Session 2

Monday: Signs and Vines

From Holy Week Devotional

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, He shared parables and performed signs that pointed to deeper spiritual realities. This is especially true during the events of Holy Week. A fruitless fig tree sits on the side of the road, and He curses it. Was this simply to prove His power as the Son of God, or an act of anger because He was hungry? No, the intentionality of Jesus runs far deeper—and to understand it, we have to view this withered fig tree in light of John 15. 

The withering of a simple fig tree is actually a withering critique of those who cling to religion without bearing fruit. Today, we sometimes look at the Pharisees as villains, the ringleaders of Jesus’ arrest and death. But in reality, they were fervent in their faith, and they strived to obey God. But in their devotion to religion, they missed something vital: the heart of God. By clinging to Jewish law that had been passed down since the Old Testament days, they missed the kind of life He truly had to offer them—a life of abiding in His love instead of militantly following religious rules and passing judgment on anyone who didn’t. 

It’s good to obey what God commands. But following the rules doesn’t save us; a relationship with Jesus does. When we are connected to Him like a branch on a vine, we experience life to the full. Without Him, we wither away like the fig tree. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. 

Journal: What are the ways you can deepen your everyday relationship with Jesus, not simply by following rules, but by abiding in Him—thoughts, words, and actions?