Today, we turn to the Book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is often called the “weeping prophet,” because His ministry took place during the time when the southern kingdom of Judah was falling and fell. Jeremiah’s message was so distressing that the kings to whom he prophesied often considered him a traitor. The truth is the LORD had long before established how to determine whether a prophet was from Him: Everything the prophet says is true or will come true over time. Jeremiah’s message included the downfall of Judah, and no one wanted to hear that. It also promised restoration, but once again to have restoration, one has to fall, and no one wanted to hear that. Jeremiah was often persecuted by those to whom He offered the LORD’s plan, but he also challenged the LORD for putting him in such a situation. Thankfully, we’ll be continuing to read the Gospel of John and then Matthew as we read Jeremiah, so we’ll continue to experience the hope of the Gospel as we consider the primarily gloom and doom message of Jeremiah.
In Jeremiah 1, we’re told the tenure of Jeremiah’s term as the LORD’s prophet. He would serve through the final several kings of Judah, before their exile. We’re told Jeremiah was a priest, so He was already in the LORD’s service, but the LORD also told Jeremiah He had called him to be a prophet while he was still in his mother’s womb. The Lord’s plans for Judah were sure, and they included being torn down and eventually built up. The LORD also told Jeremiah He would use various nations to tear down other nations, and He would build up some of them. He also told Jeremiah why He was judging His people: They were unfaithful, and the major unfaithfulness was idolatry. The LORD doesn’t tolerate any sin, but idolatry is a direct affront to the LORD as God.
Jeremiah 2 lays out the LORD’s complaint against His people, and tells them why they are being judged. The list of reasons is long, and starts long before the current time. The LORD goes all the way back to when the people were wondering in the wilderness and entered the Promised Land. The main point is clear: You have exchanged me the one, true, and Glorious God for false gods, for idols. The LORD points out that even the nations surrounding Israel and Judah didn’t exchange their idols for other gods, and they were dead images, but He is the one, true, and living God. As the chapter progresses, it is obvious the people are guilty and the LORD is just in His judgment. This will not be the only time in the long book of prophecy we read of the LORD’s reasons for judging and exiling His people.
As we return to John 15, Jesus uses the image of a vine and branches to tell us of how vital our connection to Him is as His followers. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. As long as we “abide” or “remain” in Him, we will bear fruit. Jesus also speaks of His Heavenly Father as the “vinedresser.” He points out the Father’s role is to “prune,” us so we will bear more fruit. As with all types of pruning in the horticultural world, the gardener prunes good blooms that are too numerous, so some blooms will be the best. He prunes the sick or diseased branches that won’t get better, and he prunes away the dead branches that are taking up space needed by the healthy branches. As Jesus continued His discourse it became obvious abiding or remaining in Him meant obeying Him. As we live in obedience to Jesus we bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. Jesus continued by pointing out the connection between our love for Jesus and our obedience to Him. If we love Him, we obey Him. Jesus also told us greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. While this might have seemed like a dramatic illustration to the apostles, in less than twenty-four hours, Jesus would lay down His life, not only for His friends, but for the world! Jesus also pointed out it is in obeying Him that our joy is made complete. He told the apostles, He would no longer call them servants, but friends. He also told them if the world had hated Him–and it had!–it would also hate them. Thankfully, when we serve the LORD, and live in love and obedience to Him, the fruit we bear might offend some in the world, but it will please the one who really matters: Jesus!