Did Jesus Make Alcoholic Wine?

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Did Jesus Make An Alcoholic Wine?

A statement was made in another thread, that, “Jesus made alcohol.”

But is that statement true?  Could Jesus have made and distributed alcohol?

If He did, then He has no right to judge drunkards on Judgment Day.

Every drunkard became a drunkard because he had one drink which led to another, which led to another, which subsequently led to several more

Why?  Because from the first drink, the alcohol began controlling him and he was too weak to resist it.  The very first organ of the body that is affected by alcohol is the brain.  This is because the alcohol is absorbed, through the stomach lining, into the bloodstream.  Once in the bloodstream, the alcohol makes a trip to the brian.  There, it destroys brain cells that can never be recovered.

Even at a low BAC, (Blood Alcohol Content) the Cerebral Cortex and the Corpus Callosum are affected.  The Cerebral Cortex is the region of the brain where one’s thought process and consciousness (awareness) are centered.  Even at 0.01 BAC, one’s thoughts and awareness are lessened.  (of course, the one who drinks will not readily admit it, for the main reason that his awareness level has lessened.  In other words, he doesn’t even realize that the alcohol is affecting him!  He thinks he is in control of all his senses when he is not. 

That’s the deceptive nature of alcohol.  It affects the drinker without him realizing that it is affecting him.  Then, it is too late.

The Corpus Callosum is the region of the brain that governs ones movement and balance.  Again, even at 0.01 BAC, the Corpus Callosum is affected.  Reaction time is affected.  People are not as quick to judge a situation when their Corpus Callosum is affected by alcohol.  The greater the amount of alcohol, the closer one gets to “falling down drunk.”

Proverbs 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

John 2:1-5 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

First off, if there had been alcohol at the wedding feast, it is doubtful that Jesus would have attended.  The guests had drank so much of the wine supplied by the governor of the feast that they emptied the storeroom of the wine. 

Scripture says, “And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.”  When who wanted wine?  Why, Jesus and His Disciples of course.  They were invited to the feast, and when they wanted wine, Mary informed Jesus that the wine supply had been exhausted. 

In another thread, I pointed out the fact that Jesus could not have drank alcohol.  Who He was and what He represented prevented His partaking of alcoholic beverage.  Yet, in John’s Gospel, we are told that Jesus wanted wine.  How do we reconcile this want of wine with Jesus’ nature?

By allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture.  The wine Jesus wanted was not an alcoholic wine, but rather a non-alcoholic wine.  Now, at this point, one might argue that there is no such thing as “non-alcoholic wine.”  The Bible refutes such a claim, when it says:

Isaiah 65:8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.

The juice of the grape is referred to as “new wine” in the above verse.  That is the wine Jesus and His Disciples were wanting.  Not an alcoholic wine.

And, because the wine supply was exhausted, Jesus created a new batch.  A batch of non-alcoholic wine.

When a sample of the wine Jesus created was presented to the governor of the feast, he commented that the best wine was brought out after men had well drunk.   If the wine at the wedding feast had been alcoholic, Jesus would have been contributing to men’s drunkenness.  They had “well drunk.”  So much, that there was no more. 

My Lord would not have made wine for a people who had “well drunk.”  He came to seek and save that which is lost, not to help them further down the road to destruction.
 

[AVBibleBeliever]

there are assumptions as to why most believe that the wine was alcoholic.

 

They interpret the event of Cana as a modern style of wedding complete with alcoholic beverages. or as that of some of the nations around them that have drunken wedding feasts.

 

No matter how they come to the conclusion often they have preconceived ideas on the matter of wine being alcoholic.  Yet they tend to forget that there are such things as non-alcoholic wines.

 

Being in a foreign country I had a bottle of concentrated grape juice.  It had gone past the date of use/expiration when I made grape juice with it tasted like red wine yet it had no alcohol content.

 

Once you open this can of worms you are going to get hit with every imaginable verse on wine and strong drink as those who hold to the liberty to drink alcoholic beverages wont give up even if it stares them right in the face. 

[candlelight]

John 2:1-10

King James Version (KJV)

 

2 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
  
The "good wine" was not alcoholic wine.  It was PURE grape juice.  I am shocked when I hear Christians talk about Jesus drinking alcoholic wine.  How could the sinless Son of God miraculously fabricate a wine which His own Holy word denounced as "the poison of the serpent." Proverbs 23-32.  Lets flip the coin and show the other side.  Some Christians will use every gimmick of interpretation and every technical loophole. Christ's first miracle is one of the most misunderstood  passages in the Bible.  But there is no foundation in scripture to back the assumption that Jesus was an alcoholic.  In the other thread, it was mentioned that Jesus' enemies said that.  I am certainly not going to support his enemies.  Our Saviour is sinless. If Jesus made and drank alcoholic wine, let's all do it.  Lets let our children go on their merry way towards alcoholism.  

Not all wine is alcoholic any more than all cider is hard.  It is inconceivable to me that our blessed Lord Jesus Christ would ever produce an intoxicant, or that He used fermented wine at Passover.  The Jews (at that time) did not drink alcohol during Passover.  It was forbidden.  He used this wine at Passover as the symbol of His own shed blood.

Fermented wine is decayed wine.  Can that be the symbol of new life in the Spirit?  His holy flesh never saw decay or corruption.  The cup of the Lord and the cup of the devil are two entirely different things.  Jesus also miraculously created bread to feed the five thousand, but it was not moldy bread.  Now did he create rotten fish?  Jesus Christ is the creator of life, not death.

[candlelight]

Sorry the font is so big.  I wrote this in the thread on marijuana.  I copied and pasted it, but took out some words, as it was directed at Jeffrey.  Since he didn't post a thread on alcohol yet, I thought I would post it here as SFIC started a thread on it.  

[swathdiver]

Ahh the beloved enemy again.  The Scriptures are so clear but the Burger King Christians are fervent in their desire to do as their hearts desire and not as the Word of God teaches.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

10 REASONS WHY THE WINE JESUS MADE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALCOHOLIC by Dr. Bruce Lackey

(1)   The vast quantity created (between 120-180 gallons).

This amount of intoxicating wine would have turned the wedding feast into a drunken brawl. Scholars who try to overcome this by suggesting that not all the water was turned into wine, but only that which was drawn off, only complicate things. For did not Christ know all things? He would know exactly how many people might drink one cup. Why then did He not have the attendants fill only one pot? Or even two pots etc.? No, the miracle was divine wisdom and providence in action. Christ's abundant wis­dom and providence made it obvious that such an amount could not have been intoxicating, thereby protecting His flawless reputation.

(2)   Christ's sinlessness and moral perfection.

Jesus Himself said in John 8:46:

Which of you convinceth me of sin?

In other words, no one was able to convict or find Him guilty of the slightest sin. Thus He declares His sinlessness and moral perfection. Those scholars, who talk about

Christ's impeccability (perfection) and almost in the same breath declare that He was a drinker and advocate of alco­holic wine, are totally in error. Concerning Christ's character, Hendrickson states:

Today's radical theologian is inconsistent when on the one hand he loudly proclaims the moral perfection of Jesus; yet on the other hand rejects his majestic claims! If Jesus is sinless, bis claims should be accepted. Any other course is positively wicked.

Although this statement refers to rejecting Jesus as God, declaring that He was a drinker and that He made intoxicat­ing wine is not far from this dangerous stance.

Even Jesus' enemies realized that drinking was sin and call Him a winebibber (wine drinker, Matt 11:19; Luke 7:34), and what is even more amazing, people who profess to be Christians accuse Him of the same thing!

Many sinners, some of whom have been misinformed by Christians on this issue, also realize that drinking is sin and object to Jesus' claims on those grounds. R.A. Torrey explains this point:

A stock objection against the Bible, and not only against the Bible but against Jesus Christ Himself, is found in the story of Jesus turning the water into wine at the marriage festival at Cana of Galilee as recorded in John 2:1-11.

Unfortunately, this kind of view only comes from those who do not really understand who Jesus is. An even sadder point is that many Christians do more to hinder unbelievers from coming to Christ by misrepresenting His character when it comes to the drink issue.

We will now look at some New Testament Scripture passages, which reaffirm Jesus' sinlessness and perfec­tion, in the light of which makes it inconceivable that our Lord could have drank or created alcoholic bever­ages. These read:

And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. (1 John 3:5)

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. (1 Peter 2:22)

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin... (2 Corinthians 5:21)

For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harm­less, undefiled, separate from sinners... (Hebrews 7:26)

In the light of these Biblical facts, it is plain that those who suggest that Jesus drank or created alcoholic wine have a very dim conception of His holiness indeed.

For some strange reason, #'s 3 & 4 will not post.
 

[Standing Firm In Christ]

(5)   Christ would have approved of social drinking.

Pubs, bars etc., would therefore be the accepted thing amongst Christians if the wine Christ made was alcoholic as some insist. Christ could also be held responsible to a large extent for the problem of alcoholism today, as the Encyclopedia Britannica points out:

First in the realm of health, the most serious and detri­mental effect is alcoholism. Although drinking itself is hardly ever regarded as the sufficient cause of alco­holism, this disease could not arise without the use of alcohol.

(6)   It was and is in the nature of Christ to do good.

The Apostle Peter stated in Acts 10:38:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good... Albert Barnes explains this principle in the light of Jesus' first miracle:

Jesus delighted to do good. In the very beginning of his ministry he worked a miracle to show his benevolence. This was the appropriate commencement of a life in which he was to go about doing good. He seized every opportunity of doing it; and at a marriage feast, as well as among the sick and poor, he showed the character which he always sustained-that of a benefactor of mankind. An argument cannot be drawn from this

instance in favour of intemperate drinking. There is no evidence that any who were present on that occasion drank too freely. Nor can an argument be drawn from this case in favour even of drinking wine, such as we have. The common wine of Judea was the pure juice of the grape, without any mixture of alcohol, and was harmless. It was the common drink of the people, and it did not tend to produce intoxication.

Again after consideration of these facts, it is inconceiv­able from a Biblical perspective, to suggest that our Lord would have created an alcoholic substance which is not good but harmful to the body." Also, Jesus the great Physician and Creator of our bodies, who knows all things, designed our bodies to reject alcohol (in any quantity) because of its destructive potential. He therefore would not have bestowed upon men something which He in is infinite knowledge, purposely designed our complex bodies to reject. The Encyclopedia Britannica bears this out:

The body begins to dispose of alcohol immediately after it is absorbed.

This scientific fact is borne out by the Spirit inspired writer of 1 Samuel 25:37, when referring to Nabal's com­plete recovery from drunkenness. It reads:

But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

Again after consideration of the facts, can we accuse our Lord and Creator of ignorance?

[Standing Firm In Christ]

(7)   Christ Himself warned against drunkenness and of
drinking, and drinking with drunkards.

(Matthew 24:45-51; Luke 12:45-46)

(8)   Christ Himself denied that He was wine drinker
(winebibber).

When accused of this vice, Jesus stated, But wisdom is justified of her children. (Matt 11:18,19; Luke 7:33,34) A paraphrase of this statement would read:

/ am not a glutton neither am I a wine drinker, or a lover of the evil deeds of tax collectors and sinners, and this fact will be justly declared by those who are my true children.

Today, those who are His true children will follow His example ...that we might be partakers of his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10b)

[Standing Firm In Christ]

(9)   The Old Testament condemned drinking as well as
drunkenness (Prov. 20:1; 25:31-35).

Since Christ was well versed in the Old Testament and did not contradict its teachings, the truth of His abstinence from alcoholic wine is firmly established.

(10)  He would have violated His own laws of creation.

Speaking of Christ, Colossians 1:16, states:

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.

Jesus as Lord and creator, made all things perfect as Genesis 1:31 plainly states:

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

Alcohol is developed by fermentation, a product of decay and death. It therefore could not have been created by our Lord, whose actions were totally consistent with the nature of God and Holy Scripture. The wine He created could only be the fruit of the vine, which was not rotten and dead as is the case with fermented wine, but wholesome and fresh. Just like all the other fruits He produces on the trees yearly through His providence, which reflects His love for man.

It is sincerely hoped that after consideration of the facts that we have examined, that we grasp the seriousness of any allegations which may suggest that Jesus drank or made intoxicating or alcoholic wine.

It is also hoped that that any doubts that the reader may have had in this area has been answered, as we have thor­oughly looked at this subject from a Scriptural perspective.

Irrespective of any difficulties which may remain, there are still no excuses which can be drawn from Jesus' first mir­acle to justify the use of alcoholic drinks. However, there are always those who do not want to understand the clear teach­ings of the Bible on this subject, and will not accept any truth which commands total abstinence from strong drinks, irrespective of how clear and Biblical it may be. We will therefore conclude this section with a wise quote from Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary, which states:

No man should adduce this instance in favour of drink­ing wine, unless he can prove that the wine made in the "water-pots" of Cana was just like the wine he proposes to drink. The Saviour's example may be always pleaded JUST AS IT WAS-but it is a matter of obvious and simple justice that we should find out exactly what the example was before we plead it.

[HappyChristian]

Can we look a little deeper into Deut. 14:26? I know theres a discussion in the general forums, but I'd really like to discuss it without the idea that God is ok with drinking being inserted into the conversation.

I think its important to continue the discussion in the general forum, for benefit of nonIFB. And here for our benefit. :-D

[Standing Firm In Christ]

And thou shall bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household. (Deuteronomy 14:26)

Those who teach moderation with respect to alcoholic beverages insist that Deuteronomy 14:26 sanctions and encourages the drinking of beer and alcoholic wine. And, on the surface, it appears that it does.  But a careful study of the book of Deuteronomy will reveal just the opposite.  In searching the meaning of this verse we shall see that the book of Deuteronomy supplies us with a perfect example of the following:

1. The correct understanding of the generic words which are
   used for "wine" and "strong drink".
2. The correct application of the law of context.
3. The correct understanding of God's view on the subject
   of drinking.

Looking back at the verse, we can observe that the Bible itself conclusively refutes any notions whatsoever that God condones and approves of the use of alcoholic drinks.
 

Many modern translators and interpreters teach that the wine and strong drink in Deuteronomy 14:26 is alcoholic. This cannot be.  The words trans­lated "wine" (yayin) and "strong drink" (shekar) in this particular verse refer to fresh grape juice and a sweet pleasant drink.  We shall now show our readers why the wine and strong drink in Deuteronomy 14:26 was, without a doubt, unfermented

  When establishing Bible doctrine, we must always remember an important guideline... Scripture must interpret Scripture!  With that in mind, let us look at Deuteronomy 29:6:
 

Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the Lord your God.

 

Deuteronomy 29:6 reveals to the one studying God's Word that the "wine" and "strong drink" in chapter 14:26 cannot be the same type of wine as that in chapter 29:6!

The divinely inspired Word of God later goes on to state in no uncertain terms exactly what kind of wine the Israelites drank. Notice:

 

Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape. (Deuteronomy 32:14)

 

In Deuteronomy 32:14, Moses discloses many blessings that God bestowed upon the Israelites in their wilderness wanderings, pure fresh grape juice, called "the blood of the grape" in the verse, was highly cherished.

Adam Clarke's Commentary notes on Deuteronomy 32:14:

Red wine, or the pure juice of whatever colour, expressed from the grapes, without any adulteration or mixture with water: blood here is synonymous with juice. This intimates that their vines should be of the best kind, and their wine in abundance, and of the most delicious flavour.

The above three verses alone from the book of Deuteronomy should open the eyes of many to the fact that the wine God endorsed in chapter 14:26 could not have been alcoholic in nature.

1.  God endorsed the buying of wine and strong drink.
2.  They did not drink wine or strong drink that they might know that God is Holy. ( Notice the resemblance with Leviticus 10:9-10)


Deuteronomy 29:6 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 10:9-10 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

The Israelites did not drink fermented wine, that they might know that God was their God.

3.  They drank the blood of the grape.  

Isaiah 65:8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.  The blood of the grape was the wine that the Israelites drank... pure, undefiled by fermentation.

[AVBibleBeliever]

Is anyone who uses their liberty to drink alcoholic beverages do so as the Jews in Duet?

 

Are any of you come to the temple in observance to the feasts?

 

Why does a Christian want to drink alcoholic beverages anyway?

[ASongOfDegrees]

All wine is alcoholic. The catch is that it was watered down until it virtually had no effect (unless you drank a whole lot of it) on those who drank it. Even the fermented wine wasn't as potent as today's because they didn't have the necessary ingredients to add to it. I would imagine too that they didn't let it ferment very long because of the need for it.

 

Seems to me the wine Jesus provided was the good wine or wine that was watered down since the stuff right out of the cask (or whatever they stored it in) was considered inferior. The governor calling it the best stuff probably meant that it was fresher than the stuff they had been drinking. Just my opinion here.

 

The strong drink of those days was nothing compared to the strong drink today. They didn't have things like whiskey, scotch, bourbon, vodka, gin, brandy, cognac, etc. back in those days. A strong drink back in those days would have been a beer.

 

I disagree that "new wine" was really Welch's grape juice like a lot of IFB's try to make. It was fermented to varying degrees but they normally didn't drink it then. Fermenting was necessary for storage but they still watered it down before drinking. Most likely it was so diluted that even babies could drink it without getting a buzz.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

New wine was not fermented! It was fresh from the vine quality grape juice.

Proverbs 23:31 says "Look not thou upon the wine when IT IS" not, "when YOU ARE". The wine in Proverbs 23:31 is a wine that has vermented, and is to be refused.

Contrast that with the wine in Isaiah 65:8. They clearly are not the same. One is fermented, the other is not.

Likewise, the wine of Deuteronomy 14:26 cannot be the same type of wine prohibited in Proverbs 23:31. The former is the pure blood of the grape, the latter is fermented.