How much do you know about vineyards? I know nothing about vineyards. In ancient times it was common in Palestine to have vineyards. The people would even ornately the temple with grapevines. In the Old Testament, God used the vine as imagery to describe Israel. Read Psalm 80:8-9
As we know, the Israelites became a wild vine because they wandered away from God’s covenant relationship with God. God makes a few comments, referring to His people as the vine and being planted. Look at verses Jeremiah 2:21 and Isaiah 5:1-2. When we are not abiding in God, we, too, will be a wild vine.
Read Galatians 5:19-21. What fruit grows out from the ‘wild vines’ of following the desires of our sinful nature. What stands out to you an area of struggle. When we live a life that is doing life with Jesus, we produce sweet, healthy fruit. Having a relationship with Jesus is not about putting on an ornamental grapevine for show. Jesus is our absolute source. Our only source of produce good and healthy fruit. Let’s continue reading Galatians 5:22-23. When we have the Holy Spirit in us, what kind of fruit do we produce according to these verses?
Just think, our Heavenly Father, the gardener, planted his very own son on earth to be with us. Jesus, being the obedient and humble son, accepted this assignment. He is our true grapevine. Jesus is fully divine. He is one with God the Father. Jesus’s role wasn’t glamorous. He was born of a virgin, born in a lowly manger, lived a simple ordinary life. It was nothing of what a King should have had. He was even crucified for us. It cost Jesus dearly to be our true grapevine.
I don’t know about you, but using a grapevine metaphor is hard for me to grasp. Gardening is hard for me to connect to because I wouldn’t say I like it. How about you? Look at the following scriptures and see if there is a metaphor you can relate to and why it speaks to you.
John 6:35, 48, 51; 8: 12, 9:5; 10:7, 9,11, 14; and 14:6
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being our gardener. Thank you for planting Jesus right on earth with us. I pray that we will abide in you daily and not have it as a show.
In Jesus Name
Amen
