Read: John 15:1-16 | Listen: John 15

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” John 15:16a

Jesus kneels to wash his disciples’ feet, while sharing the Passover meal with them. He then sends Judas, his betrayer, into the night. With his arrest and crucifixion hours away, Jesus knows his disciples are troubled. He comforts them and prepares them for life when he will no longer be physically with them. Describing himself as the “true vine,” Jesus urges them to remain in him to grow and bear fruit. Then he reminds them how their journey began. Jesus made the first move, inviting them into a relationship with him. That same night, these disciples fall asleep when he asks them to pray and run away when soldiers arrest him. Peter even denies knowing him. Yet Jesus’s love for them is not based on their performance. Their relationship with him begins with his grace.

Our journey as disciples begins with his grace, too. Grace is God’s undeserved favor—a gift we could never earn. It’s easy to get this backward and think we must do enough, know enough, or be good enough to earn God’s love. But discipleship is not a requirement for receiving grace; it’s our response to the grace we’ve already received. Jesus invites us to follow him, not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of who he is and what he has done for us on the cross.

TODAY: Thank God for his grace using this prayer: “Lord, thank you that I don’t have to earn your love. I’m grateful for the gift of Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross. Thank you for showing me grace even when I fall short, especially when ____________. Help me follow you today.”