Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Bearing fruit » Who shall yield fruit
And we should not become tired of doing good things, for eventually we will receive [never ending life] if we do not give up.
Verse Concepts
But the person who was sown on the fertile soil is the one who hears the message and understands it. Truly, he produces a crop that yields one hundred, sixty or thirty times [as much as was planted]."
Verse Concepts
Then there were those who were sown on fertile soil. These represent people who heard 'the word,' accepted it and yielded a crop of thirty, sixty and even a hundred times [as much as was planted]."
Verse Concepts
And those people [represented by seed falling] in the fertile soil are those who possess a good and honest heart when they hear the word [of God]. They hold on to it and patiently [continue until they] produce a crop.
Verse Concepts
[Jesus continued], "I am the real vine, and my Father is the owner of the vineyard. He will cut off [See verse 6] every branch [i.e., follower of Christ] who is in [fellowship with] me that does not bear fruit. And He will prune every branch that does bear fruit, so it will bear more fruit. You people are already 'clean' [i.e., have been pruned of undesirable traits] because of [obedience to] the teaching I have given you. read more.
Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains united to the vine, so neither can you people [bear fruit] unless you remain united to me. "I am the vine; you people are the branches. The person who remains united to me, and I to him, will bear much fruit. For you cannot do anything if [you are] separated from me. If a person does not remain united to me, he will be thrown out as a [fruitless] branch and dried up. People gather up such branches and throw them into the fire to be burned [as fuel ?]. If you remain in [fellowship with] me and my teaching remains in your hearts, [you can] ask for whatever you want, and it will be done for you. My Father is honored by your bearing much fruit and [thus] showing that you are my disciples. "Just as the Father has loved me, [so] I have also loved you. You should continue to receive [or, respond to] my love. [Note: The next verse tells how this can be done]. If you obey my commandments, [then] you will continue receiving my love; just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and [so] continue receiving His love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in your hearts, and that your joy may be complete. My commandment [to you] is this: You should love one another just as I have loved you. No one has [any] greater love than to give up his life for his friends. You people are my friends if you do what I command you to. I do not call you slaves anymore, for a slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have told you everything that I heard from my Father. You [apostles] did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear much fruit [i.e., through their evangelizing], and that your fruit should last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask Him for in my name [i.e. by my authority].
Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains united to the vine, so neither can you people [bear fruit] unless you remain united to me. "I am the vine; you people are the branches. The person who remains united to me, and I to him, will bear much fruit. For you cannot do anything if [you are] separated from me. If a person does not remain united to me, he will be thrown out as a [fruitless] branch and dried up. People gather up such branches and throw them into the fire to be burned [as fuel ?]. If you remain in [fellowship with] me and my teaching remains in your hearts, [you can] ask for whatever you want, and it will be done for you. My Father is honored by your bearing much fruit and [thus] showing that you are my disciples. "Just as the Father has loved me, [so] I have also loved you. You should continue to receive [or, respond to] my love. [Note: The next verse tells how this can be done]. If you obey my commandments, [then] you will continue receiving my love; just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and [so] continue receiving His love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in your hearts, and that your joy may be complete. My commandment [to you] is this: You should love one another just as I have loved you. No one has [any] greater love than to give up his life for his friends. You people are my friends if you do what I command you to. I do not call you slaves anymore, for a slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have told you everything that I heard from my Father. You [apostles] did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear much fruit [i.e., through their evangelizing], and that your fruit should last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask Him for in my name [i.e. by my authority].
Bearing fruit » Who is planted firmly
Let both of them grow together until it is time for the harvest; then at that time, I will tell the harvesters, "Gather up the weeds first, and bind them up into bundles to burn. But gather the wheat into my barn."'"
Verse Concepts
Care » Remedy for
Keep your lives free from the love of money [and be] content with what you have, because God [Himself] has said [Deut. 31:6], "By no means will I [ever] desert you or give up on you."
Verse Concepts
Look at the birds in the sky; they do not plant seeds or harvest [a crop] or store [things] in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them [adequately]. Are you not a lot more valuable than they are? And which one of you can worry yourself into living a single day longer? And why are you worrying about clothing? Consider how [wild] lilies grow in a field; they do not work or weave, read more.
yet I tell you that even Solomon, clothed in his very finest royal robes, was never dressed [as luxuriously] as one of these flowers. So, if God so [beautifully] dresses the grass in a field, which is [green] today, and [then] tomorrow [dries up and] is thrown in the oven [i.e., as fuel], will He not do even more in providing your clothing, you people with such little faith? Therefore, do not worry by asking, 'What are we going to eat?' or 'What are we going to drink?' or 'What are we going to wear?' For these are the things that the [unconverted] Gentiles keep trying to get. But your heavenly Father [already] knows you need these things. So, you should put the kingdom of God and what He says is right first [in your lives], then all these things [i.e., food, drink and clothing] will be provided for you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have enough to be worried about in itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
yet I tell you that even Solomon, clothed in his very finest royal robes, was never dressed [as luxuriously] as one of these flowers. So, if God so [beautifully] dresses the grass in a field, which is [green] today, and [then] tomorrow [dries up and] is thrown in the oven [i.e., as fuel], will He not do even more in providing your clothing, you people with such little faith? Therefore, do not worry by asking, 'What are we going to eat?' or 'What are we going to drink?' or 'What are we going to wear?' For these are the things that the [unconverted] Gentiles keep trying to get. But your heavenly Father [already] knows you need these things. So, you should put the kingdom of God and what He says is right first [in your lives], then all these things [i.e., food, drink and clothing] will be provided for you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have enough to be worried about in itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "So, I tell you, do not worry about [the material things of] your life, [such as] what you will eat or what you will wear on your body. For there are more important things in life than food, and [more important things about] your body than the clothing [you wear]. Look at the ravens; they do not plant seeds or harvest [a crop]; they do not have a storage locker or a barn, and [yet] God feeds them [adequately]. Are you not a lot more valuable than those birds? read more.
And which one of you can worry yourself into living a single day longer? So, if you are not able to do even a little thing like that, why are you worrying about the rest? "Consider how [wild] lilies grow; they do not work or weave, yet I tell you, even Solomon, clothed in his very finest royal robes, was never dressed [as luxuriously] as one of these [flowers]. But if God so [beautifully] dresses the grass in a field, which is [green] today, and [then] tomorrow [dries up and] is thrown into the oven [i.e., as fuel], will He not do even more in providing your clothing, you people with such little faith? So, do not look [anxiously] for what you will eat, and what you will drink, and do not be [continually] worried [i.e., about such things]. For all these things are what the [unconverted] nations of the world keep trying to get. But your Father [already] knows you need these things. So, look for God's kingdom and these things [i.e., food, drink and clothing] will be provided for you. " [And], do not be afraid, little flock [Note: Jesus refers to His small band of disciples as sheep following Him as their Shepherd], for your Father was pleased to give you the kingdom.
And which one of you can worry yourself into living a single day longer? So, if you are not able to do even a little thing like that, why are you worrying about the rest? "Consider how [wild] lilies grow; they do not work or weave, yet I tell you, even Solomon, clothed in his very finest royal robes, was never dressed [as luxuriously] as one of these [flowers]. But if God so [beautifully] dresses the grass in a field, which is [green] today, and [then] tomorrow [dries up and] is thrown into the oven [i.e., as fuel], will He not do even more in providing your clothing, you people with such little faith? So, do not look [anxiously] for what you will eat, and what you will drink, and do not be [continually] worried [i.e., about such things]. For all these things are what the [unconverted] nations of the world keep trying to get. But your Father [already] knows you need these things. So, look for God's kingdom and these things [i.e., food, drink and clothing] will be provided for you. " [And], do not be afraid, little flock [Note: Jesus refers to His small band of disciples as sheep following Him as their Shepherd], for your Father was pleased to give you the kingdom.
Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and [special] petition, along with thanksgivings, you should make your requests known to God. And [when you do], the peace from God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and thoughts [from anxiety] in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus.
Therefore, be humble [in your actions] before God's powerful authority, so that you may be exalted [by Him] at the proper time. Place all your anxious cares upon God [in prayer], because He genuinely cares about you.
overmuch Care » Trust in God should free us from
Hope » Those that hope in the lord
Life » Of the spirit » Unfading, of the righteous
Righteous » Compared with » Fruitful trees
Rivers » Illustrative » (fruitfulness of trees planted by,) of the permanent prosperity of saints
compared to Saints » Fruitful trees
Summer » Characterized by » Excessive heat
Trees » Figurative
Trees » Saints as
Trees » Illustrative » (good and fruitful,) of saints
In a similar way, every healthy tree produces wholesome fruit; but a diseased tree produces [only] bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot produce bad fruit and neither can a diseased tree produce wholesome fruit.