be a fruitful branch

Jeremiah 33:15

In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth: and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.

Zechariah 6:12 Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord.”

John 15

1 I am true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 

Psalms1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yield its fruit in its season And its leaf does not whither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

As I read through Jeremiah and the old testament prophets, I see many references to Jesus Christ as a branch. Jesus himself described himself as a branch or as a vine. We must be connected to that vine in order to bear fruit.  

Bro. Elzie Quinn once told a story about a walnut grove near his home.  One time some branches were cut off from the trees along the road and left on the ground. Those branches bore beautiful walnuts and he excitedly gathered those walnuts and took them home.  When he began to break open the beautiful shells, there was no meat.  Not one had any actual substance inside. He learned quickly that to actually bear good fruit, a branch must be connected to the source of Life.  

God does not want us to be dead, fruitless branches. Jesus described in John 15 that branches who do not bear fruit are to be cut off and cast away.  What fruit are we to bear?   

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Matthew 7:20 So then, you will know them by their fruits. 

We are known by our fruits. Are we bearing bad or good fruit?  No fruit is definitely unwanted.  Good fruit is what we need to bear.  We need to inspect our fruit and make sure it is the fruit that comes from the Spirit of God.  If it is bad fruit, it needs to be pruned and removed.  If we are not bearing fruit, we need to examine ourselves and our relationship with Christ.  We need to be connected to the Source of Life. Without the Source, there is no fruit. Without the Spirit, there is no good fruit.