Water to Wine

Introduction

The word miracle means "an act or event that occurs outside the bounds of the normal or natural order.” We know that the Bible is full of miracles and the New Testament is especially full of the miracles of Jesus. There are at least 37 miracles of Jesus mentioned there. The very first miracle we have recorded in John is believed by most to be the first miracle that Jesus did in His ministry. It is found in John 2.

John 2:1–11 NIV84

1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Let’s look at the particulars of this story.

The Particulars

John goes into great detail describing these particulars. His description can be in face a bit confusing so it is not important to get bogged down in this confusion. However, just for the point of clarification, John says “on the third day a wedding took place.” Most people take this to mean the third day of the wedding celebration, which usually lasted a week. Some also make a reference that is miracle took place on the third day to be likened to the resurrection. Nevertheless, we will learn from this miracle story that a new age has begun!

The Setting

The setting is in Cana, a village about 5 miles from Nazareth. Christ began to work miracles in an obscure corner of the country, remote from Jerusalem. The Old Testament mentions Kanah (spelled with a K and an H at the end) but this is in another area. The Jewish historian Josephus also refers to Cana, describing it as a military headquarters and staging ground during the time the first-century Jews were preparing for war against the Romans. However, the exact location of Cana in ancient Galilee remains uncertain. It was close enough on the outskirts of Nazareth that Jesus could be there.

The Situation

We see in our passage that Jesus and His disciples were in Cana as invited guests. Just to be clear, only five of the disciples had been called at this time: Andrew, Philip, Nathanael, Simon Peter, and John the beloved. They are all invited to this wedding. They were not the first wedding crashers, but according to scripture they were definitely invited. We do not know whose wedding it was, but it was to be a joyous time. Weddings are supposed to be perfect with no glitches. However, a glitch had happened. The wine had run out. Notice the supplication that comes from the Mother of Jesus.

The Supplication

She simply said, “They have no more wine.” She did not ask Jesus to fix it. She did not even suggest that He do something about it. She just mentioned it. We all know the power of a mother’s words! Jesus certainly knew because He responds, “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” Mary approaches Jesus as His mother and is reproached. She responds, however, as a believer and her faith is demonstrated. Mary does not hear a “no” in that statement from Jesus. Rather, she sees a problem taken care of with divine intervention! The Mother of Jesus shakes off His gentle rebuke and exemplifies the best kind of persevering faith. She displays faith that is perfectly content to be left in the hands of Jesus! She simply speaks the need, then lays it out before the Lord! I wonder if she was familiar with the Old Testament story of King Hezekiah when he received a troubling letter.

2 Kings 19:14 NIV84

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.

What an example for us all to spread out our concerns before the Lord! When the mother of Jesus gets His reply, she simply turns to the servants in an act of faith and says, “Do whatever He tells you.” Again, this is great wisdom! We all are to do as Jesus tells us. She turns to Jesus in need and she knows to leave it with Him in her time of need!

Who is this person that turned to?

The Person

Well, the person of Jesus is demonstrated in this passage in three different roles.

The Guest

First, we see Jesus as the invited guest. Jesus does not barge into the wedding as a wedding crasher for the free food and wine. He is invited. The same is true when He comes into our lives. He doesn’t crash our lives, He comes only as an invited guest. As a guest, those that follow Him get the same privileges as well. Matthew Henry wrote, “Those that FOLLOW Christ FEAST with Him and FARES as He FARES.”

John 12:26 NIV84

26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

I love that phrase, “My Father will honor the one who serves me.” I am reminded in our miracle story of the role of Jesus as the Son.

The Son

As the Son, we see Jesus as both the son of Mary and the Son of God. We have already shown that Mary brings the situation to her son. We cannot over emphasize this as Mary better than anyone also knew her son was the Son of God. Jesus makes reference to this by simply saying, “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” Jesus shows us great respect in talking with His mother. He was the model son for sure!

Jesus reminded His mother that He was on a heavenly timetable set forth by His Heavenly Father. You may remember that He had hinted at this when He was just a boy and was missing. His parents found Him teaching a the temple.

Luke 2:48–50 NIV84

48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

We see Jesus being the model Son for both His mother and for His Father. What an example for us to follow!

The Host

Jesus was a guest and the model Son, but He was also an exemplary host. Mary, the 5 disciples and the servants knew what Jesus had done in turning the water into wine. But Jesus made sure the bridegroom received all the credit. The disciples saw Jesus in the role of the host as well. They got to see His glory revealed and helped the foundation of their faith grow.

John 1:14 NIV84

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus as the host was also concerned for the well being of His friends. Had they run out of the wine, the family of the bride could have sued the family of the bridegroom. Jesus was a guest, revealed His Sonship and became a host all in one miraculous moment. But there is still more that we need to see from this miracle.

The Purification

There is much to consider regarding the use of the jars that contained the water Jesus turned into wine. First we remember from verse 6 that there were six stone water jars. The number 6 is a reference to incompleteness. Six is one less than seven. The Jewish dispensation was incomplete until the coming of Jesus. The jars were there to include obedience to the Jewish law.

Cleansing Because of the Law

The jars were used to wash before eating and to wash again after eating. However, the cleansing because of the law came up short.

Cleansing But Still Unclean

The cleansing left them still unclean. The law pointed the way to purification but gave no permanent relief.

John 1:17 NIV84

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Yet Jesus was demonstrating that there was something better to come. There was cleansing beyond the law.

Cleansing Beyond the Law

The purpose of mentioning the ceremonial washing jars was to reveal that the water represented the old Jewish law and the custom of which Jesus was to replace with something better.

John 1:16 NIV84

16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

Jesus has the servants fill each jar to the brim to show the ceremonial purification is completely fulfilled. It also shows the magnitude of the miracle. The abundance of wine are the signs fulfillment in the Old Testament. Jeremiah 31:12 Jesus doesn’t just make it a little right, He makes it gloriously and fully right!

Jeremiah 31:12 NIV84

12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord— the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.

Joel 3:18 NIV84

18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias.

Amos 9:13–14 NIV84

13 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. 14 I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.

We have talked about the particulars, the person and roles that Jesus shows us, and we have talked about the purification that Jesus demonstrated. However, what I want you to see most of all, is the power that is demonstrated.

The Power

This miracle certainly was not an every day kind of occurence.

The Mundane

Jesus took the mundane and turned it into the marvelous. One theologian wrote, quoting John 1:3

“Through Him all things were made,” then he added, “The modest water saw its God and blushed.”

The ordinary became extraordinary!

The Marriage

Notice also the power that happens when Jesus shows up at one’s wedding! As one that has performed hundred’s of weddings over the years, the best ones are always the ones to which Jesus shows up! To have His grace present and to be blessed by Him is most beautiful and rewarding. It is also a wonderful prelude to Jesus being the bridegroom for His church. Revelation 19:9

Revelation 19:9 NIV84

9 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

The thing I find most incredible in this miracle is the majesty that is revealed.

The Majesty

I am so reminded of the majesty of our Lord. When did this miracle take place? Was it when the jars were filled? Was it when the servants delivered it to the master? Was it when the master of the banquet tasted it? We may never know. But what we do know is that this was the first of many miracles that we have recorded in God’s Word and every one of them reveal the glory of our God. As the glory of God was revealed through Jesus, the disciples put there faith in Him. WE can too!