Author: Jon Swerens

Throughout the history of the Church, it is wine that has been understood to represent the blood of the Lord in Communion. This is apparent in both Scripture (Matt. 26:29; 1 Cor. 11:21) and in Church History (see forwarded message: “wine in the confessions”). This is especially evident in Matt. 26:29 when the Lord refers to the “fruit of the vine.” The phrase “fruit of the vine” was the consecrated title ascribed to wine in Jewish culture, which distinguished it from typical fruit. This may seen in the “Mishna,” a collection of ancient Jewish religious teachings. It is here that we read that wine is to be blessed in a manner that distinguishes it from normal fruit: “How does one recite blessing for fruits? For fruits growing on a tree, one says, ‘Who created the fruit of the tree,’ Except for wine; For wine, one says, ‘…Who created the fruit of the vine.'” So, whenever the Lord said “fruit of the vine,” He meant wine and only wine.