Joy Unleashed.
As the flood waters subside and Noah’s feet hit dry ground, we meet a plant that will crawl throughout the Bible and onto Scripture’s final pages—the grapevine (Genesis 9:20). Appearing in various forms, from vines and vineyards to winepresses and wine, the grapevine emerges in every genre of biblical literature, drawing on several themes to form a multifaceted image of both delight and dread—God’s good gifts and his just wrath. Eventually these themes intersect in Jesus, the true vine who drinks the cup of God’s wrath and unleashes joy to those abiding in his love.
Throughout the Old Testament, the vine’s fruit repeatedly surfaces as its agricultural product: wine. This fermented beverage is often associated with joy (Psalm 4:7; Ecclesiastes 9:7) and, when bundled with oil and grain, becomes a three-fold image of covenant blessing, the loss of which represents curses for covenant betrayal (Joel 1:10; Hosea 2:8, 9:2). Israel’s prophets continue this theme, making grain, oil, and wine a standard stand-in for end-time blessing, stoking their hopes for a new Promise Land (Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13; Isaiah 25:6).
But the biblical story’s depiction of wine isn’t exclusively positive. When abused, wine becomes an accelerant for sin, starting with its very first mention in the biblical story (Genesis 9) and replayed throughout the wisdom literature of God’s people (Proverbs 20:1; Ephesians 5:18). Wine also enters the prophetic vocabulary for depicting God’s judgement, a cup of wrath poured on unrepentant covenant-breakers (Jeremiah 25:15; Isaiah 63:6). Jesus adopts this theme in his Garden prayer, surrendering to the “cup” he’ll soon drink to reverse Eden’s curse—the penalty for sin absorbed by his blood (Matthew 26:39).
Perhaps the vine’s most famous appearance comes in a metaphor. Playing on Isaiah’s description of Israel as God’s vineyard (Isaiah 5:7), and expanding his “I AM” claims in John’s Gospel, Jesus introduces the “vine and branches” picture—himself the true vine; his disciples the branches. This element, union with Christ, is added to the vine’s already brimming library of thematic overtones.
On his final night, Jesus sipped some wine and announced: “I will not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). New wine, the end-time blessing longed for by Israel, becomes the church’s hope—a coming marriage banquet with God (Revelation 19:9). For now, following his instruction, those abiding in the Vine regularly gather to drink this fruit together, a perpetual declaration of blood shed for the forgiveness of sins.
Joy and judgement; communion and curse: these themes intertwine in the image of vines. As those who follow Jesus, we enter the metaphor, branches on a vine bearing fruit by abiding. We wince to think of drinking God’s wine-like wrath, only to watch our Vine gulp the contents for us. Forgiven, we flourish, bearing good fruit as we’re nourished by union to this Gardener. Soon we’ll join his table to drink new wine, delighting in the joy of his presence forever
Rooted Collection Engraving
The Rooted Collection illustrations are more than beautiful artwork; they’re daily reminders to follow Jesus who, unlike Adam, listened to God and chose the Tree of Life—even when it meant his own death. Add a Rooted engraving to you Bible here.