A WEDDING, SIX JARS AND A MIRACLE

John 2:1–12 (ESV)

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her,

“Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

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

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

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.

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 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.”

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

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

"John’s Gospel is divided into two parts: the first 12 chapters showing Jesus' signs and miracles, and chapters 13-21 focusing on his glory. Today, we look at John 2 and Jesus' first miracle at a wedding in Cana."

This powerful narrative isn't just about turning water into wine; it's a profound revelation of Christ's divine nature and the transformative power of faith.

As we delve into this passage, we're reminded that Jesus doesn't just meet our needs - He exceeds them abundantly. The significance of using purification jars for this miracle speaks to how Jesus fulfills and transcends Jewish traditions, offering a new covenant of grace.

We're challenged to consider: Are we, like Mary, willing to trust Jesus completely, even when His ways seem mysterious?

How can we allow Christ to transform the ordinary aspects of our lives into extraordinary testimonies of His glory?

This miracle invites us to examine our own faith journey and to anticipate with joy the ways God might surprise us with His goodness.

THE WEDDING AT CANA

It is only a matter of days after Jesus’ Baptism, He is invited, probably by His Mother, Mary to attend a wedding.

Jewish celebrations, in that day, were extravagant affairs- Weddings being among the biggest of ceremonies.

The entire celebration, quite often, lasted up to a week.

There was then, and still is a level of high importance of the Wedding symbolism.

All the promises of hope, Good Health, Harmony and Well-Being are wrapped up in the merging of a couple into one family unit. Bonded together, in all of that Hope and good will.

With this as the setting, Weddings are also an opportunity for Families to come together- To Glorify God and be a witness of their Faith.

Now imagine, for a moment, You’re at a Wedding reception, and you realize there is not enough food left to feed everyone.

Maybe you’re in charge of the catering…something got messed up in the ordering and the food is gone far too soon- What do you do?

Having examined the setting of the wedding, let's now look at the significance of Jesus' interaction with Mary.

Jesus, clearly, understands that His divine purpose on Earth was to bring Glory to His Father.

His conversation with His mother, Mary has been a source of much debate and commentary across the ages.

There is, however important context to add here.

Jewish weddings of that time, had far-reaching ramifications on all the party’s involved.

For a small community like Cana, this Wedding could have been the highlight of the social calendar for the entire year. This was a big Deal.

Legal issues could arise from an assumed slight or humiliation of the Wedding couple.

Gifts were given as a sign of honor and respect for the couple and their families.

The failure of the Master of the Wedding to keep a plentiful supply of wine on hand was a huge embarrassment and a potential catastrophic disaster.

We dont know how directly Mary was involved in the Wedding, but it is obvious she became aware of the issue early on.

Approaching her son Jesus with the problem seemed to be the thing to do in her mind.

Was Mary, trying to manipulate Jesus, knowing His divine nature or simply try to solve a problem, before it became a crisis.

Have we ever NOT gone to God with a care or concern because we figured it wasn’t BIG enough to bother God with?

Considering Mary had held the miraculous visitation, birth and early life of her son Jesus close to her heart for 30 years now, She had to be ready to burst at the seams to tell the world who her Son really was...

Yet Jesus, now assuming His Messianic role, can not be manipulated, even by the close relationship of His own mother.

He is now fully on His Mission from God the Father.

Mary still seems to be emboldened by Jesus’ response and tells the servants, “Do whatever He says...”

It is good to take note that Mary directed the servants to do Jesus’ bidding and not His Disciples- There would be no accusations of collusion here.

It’s also important to note that the jars Jesus calls for, “Six Stone Jars” were traditionally used for the Jewish Purification Washing ritual.

According to Leviticus 11.33, clay jars could become ritually unclean and would need to be destroyed.

Stone Jars could not be made unclean, so Jesus called for the servants to follow Jewish Law in the entire process.

There are many Spiritual implications around this story.

Besides the cleansing and the miracle itself, the volume of the Jars is significant.

Roughly 120 gallons of new wine was produced from this miracle. Thus saving the Grooms party the embarrassment of such a failure.

Common sense dictates that in any ceremony, the best is served first then the lesser quality wine.

The Master of the Feast is declaring that what is usually served first is in fact inferior to anything Christ has to offer.

In fact, the miracle itself, serves to announce the Divine presence of God incarnate.

John wraps up this section with the statement that, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”

We've seen how the wedding at Cana encapsulates themes of community, divine timing, and miraculous provision.

As we go forward, let’s reflect on how Jesus transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary in our own lives."