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Have you ever grabbed a piece of fruit only to discover that it’s rotten? From a distance, it looks good, but once you examine it closely, you realize it’s beginning to go bad. Maybe the outside looks fine, but inside it’s softening and starting to spoil. Or perhaps you’ve seen a bowl full of fruit so perfect and delicious-looking that you wonder if it is real.

This experience reminds us that not all fruit is equal. In John 15, Jesus used the metaphor of fruit to teach His disciples the importance of staying connected to Him through the Holy Spirit. He said, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” Just as tree branches can’t bear fruit unless they remain on the vine, we cannot produce lasting, meaningful fruit without living connected to Christ. We cannot do God’s will apart from Him.

In verse 16, Jesus explained why He chose His disciples, helping them understand their purpose as His followers. Knowing His time on Earth was coming to an end, Jesus entrusted His disciples to carry on His work: to “go and bear fruit.” To feed and nourish those with empty, hungry, longing souls. Just as Jesus instructed His disciples, we too are called to be seed-planters of the Gospel.

What type of fruit is your life producing? Is it the temporary fruit of the world that looks nice on the outside but may be rotten or empty inside? Or is it the lasting fruit born from a life that is connected to Jesus? God’s will is for you to bear fruit that endures, bringing the Good News of Christ to the world.