Did Jesus Drink?
Preaching
Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees
And 149 Other Sermon Ideas
Purpose Statement: It is possible Jesus did not use alcoholic beverages and the Bible does not support social drinking. If this were true, it would suggest that Christians should abstain.
Given the nature of Jesus, from any way you look at it, it seems highly improbable that Jesus would have used any intoxicating drinks. Alcohol is so totally destructive in our society and Jesus is so concerned with the welfare of people, that it seems totally out of character and highly unlikely he would use anything that has that kind of devastating consequences when it is not one of life's necessities. On the other hand, the Bible seems to have too many references that indicate there is nothing wrong with the use of alcohol. How do we resolve this difficulty? There could be three points to develop this message:
a. The use of alcohol is so destructive to society. There is so much written material describing the evils of drinking alcohol. You can quote statistics revealing its terrible effects on family life and personal relationships, its involvement in a high percentage of automobile accidents, its connection with so much crime, and so forth. It serves no good purpose and isn't one of life's necessities. Ridding society of alcohol could only bring significant benefits. (See sermon E-10 for evidence that Prohibition worked!)
b. Jesus would never use it or condone it. Develop the obvious fact the Jesus stood for everything that benefits society and nurtures people, and against everything that is harmful. (Matthew 11:18-19 is accusatory, not proven. Jesus would not have been a "glutton" either.)
c. What does the Bible tell us? Of the many passages that speak of "wine" as negative, Proverbs 20:1; 23:20-21, 29-35; Habakkuk 2:15-16; Psalm 75:8; Hosea 7:5; Revelation 14:10; Isaiah 5:22; and 28:7-8 are a few. The most telling scriptures are Romans 14:13-21, 1 Corinthians 8:9-13, and Ephesians 5:18.
Bible Wines: or Laws of Fermentation and Wines of The Ancients, by William Patton (a book that seems to be of sound scholarship, but unfortunately may be out of print), explains that there is only one word for "wine" in scripture. It refers to both intoxicating drink and simple grape juice! Only by examining the context of the biblical passage can one determine which drink is implied.
(Note: My scholarly friend, Jerry McInnis, brought to my attention that the grape harvest was in the fall. The Passover was in the spring. It would have been difficult to have unfermented grape juice at the Last Supper.)
Given the nature of Jesus, from any way you look at it, it seems highly improbable that Jesus would have used any intoxicating drinks. Alcohol is so totally destructive in our society and Jesus is so concerned with the welfare of people, that it seems totally out of character and highly unlikely he would use anything that has that kind of devastating consequences when it is not one of life's necessities. On the other hand, the Bible seems to have too many references that indicate there is nothing wrong with the use of alcohol. How do we resolve this difficulty? There could be three points to develop this message:
a. The use of alcohol is so destructive to society. There is so much written material describing the evils of drinking alcohol. You can quote statistics revealing its terrible effects on family life and personal relationships, its involvement in a high percentage of automobile accidents, its connection with so much crime, and so forth. It serves no good purpose and isn't one of life's necessities. Ridding society of alcohol could only bring significant benefits. (See sermon E-10 for evidence that Prohibition worked!)
b. Jesus would never use it or condone it. Develop the obvious fact the Jesus stood for everything that benefits society and nurtures people, and against everything that is harmful. (Matthew 11:18-19 is accusatory, not proven. Jesus would not have been a "glutton" either.)
c. What does the Bible tell us? Of the many passages that speak of "wine" as negative, Proverbs 20:1; 23:20-21, 29-35; Habakkuk 2:15-16; Psalm 75:8; Hosea 7:5; Revelation 14:10; Isaiah 5:22; and 28:7-8 are a few. The most telling scriptures are Romans 14:13-21, 1 Corinthians 8:9-13, and Ephesians 5:18.
Bible Wines: or Laws of Fermentation and Wines of The Ancients, by William Patton (a book that seems to be of sound scholarship, but unfortunately may be out of print), explains that there is only one word for "wine" in scripture. It refers to both intoxicating drink and simple grape juice! Only by examining the context of the biblical passage can one determine which drink is implied.
(Note: My scholarly friend, Jerry McInnis, brought to my attention that the grape harvest was in the fall. The Passover was in the spring. It would have been difficult to have unfermented grape juice at the Last Supper.)
