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What Does the Bible Say About..The Kingdom?

During the Last Supper Jesus said to his disciples Matt 26:29, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. It is similar in Mark 14:25. Luke 22:19 "for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes"

In Matt is Jesus talking about not drinking of the fruit of the vine until his disciples get to the Kingdom of God or when we all get to the kingdom of God?

Or will Jesus not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes? This is what I think but I could be wrong.

Answer

You make some good observations. However, the only thing we can conclude from the statements Jesus made is when he would next drink the fruit of the vine. It says nothing about when the disciples will drink. All Jesus is saying is that his time has come. He will not see another Passover on this earth.

Some would try to say that we won’t drink the fruit of the vine with Jesus until we get to heaven. One reason for this, to which you seem to subscribe, is that the kingdom of God is yet to come, and possibly will only be in heaven. The problem with that theory is that the kingdom of God came on earth almost 2000 years ago. Paul says that those who were in the church were in the kingdom.

“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26) Paul says Jesus will give up the kingdom at the end, not that that is the beginning of the kingdom.

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” (Colossians 1:13) Christians in Paul’s day were already in the kingdom.

“That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12) They had already been called into the kingdom.

John also said he was already in the kingdom. “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 1:9)

There are times when the kingdom is spoken of in the future, but that is a continuation of the kingdom that now is. The disciples in the first century, after the beginning of the church, were already in the kingdom.

Further, Paul said that Christians in his day drank the cup with Christ. “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17) Communion would be a sharing with Christ. In a sense, then, he is already drinking with us in the kingdom.

Even if that is not what Jesus is talking about, even if he will not drink it again until after the judgement, that does not mean that we don’t drink it together in the kingdom even now. Nor does it say that the kingdom will not come until Jesus drinks with his disciples. All it says is that sometime after the kingdom has come, whether a long or short time after, Jesus will again celebrate the Passover with his disciples.