describing how one becomes a Christian, but how one lives as a Christian after placing his or her trust in Him. Second, Jesus draws heavily on the metaphor of a vineyard, a powerful symbol with roots running deep into the soil of Israel’s history (Ps. 80:8–9; Isa. 5:1–7; Ezek. 15:1–5; Hos. 10:1). No illustration touched the Hebrew soul like the image of a vinedresser and his vineyard. Third, the primary subject of Christ’s teaching is abiding, not bearing fruit. At no point in the discourse is the