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Jesus Attends a Wedding
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this when he speaks of the new wine “in the cluster,” and says, “Do
not destroy it, for a blessing is in it.”
Isaiah 65:8
.
In the Old Testament, Christ gave the warning, “Wine is a
mocker, intoxicating drink arouses brawling, and whoever is led
astray by it is not wise.”
Proverbs 20:1
. He Himself provided no
such beverage. Satan tempts men and women to indulge in things
that will cloud their reason and numb their spiritual perceptions, but
Christ teaches us to bring the lower nature into subjection. It was
Christ who directed that John the Baptist should drink neither wine
nor strong drink. He commanded similar abstinence for Samson’s
mother. And He pronounced a curse on anyone who would put
the bottle to his neighbor’s lips. See
Habakkuk 2:15
. Christ did
not contradict His own teaching. The unfermented wine that He
provided for the wedding guests was a wholesome and refreshing
drink.
As the guests commented about the wine, some asked questions
that drew from the servants an account of the miracle. When finally
the assembled guests looked for Jesus, He had quietly slipped away.
Attention now turned to the disciples, giving them the oppor-
tunity to acknowledge their faith in Jesus. They told what they
had seen and heard at the Jordan. News of the miracle spread and
was carried to Jerusalem. With new interest the priests and elders
searched the prophecies pointing to Christ’s coming.
Christ Broke Down Class Barriers
Jesus began His work by coming into close sympathy with hu-
manity. While He showed the greatest reverence for the law of God,
He rebuked the pretended piety of the Pharisees and tried to free the
people from the senseless rules that bound them. He was attempting
to break down the barriers that separated the different classes of
society, so that He could bring them all together as children of one
family.
Jesus denounced self-indulgence, yet He was social in His nature.
He accepted the hospitality of all classes, visiting the homes of
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rich and poor, educated and ignorant, trying to raise their thoughts
from ordinary life to things that are eternal. No shadow of foolish
merriment marred His conduct, yet He found pleasure in scenes of