14:25 fruit of the vine. It is significant that Jesus called the drink “the fruit of the vine” (also in Matthew 26:29 and Luke 22:18) or “the cup” (I Corinthians 11:25-28) rather than “wine.” Even though the simpler term “wine” could have (in the context of that day) referred either to unfermented or fermented grape juice, He seems to have gone to special pains to make it clear that fermented wine could not properly represent His precious blood, no matter what may have developed by then as the Jewish custom at the Passover. Just as the Lord’s Supper was to be observed with unleavened bread (leaven representing evil), so it should be observed with unfermented wine. The leavening process and the fermentation process are essentially the same, catalyzed by the same organisms and both representing decay and ultimate death. The Lord shed “innocent blood” when He died, and it was to be symbolized by pure, unleavened, bread and wine.