Continue With Preparing The Apostles For His Departure - Enjoying An Intimate Relationship

Enjoying An Intimate Relationship

Following the memorial meal, Jesus has been encouraging his apostles with a n informal heart-to-heart talk. It may be past midnight. So Jesus urges: "Get up, let us go from here." However, before they leave, Jesus, moved by his love for them, continues speaking, providing a motivating illustration. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the cultivator, he begins. The Great Cultivator, Jehovah God, planted his symbolic vine when he anointed Jesus with holy spirit at his baptism in the fall of 29 C.E. But Jesus goes on to show that the vine symbolizes more than just him, observing: "Every branch in me not bearing fruit he takes away, and every one bearing fruit he cleans, that it may bear more fruit. . . . Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, in the same way neither can you, unless you remain in union with me. I am the vine, you are the branches."

At Pentecost 51 days later, the apostles and others become branches of the vine when holy spirit is poured out on them. Eventually, 144,000 persons become branches of the figurative grapevine. Along with the vine stem, Jesus Christ, these make up a symbolic vine that produces the fruits of God's Kingdom. Jesus explains the key to producing fruit: "He that remains in union with me, and I in union with him, this one bears much fruit; because a part from me you can nothing at all." If, however, a person fails to produce fruit, Jesus says, "he is cast out as a branch and is dried up; and men gather those branches up and pitch them into the fire and they are burned." On the other hand, Jesus promises: "If you remain in union with me and my sayings remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will take place for you."

Further, Jesus says to his apostles: "My Father is glorified in this, that you keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples." The fruit God desires from the branches is their manifestation of Christlike qualities, particularly love. Moreover, since Christ was a proclaimer of God's Kingdom, the desired fruit also includes their activity of making disciples as he did. "Remain in my love," Jesus now urges. Yet, how can his apostles do so? If you observe my commandments," he says,"you will remain in my love." Continuing, Jesus explains: "This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends."

In a few hours, Jesus will demonstrate this surpassing love by giving his life in behalf of his apostles, as well as others who will exercise faith in him. His example should move his followers to have the same self-sacrificing love for one another. This love will identify them, as Jesus stated earlier: "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves."

Identifying his friends, Jesus says: "Your are my friends if you do what I am commanding you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, because all the things I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."

Next time: Continue with Preparing The Apostles For His Departure- Enjoying An Intimate Relationship

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991