4 October, 2024

Grapes of Peace

by | 10 March, 2020 | 0 comments

By Daniel Schantz

“The blossoming [grape] vines spread their fragrance” (Song of Solomon 2:13).

The grape juice our churches use for Communion was developed by Thomas Welch, a Methodist minister, physician, and teetotaler, in the 1860s. He thought it hypocritical for preachers to oppose drinking and then serve alcoholic wine for the Lord’s Supper. Since grape juice contains its own leaven, he used pasteurization to stop fermentation. Welch’s Grape Juice Company resulted from his efforts to sell the juice to churches.

But the choice of “grape juice” as the symbol of Christ was entirely God’s idea, and it was the perfect choice because the grape is rich in symbolism.

The grape symbolizes beauty: A vineyard is a place of charm. Clusters of purple pearls hang from leathery vines, accented with crepe green leaves. Drenched with dew, these orbs of sweetness are mouthwatering to behold. Could any fruit better represent the fairest Lord Jesus? The blood of the grape was the ideal choice to illustrate the liquid love that dissolves the sins of the world.

The grape symbolizes life: The fruit of the vine has always been a symbol of the good life, a toast to joy, friendship, and success. Furthermore, the health benefits of grapes are now widely known and appreciated.

Since grapes are grown on every continent except Antarctica, the symbol is recognized by every civilization on earth.

The blood of Christ is a lifesaving transfusion. Jesus said to his disciples, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53).

The grape symbolizes sacrifice: To make grape juice, the grape must give up its life. Trampled by bare feet or squeezed in a press, the grapes lose their pretty shape, and their beautiful skins are discarded.

The squeezing of the grape is like the crushing of the life of Christ for our sins, when he was executed in our place.

The grape symbolizes sweetness: 20 to 30 percent of the grape is sugar, making it one of the sweetest fruits you can eat.

Imagine for a moment picking washtubs of grapes from an arbor. Imagine the smell as they are cooked in a big pot and then pressed through a funnel-shaped colander to remove the seeds and skins. The house fills with the ambrosia of fresh grapes, a fragrance that lingers for days.

Beauty, life, sacrifice, sweetness—they all come together in Christ.

We drink to that.

Daniel Schantz is a professor emeritus of Central Christian College of the Bible, Moberly, Missouri.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Columns

Re-becoming a Child of God

What is a child of God? I certainly identified myself this way, but I defined it through my service and leadership in the church. But what happens when the titles are transferred? What happens when the gift set has no place to be plugged in? How can I be a child of God without the things that I’ve used to define me as one?

The Solomon Foundation Doesn’t Just Believe in this Movement, We Believe in You!

There is no doubt that we at The Solomon Foundation really believe in this movement and that we put our resources and energy to work every day to help the person in a hard and resistant urban environment, the ministry volunteer in a rural church virtually invisible to the world outside of its community, the preacher trying to figure out how to connect more effectively to the community while lifting up the name of Jesus, and the church leadership wanting to reach out to new communities through multi-site. We don’t just believe in this movement; we believe in you! 

New Discoveries on Medical Care for Transgender Youth

Gender dysphoria is real. To treat them with anything less than compassion is not Christian. What is up for debate is the efficacy of the current practices in transgender healthcare for youth. Recently, England released a scathing review that challenges the established gender affirming care model.

Rules of Engagement

Faced with the inevitability of conflict, how should Christians conduct themselves? What are our rules of engagement? With Scripture as our frame of reference, here are some, but certainly not all, of the rules. 

Follow Us