Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world and go to the Father. While sharing his last meal with his disciples, Jesus told them he was leaving, which they struggled to understand. Throughout that evening, he told them a series of analogies, illustrating the relationship between himself, the Father and his disciples, and why he must leave.
In one of his examples, a vineyard is the setting, he tells them…
Imagine yourself as branches of a vine, where I am the vine and my Father is the vine-keeper. Any branch that hinders growth, will be cut off and thrown on the waste pile. The vine-keeper will prune the remaining branches to produce good fruit. In the same way that branches can only produce fruit when they stay connected to the vine, you will produce fruit only when you stay connected to me. If you reject me, you will be like the branches that have been cut off and burned on the waste pile.
You are the branches that have been pruned by learning what I have taught you. Because you have stayed with me, you understand truth, and you know my father.
Now that you know what to ask for, my father will give you what you request. In this way, my father is glorified by your fruitfulness.
Not every one of your branches will produce fruit, or be healthy. Some of your branches will hinder growth or never reach the light. Just as the vine-keeper trims off the branches that do not produce fruit, he also removes the branches that inhibit the health of the vine. Bundling these branches that were removed, he puts them on the waste pile.
In the same way that branches can only produce fruit when they stay connected to the vine, you will produce fruit only when you stay connected to me. If you reject me, you will be like the branches that have been cut off and burned on the waste pile.
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