Chapter One
Stories from
the Vineyard
Have you ever been with someone very close to
you who is about to die, someone who loves
you and wants to leave you with a final word?
"Come closer." You lean close, straining to hear.
"I want to tell you something. I've waited until
now . but I can't wait any longer."
You know that you'll remember every word for the
rest of your life.
Now imagine that the person who is about to speak
is Jesus. How closely would you listen? How long and hard
would you ponder your Lord's last words to you?
In the pages to come, I invite you to encounter, perhaps
for the first time, Jesus' words in John 15-the heart
of His final message to His disciples on the night He was
betrayed. By dusk the following day, Jesus would be
stretched out on a cross, His body stripped and pierced,
His life ebbing away.
Jesus knew the words He spoke that night would echo
in His friends' memories for years.
In time, the truth of His
"deathbed conversation" would
lead them to a whole new way of
thinking. These final words are so
little understood today that I've
called them "secrets," but I'm convinced
that Jesus meant for their
meaning to be clear. The time for
parables and hidden meanings had
passed. He wanted every follower for generations to come
to know exactly how to live an overflowing life and understand
what God would do to make it happen.
Watch how the Savior carefully and tenderly chooses
the moment to speak.
Thursday Night Upstairs
If you've been a Christian for a while, you've probably
heard a lot about the upper room-the scene of the climactic
evening meal Jesus had with His disciples. You can
easily imagine, then, the men around the table reclining on
pillows, their faces turned toward the Master. You can hear
the muted conversation. You can smell the aroma of
freshly baked bread and of roasted lamb and onions.
It is the night before Passover, the Jewish day to
remember the nation's escape from slavery in Egypt.
Hundreds of thousands have come to Jerusalem to celebrate,
and this year more than ever the city is buzzing with
rumors about Messiah. More than one prophet has predicted
that on just such a day, Messiah will arrive to deliver
Israel from all of her oppressors forever.
But these men reclining around the table know something
the crowds outside don't. Messiah is already here. He
is with them here in the room.
The disciples have spent three years with Him, and
one by one they've come to the same conclusion: Jesus of
Nazareth is Messiah-the One worth risking everything
to follow. In fact, the disciples are so certain about how the
events of Passover week will unfold that they have spent a
good part of the journey from Galilee arguing about who
will get which position of honor in the new kingdom.
Dinner begins.
Peter, pass the lamb.
Hey James, let's get to the temple early. I don't want to miss ten
thousand angels teaching those Roman legions a lesson.
Psst, Matthew! I'd say our money woes are about to be history!
The disciples expect that these lamplit hours among
friends in the upper room will carry on into the evening,
poignant but peaceful, full of toasts to the good years to
come. But things begin to unravel.
The Unraveling
The apostle John recorded the exact moment the mood
changed:
And supper being ended . Jesus . rose from supper and laid
aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that,
He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples'
feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
(John 13:2-5)
Shocked, the men can only watch in shame as
Messiah swabs grime from between their toes. Water
plinks into the bowl. The disciples shift nervously, not
daring to speak. Why would tomorrow's king behave like
tonight's houseboy?
It gets worse. "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of
you will betray Me," Jesus announces (v. 21). The stunned
men look around the circle. Then comes the clincher. Jesus
tells Peter that before sunup, he will deny his Lord three
times. An awful realization begins to dawn: Their whole
mission is doomed.
Of course, Jesus has been trying to tell them for
months that His appointment in Jerusalem is with a cross,
not a throne. But His warnings have been mixed with predictions
that Messiah is about to return in power and glory,
and the disciples have heard what they wanted to hear.
But tonight Jesus strips away their last hopes. "A little
while longer and the world will see Me no more," He says,
"but you will see Me." That rules out any public triumph.
Jesus presses on. The final blow sounds like a concession
statement: "I will no longer talk much with you, for
the ruler of this world is coming. "That can mean only one
thing: Jesus is not the ruler; He will not be King.
Now I see pain written all over the disciples' faces.
Listen with me to Jesus' words. Out of context they seem
serene, almost hopeful. But in the crisis of this room, each
phrase mirrors the emotional devastation of His men.
Listen to His words . then watch their faces:
Little children . They're feeling small and weak.
I have loved you . They're staring at Him in disbelief,
mistrust, and fear.
Let not your heart be troubled . They're sinking in anxiety
and dread.
I will not leave you orphans .
They're slumping before Him like
abandoned children, defenseless in
a hostile world.
The evening in the upper room
ends. The questions end. Into the
silence, Jesus says, "Arise, let us go
from here" (John 14:31).
Light in the Vineyard
Eleven dejected men follow Jesus down the stairs and out
into the cool night air. Some of the disciples carry lamps
or burning torches to light the way. Perhaps Jesus tells
them where He is heading-to a garden on the Mount of
Olives where they often spent time. Perhaps they already
know. But I believe that as their footsteps echo through the
narrow streets, not a word is spoken.
The disciples follow Jesus down the hill, through the
winding streets of Jerusalem. Avoiding the temple mount
and its noisy, celebrating crowds, Jesus turns right and
leads them out of the city. Then they turn sharply left to
follow the Kidron Valley up toward their destination.
Along the terraces that follow the curve of the valley,
they pass through ancient vineyards. They walk in single
file between rows of neatly tended grapes, plants that have
been bearing fruit for generations. To the left above them
tower the city walls and the ramparts of the temple. Ahead
and to the right rises the Mount of Olives, where
Gethsemane and betrayal await.
Here Jesus stops. Hemmed in by rows of vines, the
disciples gather around. Lamps and torches sputter in the
night air and flicker in their eyes.
Jesus reaches for a grape branch. Showing signs of
new spring growth, its woody stem lies across His hand in
the golden light. Now He begins. "I am the true vine, and
My Father is the vinedresser" (15:1).
In the next few minutes Jesus talks quietly about
branches and grapes and how a vinedresser cares for his
prize vineyard. It certainly isn't what His disciples expect
to hear. But this is the moment Jesus chooses to reveal
their surprising destiny.
The Curtains of Heaven
Too many Christians I've met are standing in the shadows
of that vineyard. Like the disciples, they have discovered
that following Jesus has turned out far differently than
expected. They feel confused and disillusioned-maybe
even betrayed by God.
Do you? If so, listen carefully-I believe that a major
reason for your spiritual crisis may
be that you have not heard and
understood Jesus' words in the
vineyard.
For decades of my life as a
Christian, I didn't understand,
either. And because I didn't, I fell
out of fellowship. I struggled
against God. I settled for a spiritual
experience often characterized by disappointment, doubt,
and even anger. Looking back, I see that I was still thinking
about a God who would help me win on my own
terms. I had failed to lean close and listen.
But over the years, I was drawn back again and again
into that lamplit circle, and what I finally heard there has
brought freedom and joy into my life. Now I understand
what God wants from me-a fruitful harvest for Him.
And now I can see how He has been at work all along in
my life to bring that about.
Will you take to heart what Jesus said in those crucial,
final moments? Every word matters. Jesus wants to
pull back the curtains of heaven for you just as He did
for His disciples.
You see, Jesus was thinking of you, too, that night. I'm
sure of it. In cautious Thomas and reckless Peter, in guileless
Nathaniel and scheming James, He saw and loved you,
too. And I believe He has lovingly directed you to this
little book just as purposefully as He led His closest
friends into that vineyard.
The secrets of the vine that I will show you in the
chapters to come are our Father's amazing plan to keep
His children flourishing-physically, emotionally, and
spiritually. In fact, we could call them family secrets
because they're really only meaningful to disciples like you
who have followed your Lord all the way here . past the
celebration, outside the city walls, straight into the dark.
(Continues.)
