{"id":9132,"date":"2026-04-25T15:59:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/answers\/khrystos-sdelal-vyno-yz-vody-eto-bylo-alkoholyi-napytok-yly-net\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T23:15:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T21:15:29","slug":"kakoe-vyno-sdelal-yysus-v-kane-alkoholnoe-yly-vynohradnyi-sok","status":"publish","type":"answers","link":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/en\/answers\/kakoe-vyno-sdelal-yysus-v-kane-alkoholnoe-yly-vynohradnyi-sok\/","title":{"rendered":"What kind of wine did Jesus make at Cana \u2014 alcoholic wine or grape juice?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jesus\u2019 first miracle\u2014turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana\u2014raises a natural question: did He make an alcoholic beverage?<\/b> The answer depends on understanding biblical language and, above all, understanding the character of Christ. The word \u201cwine\u201d in the Bible does not always mean a fermented drink<\/i> \u2014and the context is very helpful in determining what is meant.<\/p>\n

The word \u201cwine\u201d in the Bible: two meanings<\/h2>\n

Neither the ancient Hebrew nor the Greek word for \u201cwine\u201d refers exclusively to alcohol. Isaiah uses the word \u201cwine\u201d in reference to juice still in the grapes:<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, \u2018Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it.\u2019\u201d Isa. 65:8<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That is, \u201cwine\u201d is not necessarily alcohol. At the same time, Scripture clearly warns against intoxicating wine:<\/p>\n

\u201cWine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.\u201d Prov. 20:1<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The character of Christ as the key to understanding<\/h2>\n

The main argument is not linguistic, but theological<\/b>. Jesus came to deliver people from the power of sin:<\/p>\n

\u201cFor He will save His people from their sins.\u201d Matt. 1:21<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Could He\u2014the same Jesus\u2014by His first miracle provide wedding guests with a large quantity of alcohol when they had already drunk well? That would contradict everything He taught and everything He was. The character of Christ is internally consistent.<\/i><\/p>\n

Moreover, if He had served alcohol, the master of the feast would not have been able to soberly evaluate the quality of the drink and praise the \u201cbest wine kept until now.\u201d This is another hint: the issue was quality, not strength.<\/p>\n

What Ellen White says<\/h2>\n

Ellen White writes plainly in The Ministry of Healing: \u201cThe wine which Christ provided for the feast, and that which He gave to the disciples as a symbol of His own blood, was the pure juice of the grape\u201d (p. 333). She emphasizes that Christ always acted in ways that bless and protect people\u2014not to give them a means for sin and self-destruction.<\/p>\n

Practical meaning<\/h2>\n

The miracle at Cana is not an argument in favor of alcohol. On the contrary, it shows Christ as the One who:<\/p>\n