What does Luke 22:17 mean?

Jesus is leading the Passover meal with the disciples. It is the evening before His crucifixion. On the cross, He will be the perfect sacrifice that will bring life to those who ask for it (Hebrews 9:28). This is in fulfillment of the symbol of the lambs that died to protect the Israelites as they awaited liberation from their Egyptian slavery (Exodus 12).

The Passover seder includes four cups of wine to represent sanctification, judgment, redemption, and praise. This is the first cup. Before the first cup of wine in a Passover meal, the patriarch of the family blesses God for creating the fruit of the vine. This is the "thanks" Jesus gives. The cup Jesus uses during the Lord's Supper (Luke 22:20) is the third cup.

Although Jesus distributes the cup to the disciples, there's no reason to suggest He doesn't also drink this first cup. It is the third cup where the distinction comes in, where He says He will "from now on…not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes" (Luke 22:18).

Some people insist that Jesus never drank alcohol: they presume alcohol is inherently sinful, therefore Jesus could never have consumed it. In truth, wine is common in Jesus' culture; most water isn't healthy to drink (1 Timothy 5:23). Wine is especially used in celebrations (John 2:1–11). The wine Jesus drinks may be watered down, but there's no biblical reason to insist Jesus never drinks it. There are good reasons to avoid alcohol (1 Corinthians 6:12; 8:9–13), and people are welcome to refrain from alcohol as they feel convicted, but there's no reason to insist drinking alcohol is always a sin (Romans 14:1–4).