on His strength, and living in His joy.
You don’t need to earn it. You just need to stay connected to Him. His joy becomes your joy. His life becomes your life. His love becomes your love.
Reflection
Are you in a season of pruning? How might God be working through your circumstances to grow deeper fruit in you?
Do you believe you’re already clean? What lies are keeping you from fully embracing your position in Christ?
Are you abiding in His joy—or trying to produce your own? What needs to shift this week to stay connected to the true vine?
Small Group Questions
01. What relationship in your life felt close? Why did it feel that way?
02. What does it mean to be close with or “abide” in Christ?
03. Have you ever felt too unclean to be near Jesus? What was that like? (Let the room take time to think. It will take most people time to respond)
04. Where are you at with nearness to Jesus in this season?
05. How is Jesus pruning you? (Think: pain points the Father is using to sanctify you or struggles with your walk that God is calling you upward in)
06. Pray over the struggles together.