John 15:16 –“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
Here Jesus is speaking to His 11 disciples in a very personal way and this is also applicable for every disciple of Jesus always. All these 11 disciples received and obeyed the call from Jesus wholeheartedly and left their job, family, money and other worldly ambitions and followed Jesus Christ. After three and a half years, towards the end of their life with Jesus on the earth, Jesus emphasizes in these verses the fact that they did not chose Him. This is teaching us the fact that it is God, out of His Grace, who choose all of us and no one can come to God with his own righteousness- all righteous deeds are like filthy rags in the sight of God. (Isaiah 64:6) Jesus chose every disciple and appointed each and every one of them to have a fruit bearing life
Jesus tells all His disciples “I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain”. Jesus chose every disciple and appointed each and every one of them to have a fruit bearing life (He provides the privilege, resources and authority to each disciple to have such a life).
Jesus assures each one of His disciples that His father is very generous in providing all the requirements to fulfill such a fruit bearing life, when we ask for it. “Whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you”.
Jesus already explained the the conditions to bear fruit in the first part of this chapter (John 15:4-8). No disciple can bear fruit without Jesus “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (V5). Apostle Paul also highlights this truth in his testimony “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). For bearing fruit and much fruit, the disciple has to abide in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ has to abide in disciple (Christ’s words has to abide in disciple) V5, 7.
By keeping the commandments of Jesus Christ and walking under the control of His Spirit, we can make sure that we are abiding in Jesus Christ and He in us. “The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1John 3:24).
By walking in a manner as Jesus walked, every disciple can make sure that he is abiding in Jesus. “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked”.(1 John 2:6)
When we live the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ, there will be lots of oppositions and persecutions from Satan and his forces (2 Tim. 3:12) but be encouraged that God choose us, appointed us, and is providing all the resources we require to live a life that bears fruit. He Himself is abides in us so we can overcome all that opposition “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4)
May God bless all of us to lead the life of a true disciple of Lord Jesus Christ
