8.11.2003
The Christology of Wine
Beer and wine are enjoyable gifts of God. This is the teaching of Psalm 104:
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
15 and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man's heart.
(Psalm 104:14-15)
Wine makes us glad. Wine refreshes. Both wine and beer (a grain wine) are given by God as creation gifts. If we despise wine, we are snubbing the Lord's gifts. In Jotham's parable of the trees, the vine rhetorically asks the trees,
Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees? (Judges 9:13)
Wine cheers the heart of man, but it especially cheers the heart of God! When Christ made the wine, he rejoiced in his creation, and when Christ drank the wine, he himself was cheered by it. What was the assessment of the governor of the feast? Amazed, he said,
Every man at the beginning of the feast does set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse; but you have kept the good wine until now. (John 2:10)
Good wine was the better tasting stuff. Wine is to be enjoyed. Pleasure is not sinful, not if we drink to the glory of God. Including drinking wine,
. . . do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
. . .
Wine not only cheers us, it cheers God! And what cheers God ought to be good enough for us. We have no right to despise the Creator's gifts. We dare not charge God with folly for filling our bottles with wine.
- antithesis