Water into Wine

The first miracle that the Lord Jesus ever performed is recorded for us in the 2nd Chapter of John’s Gospel. It’s that well known story of how the Lord Jesus turned water into wine in an act of creation, which of course only God can do.

This story is a particular favourite of those who teach that it’s okay for Christians to drink alcohol. Any one who follows my blogs will know that I do not agree with that view point. I feel a balanced study of the subject, in the Bible, leads me to conclude that alcohol is a substance best avoided.

Those who use this passage in John 2 to condone drinking teach that the wine made by the Lord Jesus on that occasion was fermented (alcoholic) wine. So, let’s just think for a moment about the implications of that interpretation of the story. The Lord Jesus finds himself at a wedding party where alcohol is being consumed, at some point in the day the drink runs out and the Lord is put in a position by His mother where He turns pots of water into pots of wine (fermented/alcoholic wine). At the point when He performs this miracle the people have already had quite a bit to drink (‘and when men have well drunk’ v.10) and He makes drink for them.

So this interpretation expects us to believe that the Son of God came to a party where people were ‘half cut’ and He makes enough drink for them to get ‘loaded’. I ask you, is this understanding consistent with the person and character of God the Son? Would this be how you expect the Son of God to behave?

Let’s not forget what God said about wine in the Old Testament.

‘Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ Proverbs 20 v1

‘Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.’ Proverbs 23 v 29-35

‘Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink,’ Habakkuk 2 v15

You mean to tell me that the God who inspired these scriptures would make fermented wine to give to half drunk people? You mean to tell me that the sinless, spotless, Lamb of God, the one who did no sin and knew no sin, the one who always went about doing good, who always did the things that pleased the father, the one who was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, helped make people drunk? I don’t think so!

So how are we to correctly interpret verse 10 of John 2?

‘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.’

Many take the phrase ‘well drunk’ to mean drunken. It is true that the Greek word can be used in that way, but not necessarily. It can be properly translated as it is in the AV with ‘well drunk’. It simply means that having already had some wine (or freshly squeezed grape juice), their tastes buds had become dulled to the flavour and therefore the host could have gotten away with serving a poorer quality grape juice. However in this case the better tasting stuff came later. The fact that the governor of the feast could tell it was better, tells me that the wine Jesus made must have tasted beautiful. I would fancy grapes hadn’t tasted that good since pre curse Eden and therefore the difference was so noticeable.

Another dimension to the confusing understanding of this record comes down to Bible versions. If you are a reader of the modern versions the text would lead you to believe the people at this wedding were drunk. For example the NIV renders ‘well drunk’ as ‘have had too much to drink’. This rendering clearly implies that the people on that occasion were drunk, as it says that they had had too much. Not a bit of wonder God’s people are confused in these days about the subject of alcohol, with unhelpful Bible translations suggesting that God’s Son made alcoholic wine to give to people who were already drunk.

‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;’ Ephesians 2 v18