Pubic Ministry: First Miracle (2:1-12)

Introduction:

Last week we saw how Jesus, in this early part of his public ministry, began to choose his disciples. These men who began as rough, gruff, commoners, would be transformed by Jesus over the next three years into men upon whom, the church would be built, and God’s written revelation would be completed.

This morning, we will look at the first recorded miracle by Jesus, and its significance in light of how John is unveiling the living Word, Jesus Christ.

Text: John 2:1-12

John 2:1–12 ESV

1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Main Idea: Because Jesus is the initiator of the new covenant, we must understand that the old has passed away and the new has come.

Last week we were shown how Jesus, the messiah, had become the new Bethel, as he would bring together both heaven and earth.

Much of the first half (2-12) of John’s Gospel features Jesus’ demonstration of his messianic identity and purpose by way of seven selected signs (cf. 20:30–31):

Changing water into wine (2:1-11)

Healing the official’s son (4:46-54)

Healing the invalid (5:1–15)

Feeding the multitude (6:5–13)

Walking on the water (6:16–21)

Healing the man born blind (9:1–7)

Raising Lazarus (11:1-44)

These seven miracles were chosen very carefully by John to show how Jesus was the one to initiate and complete the new covenant part of God’s Old Covenant of Redemption which began in eternity past.

I. Human Problem (1-5)

A. Wedding Dilemma (1-3)

(1) On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

A middle eastern wedding at times would last for several days and were attended by many guests.

This is the third day—that is, two days after Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael (1:43–51). This continues the narration of Jesus’ activities spanning an entire week (see the references to “the next day” in 1:29, 35, 43).

Cana in Galilee. most likely according to archeologist, is about 8.3 miles (13 km) north of Nazareth.

the mother of Jesus was there - It is probable that Mary was not an invited guest but rather an assistant at the wedding. This might explain how it was that she knew about the wine giving out.

(2) Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. - The main point is that Jesus accepted the invitation for the entire group, and that Jesus was now publically associated with his disciples and not a loner.

(3) When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

The wedding party’s running out of wine may be seen as symbolizing the spiritual barrenness of first-century Judaism, especially against an OT background that viewed wine (but never drunkenness) as a sign of joy and God’s blessing (Ps. 104:15).

Psalm 104:14–15 ESV

14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth 15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

B. Sovereign Timing (4-5)

(4) And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

Woman. This is a respectful way of addressing a woman within that culture and is the way Jesus normally addresses women (4:21; 8:10).

what does this have to do with me. Jesus answers Mary’s request, not because she is His mother, but as part of His work as the Messiah. This indicates that Mary’s special relationship as Jesus’ mother gives her no authority to intervene in Christ’s messianic career—a strong argument against offering prayer to Mary.

My hour. Usually Jesus’ “hour” refers to the time of His suffering and death (7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1). Jesus is asserting that His Father, not Mary, must determine the timetable of His earthly ministry.

We saw this foreshadowed in the only event shown in scripture from his childhood:

Luke 2:48–50 ESV

48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.

(5) His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

His mother said to the servants - Mary must have had some authority in her part of serving at this wedding.

Do whatever he tells you. Mary, in accepting Jesus’ clarification of their relationship, responds in such a way to imply that He is willing nonetheless to meet the immediate need in his timing.

II. Divine Solution (6-10)

A. Old Covenant (6-7)

(6) Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.

six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification - old order associated with Moses, symbolized by the stone water jars used for ceremonial washing, which are explained in Mark 7:3,

Mark 7:1–5 ESV

1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”

holding twenty or thirty gallons - quite a laborious task to fill.

(7) Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. - we see here that Jesus time for this miracle had come, and that he was about to do something out of the ordinary, as he takes the old order items, and repurposes them as we shall see next…

B. New Covenant (8-10)

(8) And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. - without over spiritualizing, I believe that Jesus is taking what had been the tradition for thousands of years, and is drawing it out to help his disciples to understand his purpose.

(9) When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom

When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine - This was no arbitrary miracle that met an immediate need, but the new wine symbolizes eternal life in God’s kingdom through Jesus Christ (1:16, 17; cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). Is. 25:6–9 shows us the meaning of this symbolism…

Isaiah 25:6–9 ESV

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. 9 It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

For the background image of eschatological salvation is seen as a banquet of abundant food and fine wine. The abundant fruitfulness of vines and wine was to be characteristic of the coming new creation of the latter days (e.g., Hos. 2:22; Joel 2:19, 24; 3:18; Amos 9:13, 14; Zech 9:17).

Hosea 2:22 ESV

22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel,

Joel 2:19 ESV

19 The Lord answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

Joel 2:24 ESV

24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

Amos 9:13–14 ESV

13 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. 14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.

Zechariah 9:17 ESV

17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.

(10) and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

you have kept the good wine until now. First-century wedding celebrations could last several days, so poor wine was reserved for later, when guests’ tastes had been somewhat dulled. The compliment paid to the bridegroom for superior wine, the origin of which only the servants know, speaks more deeply of the greater grace now conveyed through Jesus Christ, superseding that made known in the law that came through Moses (1:17).

Jesus was making it abundantly clear, that what he was doing has never been done before, for his salvation is totally new and permanent:

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

We see next the reality of Jesus ultimate purpose for this miracle…

III. Heaven/Earth Significance (11-12)

A. Jesus Glory Manifested (11a)

(11a) This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory…

the first of his signs - first of the seven miracles we mentioned in the opening.

manifested (phaneroo [aor, act, ind] - to clearly reveal to the mind and senses) his glory (doxa [noun] - a state of high honor; root of doxology)- The theme of Christ’s glory had already been introduced (1:14 note). In the OT, God manifested His glory in a variety of miraculous events, and John’s comment indicates that he wants his readers to recognize Jesus’ deity.

Miracles in both the Old and New Testaments where a way of teaching the unseen spiritual truths of God through the physical senses of the human being.

This miracle showed the glory of Jesus as the sovereign Creator and ruler of the material universe and also as the merciful God who provides abundantly for his people’s needs

B. Disciples Faith Increased (11b-12)

(11b) …And his disciples believed in him. Again, John states that his purpose in writing is to evoke faith in Jesus.

(12) After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

After this he went down to Capernaum - Jesus went down from Cana to Capernaum, since Cana was in the hill country while Capernaum was at the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is about 16 miles (26 km) to the northeast of Cana and could easily be reached in a day’s journey (see note on Mark 1:21). Capernaum served as Jesus’ headquarters after the Baptist’s imprisonment (Matt. 4:12–13; Luke 4:28–31; cf. Matt. 9:1).

See Mark 6:3 on sons and daughters born later to Joseph and Mary, after Jesus’ birth from the virgin.

So What?

Do we understand that Jesus Christ did not come to set a good example for us to follow, but to transform heaven and earth.

Do we realize that the revelation of Jesus as the glorious God manifested in the flesh, requires that we put our complete trust in him.