What Did Jesus Mean by Saying to Remain in Him?

Have you ever noticed how frequently the word ‘remain’ shows up in John 15, the passage about Jesus being the True Vine: ‘I am the vine; you are the branches’?

4“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:4-8, emphasis added).

What does it mean to remain? (The English King James Version uses the word "abide.") The idea is of Jesus Christ's life-sap flowing through you by allowing the Word of God to be the pruning shears of the Holy Spirit. The disciples had Jesus with them for three years, speaking the very words of God. That's why He said they were already clean because of the words He had spoken to them (John 15:3). Also, He promised that if they stayed connected to Him (the Head) and His Word remained in them, they could ask for anything, and it would be given to them (v. 7). Our goal should be for the Word of God to take root in the soil of our character. The Pharisees of that time had the Word of God, the Old Testament, but they lacked the desire for the character change that God's Word can bring:

37And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life (John 5:37-40).

The religious Jews had studied the Holy Scriptures all their lives, but the Word of God had not taken root in them. We need to rearrange the furniture and create space for His Word. Any clutter in our hearts must be removed and sent to the junkyard, so that Christ and His Word can completely dwell and take root in the throne room. The Lord said something similar a little later to the religious Jews:

I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word (John 8:37; emphasis added).

The life and power of God flow freely through a man or woman who lives in faith and obedience to God and makes space in their heart for the Word of God. We often underestimate the power of the Word of God, but Jesus said this about His Word:

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life (John 6:63).

True discipleship involves living fully for Christ and staying spiritually connected to Him, Who is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). When we allow His life to flow through us, the Lord produces results that go beyond natural explanation—powerful prayers, blessings that honor God, boundless love, and unexplainable joy. All of these come when God's Word takes root in our hearts, and we are rooted and grounded in the love and power of Christ (Ephesians 3:17). The life-giving flow of this organic connection to Jesus will bring abundant fruit to your life. Keith Thomas

This shortened study is part of the Gospel of John series, Study 30: Jesus the True Vine.