John 2:1-10 Jesus Turns Water to Wine

How long did this wedding feast last?

Was this what we would think of as a wedding?

According to Robert Stapleton— “It is important to keep in mind that Jewish marriages were considered sacred. He would remind the reader in his outline “That would surely bear worth remembering when we get down a verse or two.”

According to The New International Commentary on the New Testament by Leon Morris this feast could last as long as a week.

Judges 14:12 NKJV

12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.

A Question that must be asked is—when did the wine run out?

What did the guest drink at the wedding feast.

According to All the Meals in the Bible the guest drank water and wine.

This makes sense because we know that water would have been available because Jesus turned water to wine.

Paul told Timothy to “No longer drink only water” so we know that water was drank during biblical times.

1 Timothy 5:23 NKJV

23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

When did Jesus and Mary attend the feast?

And we also need to ask the question when did the wine run out and were Jesus and Mary there the whole time?

Was the first wine (Oinos in Greek) intoxicating?

The Barnes Notes Commentary says—No it was not.

Luke & John Chapter 2

When men have well drunk. This word does not of necessity mean that they were intoxicated, though it is usually employed in that sense. It may mean when they have drunk sufficient, or to satiety; or have drunk so much as to produce hilarity, and to destroy the keenness of their taste, so that they could not readily distinguish the good from that which was worse. But this cannot be adduced in favour of drunkenness, even if it means to be intoxicated; for, 1st. It is not said of those who were present at that feast, but of what generally occurred. For anything that appears, at that feast all were perfectly temperate and sober. 2d. It is not the saying of Jesus that is here recorded, but of the governor of the feast, who is declaring what usually occurred as a fact. 3d. There is not any expression of opinion in regard to its propriety, or in approval of it, even by that governor. 4th. It does not appear that our Saviour even heard the observation. 5th. Still less is there any evidence that he approved such a state of things, or that he designed that it should take place here. Farther, the word translated “well drunk” cannot be shown to mean intoxication; but it may mean when they had drunk as much as they judged proper or as they desired, then the other was presented. It is clear that neither our Saviour, nor the sacred writer, nor the speaker here expresses any approbation of intemperance, nor is there the least evidence that anything of the kind occurred here. It is not proof that we approve of intemperance when we mention, as this man did, what occurs usually among men at feasts.

Pliny the elder was a wine scholar who wrote extensively on wine.

Lived AD 23- AD 79

Pliny said this according to Barnes of good wine.

Luke & John Chapter 2

Pliny expressly says that a “good wine” was one that was destitute of spirit

If this is True then neither the first wine nor the wine that Jesus made was intoxicating.

Both are referred to as Good.

John 2:9–10 NKJV

9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

College Press NIV Commentary says:

John 1. Jesus Changes Water into Wine (2:1–12)

(1) The wine may not have been intoxicating. Oinos may also mean unfermented grape juice, though the usual word for grape juice is τρύξ, tryx. Among most Jews in Palestine there is evidence that wine was mixed with water for drinking purposes—from 70% to 90% water was usual. However, we cannot ignore the possibility that the steward had intoxication in mind when he said the guests could no longer tell the difference between wines after they had drunk freely (NIV: “have had too much to drink”).

Max Patterson a member of the Lord’s Church in His outline commentary makes some of the same observations that the other commentaries do.

The Greek word “wine” does not in itself indicate the content of alcohol.

Many of our versions understand the expression “well drunk” to mean they have drunk freely, or sufficiently. The expression may mean to be intoxicated (and often does), but not necessarily here, as indicated in many of our versions by “drunk freely.”

Besides, it must be observed that this is what the ruler said, not what Jesus said.

Further, there is no approval given, or comment made on the propriety of what was happening in this particular feast.

Our Lord, in this miracle, did not endorse what is elsewhere forbidden. In fact, at the time, he may not have been aware of what the ruler was saying.

It should be pointed out, that even if the wine that had been served at the wedding feast was intoxicating, that would have nothing to do with the wine Jesus made.

Pliny noted that good wine was that which was destitute of spirit. Therefore, we cannot say that “good wine” means it is stronger (as we use the expression) in alcohol content. It really is the opposite.

Wine was used in Bible times more as a food, and to purify water. Also, wine was often mixed with water for purifying purposes and consumed.