I’ve always been taken back by the part of the Easter story where Jesus tells his friends and disciples at their last supper together that he is not going to drink wine again until they are with him in heaven.

It’s not because I’m particularly fond of wine — it gives me a headache (yes, i know)…

But it’s because Jesus is denying something. In heaven right now, he is choosing to deny himself of something good. He is fasting from wine.

In every area of my life, and yours too, there is something being denied. In the suffering and devastating circumstances of our lives, it’s obvious that things are not as they should be. But, even in the bounty, there is still something missing.

If i have an amazing job, it’s not perfect. I’ll never be fully satisfied in it. If I have a great husband and family, I still may lose my patience. My church may be awesome, but maybe I wish they did things a different way.

I can build a bigger and better home and keep adding new furniture and design it to the best of my ability, but it’s still imperfect. There is always something missing that would make it more beautiful.

My point is this: we are denied full satisfaction here on this earth. Nothing here will ever be perfect or complete. We can strive to find it, but we never will. We will never be fully satisfied. We will never be fully content. And I think it’s good to keep our perspective in this.

But here is what is shocking to me: Heaven isn’t perfect yet either. Well, you know what I mean. It’s perfect, but there’s still something missing…

Us! 

And the wine of course.

Jesus is choosing to deny wine because he knows heaven is not complete without his Bride. We are not the only one’s being denied something right now.

Jesus is waiting for the marriage supper of the Lamb to drink wine again. And when we, his unfaithful and imperfect Bride that he has called his own, finally join him at the banquet table, we’ll all partake of it together. The celebration will ensue when his glorious inheritance arrives in all her beauty (that’s you and me).

And it’ll be best wine we have ever tasted. It’ll be the day that we know perfection in ALL things. Satisfaction in ALL things. We will be filled with all encompassing joy and oh, so much more.

So know — as you wait, unfulfilled, having many things denied to you today —

So he waits with you. 
So he denies for you.