Sermon held prior to celebration of the Lord's Supper

Singing: (Psalms and Hymns are from the "Book of Praise" Anglo Genevan Psalter)
Psalm 81:9,14
Psalm 130:1,2 (Psalm 12:4 after baptism)
Psalm 135:2
Hymn 1A
Hymn 65:1,2,3

Beloved Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ!

On the night of His betrayal, Jesus Christ broke bread and gave it to His disciples, poured out wine and gave it to them too. Then He spoke these concluding words: "Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Jesus had both broken bread and poured wine. Yet in His concluding words He says nothing about eating bread, speaks only of drinking the fruit of the vine. Odd. Why does Jesus not promise both to eat bread and drink of the fruit of the vine in the kingdom of God? Why only speak of drinking the fruit of the vine?? As it turns out, my brothers and sisters, this emphasis on the fruit of the vine points up the splendours of what the New Jerusalem is all about. Consider.

In the Old Testament we repeatedly come across the thought of Israel sitting under one’s own vine and figtree (cf I K 4:25). Coupled with that notion of sitting under one’s own vine and figtree was the notion that one could drink to satisfaction (I Kings 4:20). That picture of contentment under one’s own vine symbolised the abundant prosperity, the joyful merriment God would give to His redeemed people in the land of promise. They had been redeemed from slavery to Egypt, and now were to enjoy God’s many blessings. Precisely this was the tragedy of the wedding of Jn 2 where the wine ran out; that symbol of God’s blessing, of being able to enjoy God’s redemption, of delighting on God’s salvation was gone.

On the evening of His betrayal Jesus vowed to stay away from the "fruit of the vine", wouldn’t touch it until the kingdom of God had come. That kingdom would not come in its fullness until Jesus’ return on the clouds of heaven. On that last day God’s kingdom shall be there in all its fullness, and then, beloved, then Christ shall "drink the wine new in the kingdom of God." Of that drinking we read in Rev 19; on the last day will come "the marriage supper of the Lamb" when Christ and His people will enjoy together the blessings of the final Promised Land, Paradise Restored. That’s when all those Old Testament prophecies about the new Israel, including the abundance and the peace symbolised by possessing one’s own vineyard, would be fulfilled.

Christ today does not drink from the fruit of the vine. We, meanwhile, shall shortly sit at the table of the Lord, there - according to the command of Christ- to eat bread and to drink of the fruit of the vine. We drink - why?- "in remembrance of" Him (I Cor 11:25). As we drink of the fruit of the vine, we remember today not only the blood of Christ poured out on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins; we remember also that Jesus Christ has entered Paradise Restored, and He now abstains from wine until we can enjoy this blessing of the New Land with Him. He waits, because the riches of that Promised Land are not for Christ alone; it is the will of God that Christ should be the first of many brethren, brethren who will enjoy with their Saviour the rest and contentment of Paradise Restored!

Ours is today a broken life, with much sorrow, pain and trouble. In this broken life the Lord our God sovereignly sets before us His table, with the command not only to eat but also to drink. By so doing, the Lord directs our attention to the Promised Land, that marriage feast of the Lamb where all the guests are "blessed", that New Jerusalem where God dwells with His people to "wipe away every tear from their eyes." Once that marriage supper has come with its abundance, "there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Rev 21:4). That new earth with its rest and contentment, its abundance and happiness: that’s what our God in Jesus Christ lays before us today. Today we’re reminded that tomorrow the Saviour will drink the wine new with us, and we will drink it new with Him. Amen.