If you joined us in person for worship of our Lord last weekend or watched online, you may recall that I mentioned during the message that John's Gospel account includes seven "I AM" statements of Jesus. Last week, we heard Jesus say, "I AM the Good Shepherd." This weekend's Gospel includes Jesus' words, "I AM the true vine." Jesus goes on to say we are the branches attached to the vine – fruit-bearing branches that the Father prunes so they can become even more fruitful. 

Martin Luther once commented on this section of John describing what it must have been like for a branch to see a gardener coming with a hoe and a sickle to cut on it. There's no way that is going to feel good.  And then he comes with manure to spread around it which no one finds pleasant. Yet those things are done for the health of the branches attached to the vine – a vine which itself (in the case of Jesus and His suffering and death) went through pain and suffering that there might be the wondrous fruit of all who live by faith in Him being the forgiven, redeemed children of God. So, if that is how the Father works with His own Son whom He dearly loves, we can be assured that He will do the same with us who are attached to Jesus. 

That is very difficult for us to accept when the problems of life pile up on us. Yet there is a remarkable truth taught in the Scriptures that while the devil and his minions work to bring pain and suffering, our heavenly Father has a wondrous way of controlling things so that what seems harsh and anything but for our good can be used for our good, drawing us (and others who watch us) closer to Him. This is what we see in the example of those who were willingly martyred for the faith, as well as for those we know who endure the miseries of life not by their own strength but by relying on the love of Him who did not spare His Son but gave Him up for us all that we might remain in Him for all eternity.