The night before the crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples: I am the vine, you are the branches, and My Father is the gardener. What follows is not a threat. It is a description of how a vineyard works, offered by someone who knew His listeners understood pruning – and what a skilled gardener does to keep something alive and fruitful. The word translated “cuts off” can also mean “lifts up.” The word translated “prunes” shares its root with the word for clean. Today we look at what this passage actually says about loss, preparation, and the Gardener who always knows what He is doing.
Tag Archives: covenant
The Fourth Cup | Daily Bread
Someone told me to look up the fourth cup. So I did. What I found locked into place something I had already sensed was true – that there is a literal thread running from the upper room straight to the cross, held together by a cup Jesus deliberately did not drink. This is not symbolism. This is the most purposeful love story ever told.
Twin Tree Project 