Sinking your fingers into dark, loamy soil. Planting a seed. Watching it emerge as a tiny shoot and blossom into a mature plant. Few experiences connect us to the earth as richly as gardening. In the gospel that bears his name John tapped into this human impulse to cultivate life, using gardening as a metaphor for our spiritual lives. There are times however, when our modern understanding of agriculture sometimes prevents us from enjoying the richness of the Text’s gardening metaphors. In this teaching you’ll learn about the ancient tending of grape vines with which Jesus and his disciples would have been familiar. As you look at the Text with the eyes of an ancient audience you’ll discover fresh insights about our heavenly Gardener and his desire for cultivating fruit in your life.