Lesson 8

CHRIST OUR LIFE

Christ was born nearly 2000 years ago. Centuries before, God had called Abraham to be the founder of a new people. Through the ages God taught them and prepared them for the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ, and His saving work.

Christ lived for about 30 years only, the last three of them spent in teaching, preaching and training a special group of followers. His mission of saving mankind from the slavery of sin was fulfilled at terrible cost even to the last drop of His blood shed on the cross.

But His Father accepted His Son’s offering, and He showed His acceptance by raising Him from death to a wonderful new life, which Christ promises to those who believe in him.

VINE AND BRANCHES

While He was still with His followers Christ made a thrilling promise to them : "I am the true vine, and it is my Father who tends it. The branch that yields no fruit in me, He cuts away : the branch that does yield fruit, He trims clean, so that it may yield more fruit. You, through the message I have preached to you, are clean already; you have only to live on in me, and I will live on in you. The branch that does not live on in the vine can yield no fruit of itself; no more can you, if you do not live on in me.

“I am the vine, you are its branches; if a man lives on in me, and I in him, then he will yield abundant fruit; separated from me, you have no power to do anything. If a man does not live on in me, he can only be like the branch that is cut off and withers away; such a branch is picked up and thrown into the fire to burn there.

“As long as you live on in me, and my words live on in you, you will be able to make what request you will, and have it granted. My Father’s name has been glorified, if you yield abundant fruit and prove yourselves my disciples. I have bestowed my love upon you, just as my Father has bestowed His love upon me; live on, then, in my love. You will live on in my love, if you keep my commandments, just as it is by keeping my Father’s commandments that I live on in His love.” (John 15, 1-10).

But these words of Christ, exciting as they sound, have little value today if they apply only to that little group to whom they were spoken 2000 years ago. Do they have any meaning for me today? Can I live with that life today? Can I produce in my life the fruit Christ promises?

These are questions that each one who meets Christ needs to answer. For on Christ’s own word, He had left something more than fine teachings; He has left something more than a mere book. He says that He gives life – His own life – to men. If this is true, then Christ Himself must live on among men today. It must be possible for me to Meet Christ not only in books; it must be possible for me to MEET CHRIST Himself living, yes, living even today.