Did Christ drink it himself? It was permitted to the people in those days, it was their sanitary drink. But people say, Of course he drank it himself. How do they know? Theologically it is very unlikely he drank it himself. On what grounds does one say that? Well because the law – and Christ was living a perfect life under the ancient law of Moses – the law said that a duty priest must not drink. But he was no mere duty priest, he was the high priest, our high priest. Do you think he would have drunk? Do you not think he would have conformed perfectly to the law? This is a theological issue. I would doubt very much whether the Lord, who would make it for those to whom it was permitted, would have actually drunk it himself. Not only so, but he was a king. He has the three offices – Prophet, Priest and King. The Hebrew kings were not supposed to drink either according to the law. I think he would have been meticulously in accordance with the ancient laws.
Should Christians drink? We are a kingdom of priests, and we are always on duty for the Lord. Some believe that the New Testament prepares Christian people to be abstainers and not to drink, even though wine was allowed to the people in ancient times. What has happened to wine in our day? We know the techniques that have made it stronger and stronger, and now it is no longer a cottage industry. It is available in great abundance with a tremendous variety of attractive flavours, a much stronger product. Not only wine but fortified wine and spirits, and it has become the scourge and the bane of human society and a great source of evil and suffering and heartache. The New Testament has so many texts in it which tell Christian people to avoid things of that nature. Wine has changed and it has changed dramatically, and the New Testament prepares us for such a change and such a situation.