Topical Studies
Wine , Symbolism of
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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In the ancient Near East, with its scarcity of water, wine was a necessity rather than a luxury, so it came to symbolize sustenance and life. Due to its close relationship to the ongoing life of the community, in association with grain and oil, wine is also representative of the covenant blessings God promised to Israel for obedience, and which He would withhold for disobedience. Finally, wine also represents joy, celebration, and festivity, expressing the abundant blessings of God. Potentially, wine can generate either positive or negative results. Negatively, wine can be abused, causing a person to lose self-control. "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise" (Proverbs 20:1); and "do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation" (Ephesians 5:18). When Jesus made the water into wine, He did not intend for the wedding guests to get drunk. He provided the right amount for the number of people in attendance to enjoy themselves but not lose control.
Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Water Into Wine (Part Two)
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Leviticus 23:5 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The Passover, the first of God's commanded annual festivals, pictures the beginning—the very first step—in God's great Master Plan of salvation for mankind. The Passover was to be a yearly reminder of God's intervention in delivering the Israelites' firstborn from death. It also pictured, in advance, the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ, "our Passover" lamb (I Corinthians 5:7; I Peter 1:18-19), for the sins of mankind. The sparing of the Israelites' firstborn from the death angel through the shed blood of lambs on that first Passover is a symbolic type of our being spared today from the eternal penalty of sin (Romans 6:23) through Christ's sacrifice. After Jesus' death, the Passover, celebrated with the new symbols of unleavened bread and wine, became a yearly memorial of His sacrifice, for Jesus became the reality that the Passover lamb had foreshadowed.
Why Christians Should Keep God's Holy Days
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Matthew 26:26-29 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Jesus told His disciples to partake of unleavened bread and wine during the New Testament Passover service. Through this command, He charged His followers to observe it as a memorial of His death for all time. Since Christ's death completely fulfilled the symbolism of killing a lamb, we no longer need to slaughter a lamb in keeping the Passover.
Earl L. Henn (1934-1997)
Holy Days: Passover
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Matthew 26:26-29 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Jesus did not abolish the Passover—He merely changed the symbols used. Instead of annually shedding the blood of a lamb and eating its roasted body, we are now to use unleavened bread and wine. The New Testament Passover is to be kept as an annual memorial of Christ's death. It reaffirms year by year "till he come" (I Corinthians 11:26) the true Christian's faith in the blood of "Christ our Passover" (I Corinthians 5:7) for the remission of sins, as symbolized by the drinking of wine. Eating the broken bread symbolizes our faith in the body of Christ, broken open for our healing. Jesus Christ allowed His body to be ripped open in dozens of places by scourging until He could not even be recognized! He suffered this torture so we, through faith in His broken body for us, may have the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our bodies when we are sick (Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24; Psalm 103:2-3; James 5:14-15). And so the broken unleavened bread is a reminder to us that it is by "His stripes we are healed." As Christ Himself commanded, true Christians today observe the Passover on the eve of the day of His suffering and death—on the fourteenth day of the first month (Nisan or Abib) of God's calendar, in the evening, after the beginning of the day.
Why Christians Should Keep God's Holy Days
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John 13:1-5 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
During the evening of Nisan 14, Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover, commonly known as the "Last Supper." After the meal was served, Jesus rolled up His sleeves, as it were, tied a towel around His waist and washed His disciples' feet. Later in the evening, after He predicted that one of the disciples would betray Him (verses 21-26), Jesus introduced the symbols of bread and wine as part of the Passover service (Mark 14:18-24). Following this example, the church places the footwashing ritual first in the annual service.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Footwashing
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1 Corinthians 11:26 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The eating and drinking of these symbols reminds us every Passover of our Savior's death. We should remember, not only that He died, but also what manner of death He suffered. More importantly, we are forced to remember why His sacrifice was necessary.
Staff
Discerning Christ's Broken Body
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