Vintage Time

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” Mark 2:22

Setting the stage for what’s to come for the future of Israel, the Nation.

Making Wine

The process of making wine involves several steps, including:

• Sanitizing

  Sanitizing all equipment that will come into contact with the wine is the most important step. Contamination from wild yeasts and bacteria can ruin the taste of the wine.

• Destemming

  Separating the stems from the grapes can reduce the amount of tannins and vegetal flavors in the wine.

• Crushing

  The grapes are crushed.

• Fermentation

  The grapes are placed in vats and undergo alcoholic fermentation, where the sugars in the grapes are converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide gas by yeast.

• Pressing

  For red wine, the grapes are pressed after fermentation to remove the skins. White wines are pressed before fermentation.

• Aging and bottling

  The wine can be aged in bottles, stainless steel barrels, or large wooden ovals.

Wineskins

A "wineskin" is a traditional container for storing and transporting wine, made from the tanned skin of an animal, usually a goat or sheep, essentially acting like a leather bag for holding wine; it is considered an ancient method of storing wine

Vinedresser

The vinedresser is the keeper of the vineyard. His task is to cultivate each branch so that it will bear as much fruit as possible.

Vine

The vine is a symbol in the Bible that has multiple meanings, including:

Jesus as the True Vine

In the book of John, Jesus uses the metaphor of a grapevine to explain his relationship with his disciples:

• Jesus is the vine: Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman".

• Disciples are the branches: Jesus says, "You are the branches".

• God is the gardener: Jesus says that God is the one who plants, waters, and prunes the vine.

• Branches that don't bear fruit are removed: Jesus says that branches that don't bear fruit are taken away and burned.

Israel as the Vine

In the Old Testament, the people of Israel are referred to as a vine in several passages:

• Psalm 80:8–16

• Isaiah 5:1–7

• Jeremiah 2:21

• Ezekiel 15:1–8, 17:5–10, and 19:10–14

• Hosea 10:1

• Vine as a symbol of God's wisdom

  In the Torah, Divine Wisdom is compared to a vine:

  • Sirach 24:17 says, “Like the vine I bud forth delights, and my blossoms become glorious and abundant fruit”.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Matthew 21:33-46)

21:33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner (ANCIENT OF DAYS) who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers (ISRAEL) and went into a far country.

34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

35 And the vinedressers took his servants, (PROPHETS) beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Luke 11:47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’(JESUS)

38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. (CRUCIFIED)

40 “Therefore, when the [OWNER] of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers (GENTILES) who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone which the builders rejected (the doctrines and laws by the chief priests and the elders)

Has become the chief cornerstone. (Rejected by the Jews, was embraced by the Gentiles)

This was the LORD’s doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be [taken from you] and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.

46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

Two Nations

This parable plainly sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation; and what is spoken to convict them, is spoken to caution all that enjoy the privileges of the outward church.

And let us ask ourselves, whether we (Christians) who have the vineyard, and all its blessings, render fruits in due season, as a people, as a family, or as individuals. Our Savior, in his question - “what will He do to those vinedressers”, declares that the Lord of the vineyard will come, and when he comes he will surely destroy the wicked.

The chief priests and the elders were the builders, and they would not admit his doctrine or laws; they threw him aside as a despised stone.

Jesus the Messiah was rejected by the Jewish nation, but was embraced by the Gentile nation.

Christ knows who will bring forth gospel fruits in the use of gospel means. The unbelief of sinners will be their ruin.

May Christ become more and more precious to our souls, as the firm Foundation and Cornerstone of His church. May we be willing to follow him, though despised and hated for his sake.

The Parable Summed Up

Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!