Chapel Blog
More Than Wine
Alcohol abuse is an issue. Alcohol impairs judgement and produces results a sober person would never have allowed. This is a case where the natural thing (alcohol) is being used in a way it was never intended to produce results it does not have the power to deliver.
If you tried to hang from a small branch of a tree, for example, you would hardly be surprised when it snapped, and you ended up with an injury. But isn’t this exactly what we’re doing when we expect spiritual results (joy, fulfillment, peace, satisfaction, love etc...) from natural things?
We are physical beings living in a physical world with natural desires, but that’s not all we are. We are also spiritual beings with souls and eternal needs that can only be satisfied in supernatural ways. Jesus says in John 15:1, “I am the true vine...”. Vines, the ones he’s referring to produce grapes. Grapes, when pressed, fermented and stored for an appropriate amount of time in the right conditions produce wine. Wine, for those living in the United States who are over the age of 21, is part of the meal. It’s also part of traditions, and ceremonies. It represents investment, love, and time. It indicates that this meal is not just for sustenance, it’s for enjoyment.
If you tried to hang from a small branch of a tree, for example, you would hardly be surprised when it snapped, and you ended up with an injury. But isn’t this exactly what we’re doing when we expect spiritual results (joy, fulfillment, peace, satisfaction, love etc...) from natural things?
We are physical beings living in a physical world with natural desires, but that’s not all we are. We are also spiritual beings with souls and eternal needs that can only be satisfied in supernatural ways. Jesus says in John 15:1, “I am the true vine...”. Vines, the ones he’s referring to produce grapes. Grapes, when pressed, fermented and stored for an appropriate amount of time in the right conditions produce wine. Wine, for those living in the United States who are over the age of 21, is part of the meal. It’s also part of traditions, and ceremonies. It represents investment, love, and time. It indicates that this meal is not just for sustenance, it’s for enjoyment.
All of these things are wonderful. But it is not the wine itself that produces these things, the wine merely represents or facilitates these things. So, when wine is consumed in excess it does not result in what we hoped. Instead, it produces loose lips, poor judgement, accidents, and poverty. Wine is just a natural thing with the kind of limits and restrictions that all natural things have.
Jesus, on the other hand, says, “I am the true vine...”. He’s no longer talking about something natural; he’s talking about the “super” natural. You might be wondering, how is love, or peace supernatural? In Galatians 5, they are among the blessings given to us in the fruit of the Spirit. They are spiritual, not natural.
So, in the last supper Jesus offers the fruit of the vine and says, “this is the blood of my covenant.” He’s not talking about wine anymore. He’s using the wine to illustrate and represent something that the wine could never produce. No, Jesus is talking about His blood which is about to be spilled on the cross; this is cause for celebration.
When we drink natural wine, it has temporary benefits that will never last. And because it’s a natural thing it is limited in its ability to meet our expectations. But, when we drink of Jesus’ blood in covenant with Him, the True Vine, we will never be disappointed. We need to refocus our lives to look higher than the natural, we need to be people who see with supernatural eyes that we might experience eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Jesus, on the other hand, says, “I am the true vine...”. He’s no longer talking about something natural; he’s talking about the “super” natural. You might be wondering, how is love, or peace supernatural? In Galatians 5, they are among the blessings given to us in the fruit of the Spirit. They are spiritual, not natural.
So, in the last supper Jesus offers the fruit of the vine and says, “this is the blood of my covenant.” He’s not talking about wine anymore. He’s using the wine to illustrate and represent something that the wine could never produce. No, Jesus is talking about His blood which is about to be spilled on the cross; this is cause for celebration.
When we drink natural wine, it has temporary benefits that will never last. And because it’s a natural thing it is limited in its ability to meet our expectations. But, when we drink of Jesus’ blood in covenant with Him, the True Vine, we will never be disappointed. We need to refocus our lives to look higher than the natural, we need to be people who see with supernatural eyes that we might experience eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Westminster Christian School, located in Palmetto Bay, Florida, is a private, college-preparatory school for children from preschool through twelfth grade.