Sunday, August 1, 2010

It's Just Like Jesus - the Promise

"I say to you, from this time on, I shall drink no longer of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." (Mt. 26:29)

"They offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when He had tasted it, He would not drink." (Mt. 27:34)

Jesus made a lover's promise in Matthew 26:29, after He instituted the Last Supper and told them about the New Covenant. "We drink this betrothal cup together now," He said in essence. "You can continue to drink it to remember Me until I come for you. But I refuse to drink it again until we can drink it together in person, in My Father's House." (see previous post for the context of this promise.)

That promise was put to the test at Golgotha, barely 18 hours later. Many have said that Jesus was refusing the gall (which was a narcotic). Not so - because they would have said to Him, "Drink this. It will dull the pain." But He put it in His mouth anyway. He was willing to have the pain dulled.

But as soon as He tasted what they'd mixed the gall into - a wine base - He refused to drink. In other words, He spit out what He had in His mouth and refused to swallow it. Why? Because it was the fruit of the vine. Because He promised.

His promise to His beloved fiancée was that important to Him.

He made no exception just because He was going through exceptional circumstances. A promise was a promise was a promise.

A promise is a promise is a promise.

He kept His word then. He's keeping it now. And He'll keep it for eternity.

He's coming back for us. We can trust that because He has proven to us that His word is His bond.

He's saving His palate, reserving His taste-buds, until the Day that He calls for us, when we will meet Him in the air and go to His Father's house.

That will be one glorious, triumphant sip of wine.

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