We all love sweets. How many out there have a sweet tooth? How many are just downright chocoholics? Human beings, with the exception of only a few, seem naturally to be drawn to sweets. We associate sweetness with pleasure, joy, even ecstasy, and we associate sweet treats with rewards and the ability to eat the luxuries we crave.

In Jesus’ time, you couldn’t go down to the grocery store to buy a cart full of chocolate, ice cream, or good ‘n plenty. The “sweets” of the first century were primarily honey, spice, and fruits and the juices of those fruits, pressed into nectar and wine. Wine in Jesus’ time had little alcohol content. It was closer to grape juice with just a slight bit of fermentation. The signal of the best wine was not its alcohol strength but its pungent sweetness. Wine was …