And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those around Peter. And afterwards Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. (Mark 16, the so-called Shorter Ending)

In the vineyard moderate stress will push the roots deeper. Once deep roots are established significant stress can improve the quality of a vintage.

In 2005 the Bordeaux region of France experienced a serious drought on top of several years of below-average rainfall. The result is what some call the vintage of the century – with 95 years still to come. Here is how Susan McCraith, a leading wine merchant, describes the 2005 vintage:

The dry conditions of previous years had already forced the vine roots to delve deep into the soil to find nourishment and they consequently did not suffer as much from the excessively dry conditions. Over the year there was 48% less rainfall than the 30 year average. When the rain did come it was timed perfectly to encourage the budding, flowering, the veraison (where the grapes change colour) and the final ripening. Temperatures were regular and warm with lots of summer sunshine and cool nights. The lack of rain also ensured a good, healthy crop with no sign of rot.

Jesus did not resist his persecution and passion. He understood what was ahead. Jesus perceived in this the fruition of his mission. Timing is everything in the vineyard. Jesus understood it was his time.

To ripen is to die. When the grape is hard and green it is growing. Early in the season the grapes drink deeply and grow quickly. But at some point – it is different each year and for each branch – growing stops and ripening begins. Dying begins.

Everything a grape may become is present in its first budding. Despite what we seem to see, the grape does not truly grow, rather it is transformed from hard and green to luscious with taste and color. The number of buds does not change. But the contents of the buds change considerably.

The sun creates sugar, color, flavor, and character. The sun’s light and heat takes the early potential and brings it forward… or not. Too little sun and the grapes remain simple and unsatisfying. Too much heat and the grapes shrivel. A balance of heat and light is needed to reveal the complex potential there from the beginning.

For the owner of a vineyard the key decision is when full potential has been achieved. That is the moment when the grapes should be harvested. That is the perfect moment of fulfilling death.