credible that Jesus would reverse the counsel of
Solomon, who is regarded as the wisest man
who ever lived, as well as the multitude of
prophets and their stern warnings about alcohol.
Was Jesus immune from condemnation by the
holy writers? Did He defy Scripture and supply
the village with alcohol so they could continue
in their feasting? If the Bible is a sum of its total
parts then it is beyond dispute that Jesus created
unfermented wine at the wedding feast. “Thus
saith the Lord, As the new wine [tiyrosh freshly squeezed out] is found in the cluster,
and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is
in it.” [Is 65:8]
JESUS
If Jesus was of a mind to quote scripture to the
ruler of the feast He could have quoted:
“Thou didst drink the pure blood of the
grape.” [Deut 32:14] “All the best of the wine
[tiyrosh – fresh squeezed] have I given thee.”
[John 2:7-10]
People believe they have a license to drink
alcohol because Jesus sanctioned its use at the
wedding feast in Cana. It was the custom of the
times for marriage festivities to continue several
days. There can be no doubt these men were
somewhat inebriated through their continued use
of alcoholic spirits. For centuries men have
looked to discredit the Bible by finding
contradictions within its writings. Jesus had
guided holy men of old as they penned what
would later become our Scriptures. It is not
The reason Jesus‟ wine tasted so good compared
to the other wine was because it was pure,
unadulterated grape juice. Any child will choose
the taste of the common grape over the dry,
bitter taste of fermented grape juice.
The gift of Christ to the marriage feast was a
symbol. The water represented baptism into His
death; the wine, the shedding of His blood for
the sins of the world. So abundant is the
provision of His grace to blot out the iniquities
of men, and to renew and sustain the soul.
“I AM the true vine, and My Father is the
husbandman. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no
more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I AM the
vine, ye are the branches … for without Me
ye can do nothing.” [John 15:1-5] To the
disciples, centuries of illustrations alluding to
the vine, the husbandman, those treading the
grapes, now made sense. Jesus was always the
symbolic vine. To find salvation without Christ
would be to embark upon an impossible journey
of righteousness by works.
16
“Jesus saith unto them, “Fill the waterpots
with water.” And they filled them up to the
brim. And He saith unto them, “Draw out
now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.”
And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast
had tasted the water that was made wine …
the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 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.”
[Num 18:12]
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John Steele artist