Acts 2:5-13

“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. They they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phyrgia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the part of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?” Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

I love to think about and picture in my mind the atmosphere and the sound of the upper room that day. I’m sure it was a wild, ecstatic and overwhelming experience for Jesus’ disciples. As many amazing moments they had with Jesus while He was among them on the earth, I have no doubt that the infilling and baptism of His very Spirit into their entire beings topped all previous encounters. I imagine that is what Heaven feels and sounds like! And for this reason, I pray, “Lord, let heaven invade the earth, even now!” 

Now let’s look at what was happening outside the upper room. We read that there were many people from different regions/countries, etc in Jerusalem that day (remember it was a feast day (Pentecost) and Jews from everywhere congregated to Jerusalem to celebrate). When the 120 in the upper room spoke in the new languages as the Holy Spirit came upon them, the people on the street walking by heard and recognized their own languages being spoken by these largely uneducated Galileans. They were amazed and confused as to how these people were fluently declaring the wonderful works of God in these diverse languages. Some people started to make fun of them accusing them of being drunk on “new wine.” New wine denotes a strong, heavily fermented wine that caused intoxication. We will read later how Peter assured them that this was not drunkenness, as it was only like 9 o’clock in the morning.

But when I read the words, “drunk on new wine,” I can’t help but laugh. Yes, indeed, they were drunk on the “new wine!’ They didn’t even realize what they were saying! The new wine is the New Covenant that was ushered in by Jesus! Because of Jesus, the Law, religion, ritual and the old way was fulfilled and/or replaced by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His grace and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in us! 

Jesus gave a heads up about this new wine several times. In Matthew 9:17, He explains how new wine cannot be put in old wineskins because the old wineskins would burst from the fermentation of the new wine. The Law could not contain the outpouring of grace, power, fire and Holy Spirit that was coming! The old way of doing things will not work anymore! You can also find this parable in Luke 5:36-39 in greater detail:

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ 

Any of us who have left behind religion, legalism, high-control environments, etc. and have experienced the fulness of God in Christ Jesus, never look back and say, “I wish I could go back to that life of fear, oppression and feeling like I’m never good enough. No way! Once you’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good, there is no going back!

Have YOU tasted of this new wine and seen that the new Way is good? That Jesus is good? That the grace and blood of Jesus is good? That the outpouring, infilling and moving of His Holy Spirit is good? Or have you been trying to to insist that the old wine and wineskin of religion and ritual, rules and regulations is good? The New Covenant, this dispensation of Grace in which we are living, is the Way that Jesus paid for. I invite you to join in this Feast that He has prepared for you! Ask Him right now to fill you with His new wine and experience all that He has for you today!