One topic of discussion that can cause division among Christians is did Jesus drink alcohol? A common argument in favor of Jesus drinking points to John 2, claiming that Jesus created wine at the wedding in Cana. Yet, upon examining the context of Scripture, the original Greek word for wine, and other evidence, we can conclude that Jesus did not drink, nor did He offer alcoholic beverages to others.

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Consider first that the word “wine” in the Bible comes from the Greek word oinos, which can mean either alcohol or grape juice. Joseph Henry Thayer, a respected Greek scholar, wrote in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament that while the Greek word οἶνος (oinos / wine) can refer to a fermented beverage, it can also refer to tirosh (תִּירוֹשׁ), the Hebrew word for “new wine” or “must,” meaning exclusively fresh grape juice.¹ Anacreon, an ancient Greek poet, wrote, “Squeeze the grape, let out the wine: [oinos],” showing that wine in ancient Greek culture could refer to fresh grape juice straight from the grape.² Dr. Harold Willmington, former Bible scholar and professor at Liberty University, wrote regarding Jesus’s miracle of turning water into wine: “The Greek word used here, oinos, can refer to either grape juice or wine.”³

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With the understanding that wine in the Bible (oinos) can mean either grape juice or alcohol, it is important to examine the rest of Scripture to determine if Jesus drank alcohol or offered it to others.

 

First, the Bible prohibits kings from drinking wine or strong drink. Proverbs 31:4–5 records, “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.” Kings were warned to completely avoid drinking alcohol, as it could impair their ability to lead and make sound judgments. A perfect example of this was historian Bill O’Reilly's claim that US President Franklin Pierce was the fifth-worst US president partly because “he was a drunk … and that really affected his ability to make decisions and to even function on some days.”⁴

 

It hard to reckon that Jesus, Who is not only a King, (1 Timothy 6:14-15, John 19:19), but also the King of kings (Revelation 19:16), and the “righteous judge” (2 Timothy 4:8), would willingly drink something that could impair His judgment. 

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Second, Jesus is a practicing priest. Hebrews 4:14 records, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession” (see also Hebrews 4:17). In the Old Testament, priests on duty were commanded not to drink wine: Leviticus 10:8–9 states, “And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.” Priests who disobeyed this command faced death, showing the importance of having priests who were completely sober, and able to perform their duties!

 

Since Jesus is not only a Priest but our Great High Priest, it is safe to assume that He would refrain from drinking alcohol, too. Consider additionally that not only is Jesus our Great High Priest, but Jesus is also actively interceding on our behalf before the Father (Romans 8:34). It's comforting to know that a prayer will never go unanswered because our High Priest is impaired with alcohol!   

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Perhaps the strongest evidence that Jesus did not drink wine is that He would not offend others by drinking alcohol. Romans 14:21 states, “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.” (See also 1 Corinthians 10:31) 

 

The offense of causing a fellow Christian to stumble is serious, as it is ultimately a sin against Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 8:12). If Christians today struggle to drink without offending others, how much more so would Jesus have difficulty not offending someone? As our greatest Example, Jesus' actions are recorded for millions to read about. Undoubtedly, while some would not, several Christians would be greatly offended at Jesus drinking. It is logical to conclude, then, that Jesus would have abstained from alcohol to avoid the sin of offending anyone. Remember, Jesus is both “undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26) and “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). We can rest in the fact that we have a perfect, blameless example in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

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Finally, consider also that Jesus would not allow Himself to be the cause of someone’s temptation. James 1:13 states, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” Imagine teaching recovering alcoholics that Jesus created six waterpots full of wine (John 2) as their first scriptural lesson. If that wine were alcoholic, imagine the severe temptation that would cause! Jesus, however, is above reproach and would never be the cause of someone’s temptation to sin.

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Endnotes​

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1. Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1889), via Blue Letter Bible, www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3631/kjv/tr/0-1/.

2. Anacreon, The Vintage, http://www.poetry-archive.com/a/the_vintage.html.

3. Harold Willmington, “The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Turning Water into Wine” (2018), The Second Person File, 102, https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/second_person/102.

4. Bill O’Reilly, Killing the Presidents: The 5 Worst U.S. Presidents, CBS News / AP, October 1, 2025.