The Saviour’s abstinence in His absence

Kilskeery FPC Communion Service message, Lord’s Day, 14th January 2018, at 3.00 pm
Preacher : Rev Ivan Foster (Rtr)

“But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom,” Matthew 26:29.
“Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God,” Mark 14:25.
“For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come,” Luke 22:18.

Stream or download The Saviour’s abstinence in His absence


The Kingdom of God amongst men began with the salvation of Adam. All the OT saints were in it. “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 8:11.

Entrance into the kingdom has ever been by way of the new birth. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” John 3:5.

Whenever the gospel is preached the kingdom is brought near. “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God,” Mark 12:34.

There have been different dispensations of the kingdom. The Patriarchs, the Mosaic Law and today’s administration, the age of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power,” Mark 9:1.

There is a future manifestation of the kingdom. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand,” Luke 21:23-31.

It is to the coming of that era that the Saviour is referring in our texts.

I. Here is an aspect of the communion remembrance feast that is often overlooked or ignored.

“I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” This clearly states something which does not fit into the eschatology of many who deny that there is a Millennial Kingdom so these words are largely ignored.

II. It refers to a most happy reunion.

“I drink it new with you.” It surely speaks of celebration, a gathering again of the lord with His people of which the last supper was a foreshadowing.
“And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed (happy) are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God,” Revelation 19:8-9.

III. There are three different terms used of the kingdom in the three accounts of the last supper.

“Drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” A Family Gathering.

“Drink it new in the kingdom of God.” The world’s day is over. “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth,” Revelation 11:15-18.

“I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” There is a reference to a future manifestation of God’s kingdom, “shall come.”

The kingdom of God is amongst us today but there is a manifestation of it that lies in the future. As the kingdom of God in the days of Abraham differed in its administration from how it appeared in the Mosaic age and again from how it appears today so there is a future period in which it will differed yet again – the Millennial Age when the Saviour will directly govern the affairs of this world and His people will reign with Him.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years,” Revelation 20:4.

The Communion Table and its divinely appointed emblems speak to us today of that coming kingdom.