John 15

Read John 15 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.

A word which is Repeated over and over again in this chapter, is abide.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine; no more can you, unless you abide in Me.” Joh 15:4

Abide is in Greek, Strong’s G3306, μένω meno, a primary verb meaning, “to remain, dwell, or continue.” The Septuagint translators of the Hebrew Scriptures used meno to translate Strong’s H3427 ישב yashab, a primitive root meaning, “to sit down.” The ancient pictographs are yud + shin + bet.

yud י = closed hand, thus work, throw, worship
shin ש = two front teeth, thus sharp, press, eat, two, again
bet ב = house, thus house, household, family, in, within

The parable being told by the Hebrew Root Word, is that when work (yud) is ended, we press (shin) into the house (bet), to sit down at the end of our day of labor. We sit down and dwell in the place we make our home.

The transformed life Jesus is describing is not available to those who merely go through the motions out of a sense of religious obligation. He is talking about people who dwell with Him, who remain with Him, who sit down with Him, and make Him their home. He is not even seeking a Master-Servant relationship, although He does point out more than one, that the one who loves Him, keeps His commandments. He is seeking a best friend relationship, a family relationship. His love for us is all-consuming, and He desires that all-consuming love from us back.

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