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"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit HE prunes, that it may bear more fruit. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit. My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit." John 15:1-2,5,8

Todays story is from the final instructions that Jesus gave his disciples before he was crucified. The Thursday before Easter is referred to as “Maundy Thursday”. Which basically is the celebration of the Last Supper. On this day we remember Jesus in his final hours with his disciples.

Imagine being at dinner with Jesus that night. He is there enjoying an evening with his closest friends. There is good food and laughter and story telling. The disciples have no idea what tomorrow holds for them and for Jesus, they are just enjoying their time tonight. But Jesus knows. He knows the pain that awaits him. He knows he will soon leave his work in the hands of these men who are gathered around him. He knows this is his last night with them and he has saved some of his most important words for these final hours.

He begins by filling a basin with water and washing the feet of these men who have journeyed with him for the last three years. (John 13:2-5) The disciples are uncomfortable with this. They should be washing their leader’s feet. But Jesus insists. He is showing them what true servant leadership looks like.

After declaring that one of them will betray him and sending Judas out to do what he has planned, Jesus leads the eleven out of the warmth of the room and into the dark of the streets of Jerusalem.

After walking for awhile, they leave the busy city and begin to pass through ancient vineyards. Grapes have been growing on these vines for many, many years. Here, in the glow of torchlight, in the middle of rows of vines, Jesus reaches for a grape bunch and begins to share his final words with them. “I am the true vine and my Father is the vinedresser.” (see above)

What does it mean that Jesus is the true vine and God is the vinedresser? Who are we in this grape illustration? Why would this be so important for Jesus to help his disciples (and us) understand?

Jesus’ referral to himself as the vine means that he is saying he is the large, thick trunk of the grape plant that grows up from the ground. He is the source of life for the plant. All the nutrients that the grapes need come up through the trunk. Apart from the trunk, grapes cannot be produced and the plant withers and dies. Jesus, our trunk, is the only source of life we have. Apart from him, we produce nothing and we wither and die.

God as the vinedresser means he is the owner of the vineyard and tends to the plants. It is his love, his pruning, his care that causes the branches to bear the best fruit. Likewise it is God who allows us to bear fruit.

In this beautiful illustration, we are the branches. Our job is not to worry about nutrients or pruning or even to thing about grape size. Our role is to stay connected to the vine. Abiding means to remain or stay connected. When we connect with Jesus everyday, we are doing what we were made to do as branches. The rest is all up to the vine and the vinedresser.

Jesus used his last hours with his disciples to remind them to be branches connected to him and cared for by God. It is a great reminder for us as well as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus this Easter weekend.

Invite a friend to go to Easter services with you this weekend. Then tell your friend what you know about the last night of Jesus’ life. Maybe even grab a bunch of grapes and explain it to them the way Jesus explained it to his friends.

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(Each new devotional will be put up in the evening of each day, so they are available to read throughout the next day.)