Fruit of the Vine

• Matthew 26:29 (NIV84)

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The "fruit of the vine" could not have been grape juice because of time considerations. The Palestine grape harvest begins in the Jewish month of Elul (August-September). The harvest is over before Tishri 15-21 (September-October), the Festival of Booths - Deuteronomy 16:13. Because the last supper was on Passover, at Nisan 14 (April), seven months had elapsed since the harvest of the vine. Long before the last supper, any grape juice in Palestine would be well fermented. So, when Jesus drank the "fruit of the vine" at the last supper, we can be sure that he could only have been drinking wine. That is why, when the Corinthians re-enacted the supper, some of them could get drunk (1Corinthians 11:21).

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