by When we came back to Westminster last month, I was astonished at the number of wineries we passed on the road. Not much research showed why. Since we went to the mission field, Maryland has passed laws to make it easy to sell this alcohol even at farmer’s markets. This no doubt adds fuel to the fiery debate about Jesus turning the water into wine in John 2. A lot can be said about the demise of alcohol and the fury of God about this addictive drug throughout His Word.
I want to give a simple logical thought in the context of the time frame of this event. Read John 2:1-13. Most debaters who excuse drinking alcohol stop at 2:8, but to catch the context you must read through at least 2:13. In John 2:13, Jesus turned the water into wine while “the Jews’ passover was at hand.” To see the significance of 2:13, read Exodus 12:15-20.
Seven days prior to “the Jews’ passover” they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread where they were forbidden to eat anything that had leaven, nor was leaven to be found anywhere in their houses prior to this week beginning. Preparing for the passover usually began a month prior, just after the festival of Purim. The days leading up to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jewish families would clean their homes of any leaven so not to cause defilement during the feast. They still do this today to be in obedience to the Law that Jesus never violated. Quoted from a Jewish website, “We search for breadcrumbs under the cushions of our sofas and chairs, in the pockets of our coats and pants, on closet floors, and remove every trace. We also thoroughly clean our stove, oven, refrigerator, and freezer.”
Why is this significant? The ingredient needed to ferment wine is leaven which was forbidden to be eaten during the feast. Therefore, both contextually and logically, Jesus could not have turned the water into alcoholic wine, else He would have violated the Law and sinned. We know He never sinned, else we would have no hope of eternal life.
This thought to ponder from the sound doctrine of wine challenges many Christians’ maturity. Rather then make excuses in order to drink what is condemned through the Bible, do as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 9:27. The question is, where stand ye? With God or with man (Romans 3:4)?
