A Blessing in the Cluster
There is a sentence that just jumps off the pages of the book of Isaiah, which speaks of God’s heart and purpose for mankind. It is found in chapter 65, verse 6: “…as the new wine in found in the cluster, and they say, ‘Don’t destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, and not destroy them all.” Can you see the picture Isaiah paints here; a cluster of grapes that is hanging from the vine? It is then taken as a cluster and thrown into the wine press to make the delicious new wine. The emphasis is in the cluster, not the individual grapes. The grapes are not plucked individually, but rather must remain together to produces the new wine.
New wine speaks of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, after the infilling of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room, the disciples went onto the street and were praising God in the new language given them by the Holy Spirit. Those who observed this phenomenon thought that they had been drinking “new wine”. Peter got up and said to the crowd that was gathering that this was not the effect of alcohol, but was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In chapter one of the book of Acts, we see 120 disciples of Jesus together in one place and in one accord. As they were praying and praising the Lord, a sound of a mighty rushing wind willed the place where they were meeting and tongues of fire rested on each head. They were baptized with the Holy Spirit, as prophesized by the prophet Joel. The grapes were in a cluster and the new wine blessing was experienced by all.
Salvation is individual and requires personal faith in the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross. Being a part of the right group does not save us. It is the result of our personal, faith-response to Jesus. But having received Jesus as our Savior and Lord, He places us in His Body. This is the corporate expression of His will for us. The psalmist writes that God places the solitary in families, but it is the rebellious who dwell in a lonely and dry land. (Ps. 68.6) God has a special place for each of us in His family. It is in His Body where we are protected and cared for, where we participate in His giftings and callings and where we develop covenant relationships that express His nature and love. Listen to what the Bible promises to those who are in a cluster: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Mat. 18.20); “…if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Mat. 18.19). David writes in Psalms 133 that in the unity of God’s people is where He commands the blessing.
Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one as He and the Father were one. The revelation of the love of the Father as revealed in Jesus Christ, toward the lost, was dependent on the unity manifest among the believers. Being committed to the cluster, (church), not only has personal benefits, but also guarantees the success of the mission God has given to His church. The writer to the Hebrews warns not to forsake the gathering together. Some had deviated from His purpose and had isolated themselves. The result was disastrous for their faith. By staying in the cluster you are blessed and a blessing to others.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Isaiah 65.8; Psalms 133; 68.6; Hebrews 10.25; John 17