Friends

In this second section of Jesus' discourse on the vine, He makes some very startling claims. First, He declares that the perfect and complete love that the Father has for Him is the same love that He has for His own. Second, He commands that His followers abide in that love and that, in so doing, they lay down their lives for the brethren. To encourage this obedience, Jesus informs the disciples that it is He who has chosen them and appointed them to bear fruit that remains. How many modern Christians could characterize themselves by this standard? This calls for self-examination and earnest prayer.