The Nazirites are the only group of people who are specifically instructed not to consume wine or alcohol in the Bible. Jesus was a “Nazarene,” a person who was born in the town of Nazareth; He was not a Nazirite. The Nazirite vow was never taken by Jesus.
It’s quite likely that a fermented drink had a role in Christ’s first miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding at Cana. Jewish wedding custom dictates that fermented wine be served at weddings; the host would have objected if Jesus had just offered grape juice. Rather, he said that the wine—which was reportedly a “fine” wine—was superior to what had previously been offered.
In John 2:10, the Greek word for “drunk” is methuo, which meaning “to be drunk” or inebriated. The phrase is identical to one that Peter used in Acts 2:15 to defend the apostles against charges of intoxication. The master of the feast attested to the fact that Christ could make intoxicating wine.
Although it would have been usual for Jesus to do so, the fact that He transformed water into wine does not show that He drank the wine at the wedding. It does, however, demonstrate that Jesus does not forbid consuming wine any more than He does bread. What is not intrinsically wicked is abused by immoral people. Wine and bread in themselves are not evil; gluttony and intoxication are.
Jesus stated in Luke 7:33–34, “You claim that John the Baptist has a demon, yet he has arrived eating no food and drinking no wine. When the Son of Man appears, you say, “Look at him!” as he is eating and drinking. “A glutton and a drunkard, an ally of sinners and tax collectors!” Jesus draws a comparison between His own behavior and that of John the Baptist in verse 33. Jesus continues by saying that the religious authorities called Him a drunk. Jesus never indulged in alcohol or took pleasure in gluttons. Though he led an entirely blameless life, Luke 7 makes a compelling case for Jesus’s consumption of alcohol.
Fermented wine would also have been a typical part of the Passover celebration. The phrase “fruit of the vine” appears in the Scriptures. Of course, Christ drank from the Passover cup as well.
Most Christians would agree that drinking is wrong and that Jesus forbids it. Nonetheless, wine is viewed in the Bible as something to be enjoyed. Texts like Proverbs 20:1 contain several cautions against alcohol consumption because it is more common for immoral men to misuse wine than to use it in moderation. Luke 12:45 should serve as a caution to those who attempt to use Jesus’ likely consumption of wine as a justification for their inebriation. Christians who adhere to a scriptural perspective on wine use should either drink in moderation—never to the point of intoxication—or abstain entirely.
📌FOR FURTHER STUDY
📖 What Would Jesus Drink: What the Bible Really Says About Alcohol