Attaching to the Vine

As Jesus and the eleven disciples walked from the upper room to Gethsemane, he gave them a picture to help them through the difficulties they would soon face. They were to think of themselves like branches attached to him as the grape vine. The Father as gardener had put that arrangement in place to accomplish his purposes in the world.

The picture had features that corresponded with what it represented. The branches were to produce fruit. To do that, they needed to stay attached to Jesus as their source of nutrients. They could not accomplish the Father’s purpose on their own. If they did not produce fruit, they would be cut out and thrown away. They were to produce fruit instead of leaves or other growths that would get pruned away; their efforts would come to nothing.

These disciples would deal with distractions, temptations, and threats. They could get entangled in popular expectancy for a different kind of Messiah with another agenda. They would need to resist the misdirection of religious leaders and political nationalists. Nothing else would do; they were not to adjust or give up but remain fruitful in the true Vine regardless.

The picture Jesus gave those first disciples serves well for Christians everywhere. We need to stick with the real thing, the real One, despite distractions, temptations, and threats. There is nowhere else to go; there is no one else to go to.

Participating in this symbolic meal together stands out among what we do to stay attached to the true Vine. Like nutrients circulating into vine branches, his influence flows into us through the attachments we exercise with him.