Crushed Grapes and Broken Toilets

Have you heard the saying "Bad things come in 3's"? Here lately, my family has lived that out when our heat, fireplace and toilet all decided to gang up on us at the same time. The blessing and curse of home ownership, right? 

But I really don't think the number 3 is quite as bad as it's made out to be. In fact, I actually think it's quite holy. Before we get into that though, let's talk about wine! I know, it seems disconnected but hang with me!

Now wine connoisseur, I am not. I know red from white, sweet from bitter and that's about it. But if we reverse the clock about 2,000 years to ancient Israel, most of the citizens would be very familiar with all things wine since their livelihood depended on it. They knew a baby grapevine needed extra TLC with watering and protection. They knew the vines had to be precisely pruned so the eventual fruit would get enough sunlight at the right time, and they knew that it would take years before any fruit would ever come to be, THREE to be exact. And once the fruit finally ripened, they knew how to crush it, sometimes with their feet, to get the best juice. Winemaking was and still is a tedious, time-consuming task.

Now let's revisit the last couple days of Jesus' life on Earth. In Matthew 26 Jesus and his disciples come together to eat the Passover meal. At one point in the meal Jesus took a cup, gave thanks and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

Most of us are fairly familiar with the analogy of Jesus' blood and wine, but let's think deeper about how the wine came to be.

First, we need a seed. In Genesis 22 God blessed Abraham and said "I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore". In verse 18, God tells him that through his seed the earth shall be blessed. So here we have our seed. Check.

Next, this seed grows through the Israelites. Time and again we learn in the Old Testament that God protected and even pruned the Israelites just as Jesus describes in John 15:1-2. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful."

Sure enough, God pruning the Israelites did lead to more fruit. Finally, the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus, comes to Earth. At age 30 he began his active ministry. Then THREE years later, just as long as it takes a vine to produce a grape, Jesus was led to the cross.

After the seed planting, the protecting, the pruning, and all of the waiting, it is time for the final step. Jesus was beaten, pierced, crushed.

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities." Isaiah 53:5

But unlike crushed, discarded grapes, Jesus' story takes a turn.

After 3 years of ministry, 3 hours of darkness on the cross, and 3 days in the grave, He rose!

He was pressed on every side, but he was NOT crushed. He was knocked down, but NOT destroyed.

He went from the crushed to the crusher.

In Genesis, God cursed Satan saying "I (God) will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He (Jesus) will crush your head, and you (Satan) will strike his heel."

You see, it was Satan that was crushed, and JESUS' feet that got the final crushing!

And because Jesus overcame, so can we.

We aren't promised a life without trouble.

On this side of Heaven, we'll have broken heat units, toilets, and fireplaces,

BUT WE WILL NOT BE DRIVEN TO DESPAIR.

We'll have disease, financial worries, and tough relationships,

BUT WE WILL NOT BE CRUSHED.

We'll have injustice, addiction, and uncertainty,

BUT WE WILL NOT BE ABANDONED BY GOD.

We'll have corruption, division, and broken leaders,

BUT WE WILL NOT BE DESTROYED.

(2 Corithians 4:10)

"Take heart for I have overcome the world" 

-Jesus