Wine or Grape Juice During the LORD's Passover?

photo courtesy of congerdesign (pixabay)

by Leonard V Johnson

We in the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries partake of a small amount of real fermented red wine (approximately 30 ml or less) annually during the God-ordained LORD’s Passover.

The Koine Greek word commonly translated as “wine” in the New Testament of God’s living word is οἶνος, which means “wine made from grapes.” 1

Let’s notice Genesis 9:21 ──

“Then he [Patriarch Noah] drank of the wine [Hebrew – ייִַן , meaning an alcoholic beverage] and was drunk, …”

AI ── Genesis 9:21 - Noah's Vineyard

“Let’s take a look at Genesis 9:21.”

Yes, Sir. That’s where Noah plants a vineyard after the Flood, right? What’s caught your interest about this particular verse?

“Well … the word wine here is the Hebrew word yayin.”

Yes, Sir. That is correct.

“That’s fermented wine, because Noah became drunk on it.”

Yes, that’s correct.

“This Hebrew word is equivalent to the Greek word oinos.”

Yes, Sir ── the Hebrew word yayin is equivalent to the Greek word oinos. Both terms refer to fermented wine in biblical texts.

“Exactly ── and the wine that was in the cup of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Passover was also oinos.”

Yes, Sir ── the wine Jesus drank at Passover was referred to as oinos in Koine Greek. Oinos could refer to either fermented or unfermented grape juice, depending on the context.

Oinos is a flexible term that can mean either fermented or unfermented grape juice. In the ancient Septuagint, both yayin (fermented) and תִּירוֹשׁ tirosh (unfermented) were translated as oinos, with context determining the meaning.

However, historical evidence suggests that in the 1st-century Palestine, only fermented wine would have been available during the Passover season. Grapes are harvested in the fall, so by spring, any fresh juice would have naturally fermented. Ancient wines were typically 7 – 10% alcohol and often diluted with water to prevent drunkenness. 2

The word in Hebrew is yayin, and its Greek counterpart is oinos. 3

“This is begging the question, and that in defiance of the facts. Although invariably fermented, it was not always inebriating, and in most instances, doubtless, was but slightly alcoholic, like the vin ordinaire of France.” 4

The Apostle John ── under divine inspiration ── recorded for us our Lord Jesus Christ’s first recorded miracle in John 2:3-11. And, we were also introduced to the use of the wine cup, the Greek word being potērion.

“Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’” – Luke 22:20.

This “cup” of wine symbolizes our Lord Jesus’ shed blood for us all. There is considerable evidence that the common Passover beverage used by the Jews in the 1st century was oinos, as noted by Dr. Jack Lewis ──

“Wine was ordinarily used at the Passover, and it is called ‘fruit of the vine’ in Berakoth 6:1.” 5

Indeed, God’s living word teaches us that wine is “the blood of the grapes.” – Deuteronomy 32:14.

So, it’s not logical to conclude that they were merely participating in grape juice during the LORD’s Passover, as grapes are not naturally in season at that time.

I myself had driven a semi tractor-trailer long haul for 20-years and have hauled grapes from the likes of Salinas, California, to Florida many times. “Grape Country” in California is similar to the land of Judea (modern Israel) in terms of climate. Grapes ripen in the late summer or early fall.

The LORD’s Passover is usually ── on our Gregorian Calendar ── is in April (and let us note: Since some of the Romanized names of the months were in honor of their false gods and goddesses, and April was “sacred” to their goddess Venus, her Veneralia (ancient Roman festival) was held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month – Aphrilis. Her equivalent, the Greek goddess Aphrodite). Now … raw grape juice spoils very quickly unless kept cool. We should also note that a few classical writers described “certain methods” used by ancient peoples to “preserve” grain, fruits, vegetables, and grapes, such as Lucius Columella, a 1st-century Roman writer on agriculture.

“In order that the grapes may remain green for as much as a year, you will keep them in the following manner. When you have cut from the vine grapes ... immediately treat their pedicles with hard pitch; then fill a new earthenware pan with the driest possible chaff, which has been sifted so that it may be free from dust, and put the grapes upon it. Then cover it with another pan and daub it around with clay mixed with chaff, and then, after arranging the pans in a very dry loft, cover them with dry chaff.” 6

Indeed, the Jews themselves use wine at Passover (Hisrch E.G., Eisenstein JD. “Wine,” Jewish Encyclopedia. 1907, pp. 532-535). □

Sources:

1.  https://biblehub.com/greek/3631.htm

2. Amazon.com, 20 Mar 2026

3. Harris, Laird, R., Archer, L., Gleason, and Waltke K., Bruce. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, The Moody Bible Institute, © 1980, p. 375.

4. Unger F., Merrill. Wine. Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Press, © 1966, p. 1168.

5. Lightfoot, John. A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica. Vol. 2. Baker: Grand Rapids, MI. 1979, 346ff.

6. Columella, On Agriculture 12, 10, 3, trans. E.S. Forster and Edward H. Heffner, The Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, Mass., 1955).