God Made Wine

Does the Bible teach that Jesus drank wine? Was he a Nazarite?

In the Old Testament Grain and wine were a symbol of God’s blessing and abundance to Israel (Ps 4:7; Prov.3:10).

Ps 104:15 “And wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.”

In the Old Testament we are told not to drink strong drink to get drunk unless one was extremely ill. For they are warned Prov 20:1: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

It was a luxury that was not to be abused

St. Paul in, 1 Corinthians 11, mentions how some were “drunk” when they partook in the agape feast. This proves that the early church used wine during this feast. St. Paul never rebukes drinking the wine but instead rebukes the disorderliness of being drunk.

Prov 21:17 “he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.” They who were not walking with the lord had a party attitude. Isa 22:13 But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Prov 31:4-6 “it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; Lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart.”

The Nazarite name (Heb. Nazir) came from the verb Nazar, to “separate,” to be consecrated unto God (Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:16). A Nazarite could either be a man or woman bound by a vow, to be set apart for the service of God. This obligation was for a defined period of time or for life.

Nazarites- Samson (Judges 13:5,12-14), Samuel (1 Sam. 1:11), and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15). The Mishna mentions the usual time as thirty days, double vows for sixty days and triple vows for a hundred days were sometimes made. The vow of the apostle Paul could possibly have been a Nazarite vow, when he shaved his head at Cenchrea (Acts 18:18). According to the law (Num. 6:9,18) and the Talmud the shaving of the head was to be done at the Temple door.

The Law of the Nazarite is found in Num. 6:1-21. During the time of consecration, they were to abstain from wine, grapes, every product of the vine, including raisins, and especially from every kind of intoxicating drink. They were not to cut their hair. Nor were they to approach any dead body, even that of his own family. A Nazarite would incur defilement by accidentally touching a dead body. He then had to undergo certain rites of purification to resume the full period of his consecration.

The priests that ministered were not to drink wine in their time of ministry. Lev 10:8-9: Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying: “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.” There was a time where the priests disobeyed and were getting drunk on the job.

Isa. 28:7But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they are out of the way through intoxicating drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.”

Only Nazarites were not allowed to cut their hair or drink wine. But Jesus was not a Nazarite, he was a Nazarene, in other words He was from Nazareth but he never took a Nazerite vow. He was known as Jesus of Nazareth (Lk.18:37; Jn.1:45). Matt 21:11: So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus spoke about being drunk which shows that the people definitely had wine with an alcohol content. He spoke of wine skins bursting when one tries to put new wine in them and it ferments (Mt.9:17; Jn.5:39) a result of wine. Jn.2 it tells us they drank much wine at the marriage party. Jesus did in fact turn the water into wine, not just any wine but fine wine (Jn. 2:10, 4:46).

At one point of his ministry he was accused of various practices of the sinners because he ate and drank wine with his mean with them.

Luke 7:33-34 “For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

At the last supper, it was a Passover meal where Jews drank wine.

Mark 14:22-23 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

Matt 26:29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Jesus promises to drink it again as a time of rejoicing when he comes back.

At His crucifixion he completed his mission by tasting wine and dismissing his spirit into the Fathers hands (Jn.19:29)