The Bible and Alcohol: What Would Jesus Drink?

 

Photo by DesignbyNur 9/28/2004

Many of those who argue that Christians can drink alcohol point out that Jesus Himself not only drank wine (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34), but even changed water into wine as His first miracle, at the wedding of Cana (John 2: 1-11). He even promised to drink “the fruit of the vine” with His disciples again in His new Kingdom (Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18). However, that argument evaporates if the “wine” Jesus created and will drink again was and will be new wine, or unfermented grape juice.

The Hebrew word for "juice" was not widely used in Bible times, and in fact it only appears once in the entire Bible (Song of Solomon 8:2), in reference to pomegranate juice. There are nine Hebrew words and four Greek words translated "wine" in the King James Bible. The word “wine” as used in the Bible is a general term for any grape juice product in various states of fermentation, including new wine, which was unfermented, freshly pressed grape juice.

“Wine” may even refer to grape juice so fresh that it is still in the grape clusters, which God describes as containing a great blessing (Isaiah 65:8). Modern science confirms the health benefits of grape juice, which is a rich source of natural antioxidants and polyphenols combating free radical damage involved in aging, cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses.

And clearly Jesus Himself saw grapes as a symbol of goodness and sustenance, as He described Himself as the True Vine and us as the branches. He promised that if we abide in Him and He in us, we will bear much spiritual fruit, but that apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:1-8).

In other words, if we are saved by placing our faith in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), His Holy Spirit enters our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13). If we yield to His Spirit by dying daily to self (1 Corinthians 15:31), we can be fruitful in our works for Him. But if we quench or grieve the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30) and feed our flesh, we cannot be fruitful any more than branches separated from the vine can bear grapes.

Paul contrasts the life dedicated to fulfilling fleshly desires with the Spirit-filled life by saying: “[B]e not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), referring in this verse to fermented wine containing alcohol rather than to unfermented grape juice. Clearly, new wine cannot cause drunkenness, but alcoholic wine can.

Some Christians justify alcohol drinking by claiming that wine and spirits derive from naturally occurring plants that God created to bless us. By that argument, smoking marijuana and using hallucinogenic mushrooms would be acceptable, even though both can deprive us of the opportunity to be Spirit-filled, can impair judgment and can cause health problems or even death. Certain species of hallucinogenic mushrooms are highly toxic and often lethal.

Were marijuana, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and other harmful or poisonous plants present in the Garden of Eden for man’s “enjoyment,” or did they enter the world as part of the curse of sin and death following Adam and Eve’s fall? I suspect the latter, because thorns and thistles then entered the world to hinder man’s cultivation of the ground (Genesis 3:18), and along with these presumably came other noxious species used by Satan to trouble mankind and to tempt him to sin.

Let’s assume that grapes were present in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:12.29), because not only are they beautiful, but also delicious, healthful, and endorsed by Jesus, as discussed above. Did the grapes in Eden ferment into wine, via “natural” processes God allowed in this perfect Paradise?

I think not. Fermentation of sugar into alcohol requires yeast, now found on the skin of grapes. But was yeast present in Eden? Yeast is a form of fungus, with biological similarities to mushrooms (many of which are toxic, as noted above) and to mold, associated with spoiled bread (Joshua 9:5,12).

Yeast, or leaven, is also used to make bread rise, but it was only after the fall that man had to eat bread, made through his own grueling labor (Genesis 3:19), Leaven in the Bible is used as a symbol for sin (Matthew 16:6; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1), and only unleavened bread was allowed for offerings and religious feasts (Exodus 12:15,19,20,39, etc.). Various species of yeast, such as Candida, can infect humans and cause disease.

Biochemically speaking, enzymes present in yeast catalyze, or promote the formation of, ethanol, or pure alcohol, and carbon dioxide from glucose, or sugar, present in the grape or other fruit used to make wine or spirits, and oxygen. The human body metabolizes, or breaks down, ethanol, to acetaldehyde, which is chemically similar to the highly toxic compound formaldehyde (used to preserve corpses), and then to acetic acid (the acid found in vinegar). Not only is alcohol directly toxic to nerve and other cells, but acetaldehyde can damage DNA, trigger chromosomal abnormalities, and promote development of certain cancers.

These reactions involved in human metabolism of alcohoi are known as oxidation reactions, meaning that they use up oxygen and generate free radicals, or extra electrons. Free radicals are the culprit implicated in aging, inflammation, and most diseases – essentially the biochemical mediator of the curse of death following Adam and Eve’s fall. An easily observed oxidation reaction is rust, referred to in the Bible as a destructive force depriving us of our earthly treasures (Matthew 6:19,20; James 5:3). And, as discussed above, grapes in their unfermented form are a rich source of antioxidants fighting free radical damage, helping to explain their many health benefits.

Some recent studies suggest that moderate wine drinking may be beneficial to health, but in these studies, it is difficult to separate the effects of the alcohol content of the wine from the known benefits of the healthful antioxidants and polyphenols in the grapes themselves. In contrast, the harms of alcohol to the brain, nerves, muscle, liver, heart, and other organs are well documented, highly prevalent, severe and often fatal.

In light of Paul’s admonition that the body of the born-again believer is the temple of the indwelling Holy Spirit, why would we want to pollute the temple? Paul urges us to present our bodies as a holy, living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1) and warns that if any man defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him, because our body is the holy temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Using alcohol or other harmful substances will not jeopardize our salvation, but it has consequences, which may include untimely death or unnecessary illness and suffering, any of which may disrupt or terminate God-given ministries.

So what would Jesus drink? For all the above reasons, I believe that what He created at the wedding of Cana, and what He will drink with us in His Kingdom, is new wine, or unfermented grape juice. In Bible times, new wine was more highly prized than alcoholic wine, because they had no way to preserve it. Through the fermentation process, grape juice turned to alcohol and ultimately to vinegar.

(Today, cool temperatures, corking and bottling technology, and addition of sulfites or other preservatives help to arrest the fermentation process at the desired stage, but ultimately even these cannot indefinitely prevent a bottle of aged wine from turning to acetaldehyde and vinegar).

The governor of the feast at the Cana wedding praised the bridegroom for keeping the best wine, i.e. the new wine, for last, not knowing that it was Jesus Who transformed water into the new wine. The custom in those days was to serve the best, new wine first, while the guests could still appreciate it, and then to shift to older, more alcoholic wines when they would be too drunk to notice the progressively worse quality (John 2:9-10).

As I consider “What would Jesus drink?” I therefore conclude that grape juice is a blessing, but that alcohol results from the curse of sin and should not pollute the temple of the Holy Spirit that is my body.

© 2014 Laurie Collett

Water, Wine and Wonder: Triplets of Transition

Photo by Nyehob 2016

Scripture records three incidents reflecting the transitions Mary had to make as Jesus grew up and entered His earthly ministry. The first was Jesus staying behind at the temple in Jerusalem to do His Father’s business (Luke 2:41-52); the second was the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-13), and the third occurred when Mary and her other children came to visit Jesus (Mark 3: 31-35) while He was teaching and preaching.

The wedding at Cana occurred on the third day after Jesus had gathered His apostles together. Essentially, it was the “debut” of His earthly ministry and the first time Jesus, His mother, and His disciples appeared together at a public event (John 1:37-51; 2:1-3).

A marriage celebration is an appropriate setting for the Messiah in His new role. It reminds us that He is the Creator Who designed man and woman to unite as one flesh (Genesis 2:22-24; Matthew 19:6); it pictures the holy union of Christ and His bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:23-32); and it anticipates the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). At that ultimate feast, all believers saved by their faith in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6) will begin eternity with Him in their glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).

I wonder if Mary suspected beforehand that her Son’s miraculous power would be revealed at this public gathering, or if she just came to Him spontaneously hoping He could intervene in an awkward situation. A Hebrew wedding celebration at the time often went on for days, accompanied by feasting, drinking, and dancing by loved ones who had traveled from all over to honor the new couple beginning their life together.

But the host at this wedding was about to be humiliated, for they had run out of wine. Mary came to Jesus and did not cajole or order Him to help, but instead just stated the problem: “They have no wine” (John 2:3).

Mary’s approach to her Lord is a great model for our prayer life, for too often we plead like petulant children hoping to get our way (James 4:3), or even worse, order God to “fix it” according to what our limited understanding seems to be the best solution (Isaiah 55:9). Instead, we should bring our requests to Him simply stated (Matthew 6:7), thanking Him in advance (Philippians 4:6), and trusting that He will answer our prayer in the best way possible (Matthew 6:8; Romans 8:28), according to His infinite love (1 John 4:8), wisdom (Psalm 139:6), and power (Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17,27).

But Jesus reminded Mary that God’s timing is always perfect, that He will not be rushed to meet the demands of our schedule (Ephesians 1:10), and that we must trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). He rebuked her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come (John 2:4). His response suggests that He would follow His Father’s lead (Ephesians 5:1-2), not that of His mother or anyone else, and wait upon Him (Psalm 27:14; 33:20), acting only when He received clear indications from His Father (Psalm 46:10). Again, a great example for all of us.

Did Mary attempt to exert her parental authority (Exodus 20:12; Luke 2:51) by ordering Him to help, “guilt” her Son into rescuing the situation, or question His power (Job 4:17; 5:1), doubting whether He could even be of any assistance? No, she handled the confrontation with deference to His will (Luke 22:42), tact in resisting the urge to argue (Proverbs 15:1), and recruitment of aid from the servants, whom she told to obey Jesus in whatever He asked of them (John 2:5).

May we learn from Mary that when we approach our Lord to make our requests known (Hebrews 4:16), we should defer to His perfect solution, wait peacefully for Him to move, and encourage others involved in the situation to also follow His command. As we await His answer, may we have faith that His ways are best (Hebrews 11:6), patience, knowing that His timing is perfect (James 1:2-8), and obedience to His perfect Word (1 Samuel 15:22; Romans 6:16; 2 Corinthians 10:5-6).

Jesus gave simple instructions to the servants, and they obeyed without question, even though His commands defied all logic. He told them to fill six waterpots, to draw from the pots, and to present it to the host (John 2:6-8). If they presented only water that had not been transformed to wine, the guests would have been insulted, the host would have been humiliated, and the servants would have been punished or even put to death.

But praise God, He had changed water into wine! He saved the day for the host, who most likely was unaware that Jesus was involved, only that this was the very best wine of the day, implying that it was fresh grape juice and not fermented (John 2:9-10). He pleased His mother, giving her reason for great joy, making her proud, and no doubt filling her with wonder at His Divine power, only now beginning to be revealed (Matthew 15:31; Mark 6:51; Luke 2:18; 4:22; 8:25; 24:12,41).

Most important, He had performed a great miracle!  Other Scripture terms for “miracles” are “signs” and “wonders” (Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 6:22; Acts 2:22). The waterpots that had been used for ritual purification were now filled with new wine, symbolizing the precious blood Christ would shed to pay for all our sins (Romans 3:25), the power of His blood to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7), and the new covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 12:24) that gives eternal life to all who trust Him!

The miracle was the first of many Jesus did, showing His Divine glory, and reinforcing His disciples’ faith in Him (John 2:11). In remembering this miracle, may we allow His living water (John 7:38) to flow through us, trust in the power of His blood represented by fruit of the vine, and be filled with wonder at His mercy, love and grace!

© 2016 Laurie Collett