I have a fond childhood memory of picking fruit with my grandmother. We would drive over to the next valley that was full of orchards. In the spring, descending the hills down into this town you could see miles of flowering trees. In the late summer, the flowers were replaced with green leaves and fruit. We picked cherries, plums, and peaches. Having seen the trees from a distance with the promise of their sweet delights, we would run out into the orchard with our buckets. Finding the ideal tree loaded with fruit we would climb up into it and start picking. We usually would eat until we were full then start filling the bucket.
The fruit tree and fruit has been used to teach many concepts in the New Testament. Fruit was something everyone understood. Even today most of us are not tied to an agricultural community, but the truths taught with fruit are still understood and communicate heavenly truth. That is why God commands that we have it (Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:7). Godly fruit is in connection with the salvation of others. The gospel bears fruit (Col. 1:3-8). The word is the seed (Matt. 13:3). There is the need to harvest a crop for eternal life for the fields are ready for the harvest (John 4:35-36). Paul’s goal was to obtain this fruit (Rom. 1:13). There is the fruit of repentance (Luke 3:8). The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25). We are also instructed about the fruit of righteousness (Phil. 1:9-11). The blessings of having these types of fruit means that the opposite is also true.
Distinctions will be made based on the fruit that people produce. Only those that bear fruit will enter the kingdom (Matt. 7:20-21; 21:43). People will be known by their fruit (Matt. 12:33). Not having fruit will result in being cut down and cast into the fire (Luke 13:1-9). Those that “participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness” will not inherit the kingdom (Eph. 5:3-7, 11-12). For that reason, we are told that if we have certain qualities, “you will be neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:3-11).
There are things that need to happen in our lives for good fruit to grow. It is associated with dependency on Christ (John 15:4-5). We need to live pure and blameless lives, one that is pleasing to God (Phil. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-12). In doing so, we are recognized for who we are (Luke 6:43-45). We are true disciples of Christ (John 15:8). We will be in the kingdom (Matt. 21:43). There are eternal rewards for those that endured the work (2 Tim. 2:3-7). Fruit will be credited to our account (Phil 4:14, 17-18). We need to make sure that we are producing the kind of fruit that will bring about that eternal reward. As one expects to find fruit in the orchard, God expects those delights from us also.