Water Into Wine

Even as we reflect on what Jesus Christ has done for us, we marvel at the fact that He is fully human. However, one concern that comes up often, is that we frequently forget that Jesus is fully God. John continues to present Jesus as the One Who is not only fully human, but fully God.

It is interesting how the very first miracle recorded in Jesus' ministry is such a unique one.  It is also one which shows His divine power. It is the setting in which He turned water into wine. There are many things which we could probably draw from this passage. However, I would rather try to stay as true to the text, as possible.

It is important for us to understand that the biblical miracles are referred to as signs in the New Testament. John chapter 20:30-31 explains why Jesus performed these signs: "therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

I believe that we can gather from this passage a principle for ourselves as we look for application.  We are called upon by Christ to serve Him.

So let us take a little trip with Jesus down to Cana of Galilee and see what John writes concerning this first miracle.

The Celebration - 2.1-2

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.

It appears that we are still within that first week when John the Baptist had been interrogated by the religious leaders. We now see that Jesus and his mother were at this particular wedding, along with his disciples. Cana is about 9 miles north of Nazareth.

Weddings today are a major event. However, in the time of Christ they were even more of a major social event. The wedding celebration would often last several days, sometimes up to a week. Nowadays, parents with daughters might wish that the payment tradition was like it was then. Today, usually the bride's family is responsible for the majority of the expenses. However, during Christ's time, the groom and his family was responsible for all of the expenses of the wedding. There is also some very interesting traditions that would take place in the close preparation to the wedding. Usually, on an evening, often on a Wednesday, the groom and his friends would go to the bride's house. They would escort her, along with all of her attendants back to his house. It was at his house where the wedding activities would take place. Another thing which is different than today was that the banquet actually happened prior to the actual wedding.

Since Jesus and his mother were at this wedding, it would seem that the individuals being married could possibly have been related to them. Also, since Mary seems to have some responsibility for the groom’s family, since she was already there, this adds further evidence to the fact that there were was most likely a family relationship.

Would that not be amazing to have had Jesus in person at your wedding? By His presence there, He once again reminds all of us of His recognition of the importance of marriage, as well as the celebration.

The Servants - 2.3-5

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us?  My hour has not yet come.”  His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

In these verses, we see a somewhat embarrassing situation. Evidently the wine supply had run out. Historians suggest that this was such a colossal mistake, that it could have caused the bride’s family to sue the groom’s family because they did not meet their responsibilities. This helps to give some insight a little later as to why Jesus performed the upcoming miracle. We would do well to note that throughout the Gospels, all of the miracles which Jesus performed were to meet very specific needs. This miracle was not for show, but was rather to meet a genuine need that the family had.

The Gospels are silent about where Joseph was at this time. However, it would seem to be safe to assume that Joseph was no longer alive. He is not mentioned in this situation at all. In addition, since Jesus was the first born, it seems logical for Mary to go to Him with the predicament, as the man of the house.

At this point, we do not know if Mary fully realized that Jesus was going to perform a miracle. However, Mary did know who Jesus really was. She remembered about the miraculous virgin birth and what all those who came to see Him shared about Him. She also had observed his growing up years and could honestly say that her son was perfect. She probably also heard what her nephew, John the Baptist, had shared in his ministry.

Now as we look at Jesus' response to Mary, we do not fully understand why He spoke to her this way. Part of the reason we don’t understand, is because of our North American culture. Jesus was actually being quite polite. However, by his use of the word "woman," it shows that it was no longer an intimate way of speaking to her. He did not say mother; he said woman. It almost appears as if He is informing her that their relationship is now changed. Everything that he will do from this point forward is dealing with his public ministry as the Messiah, the Son of God. Previously, he had related to her as his mother. Now he is doing his Father's will.

I appreciate Mary’s response, as she does not take this personally. Jesus is not saying no; therefore, she says to the servants, "whatever he says to you, do it." My guess, is that since Mary was in charge, it seems, she was giving instructions for the people to now follow the instructions of Jesus.

Let's move on to see what the solution is going to be.

The Solution - 2.6-10

Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.  Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him.  When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,  and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

It is fascinating to read as John explains to us what the stone waterpots were doing there. They were used for the purpose of ceremonial washings. They were actually large pots which contained between 20 and 30 gallons each. We might wonder why they had these available. If there were six waterpots, each holding 30 gallons, that would be 180 gallons of water. This would be used for cleaning as well as cooking.

After Mary had given the instructions to the servants, Jesus told them what to do. They filled the waterpots up to the brim. We might wonder why this is an important detail. But as I read this, I am amazed; because this shows there would be nothing added to the water. Jesus made it very obvious that there was only water in them before he turned the water into wine.

We often speak of the rich grace and the riches of Christ. Chuck Swindoll often refers to God's grace through Jesus as extravagant grace. Here, I believe we see extravagant grace, as this would have been more than enough wine to last for the remainder of the celebration. It is almost like a wedding gift to the couple.

Jesus then continues to follow protocol by telling them to serve it to the head waiter. That way, it would be known that the wine was acceptable. Interestingly, this passage states that the head waiter did not know where the wine had come from. Yet when he tasted it, he was amazed at the quality of this wine. We also see here, that the normal custom was to serve the best wine first. The reason, as seen from the phrase "drunk freely," which means had become drunk, is that the people who had drunk would not recognize the lesser quality wine later. 

As we take just a moment to look at this miracle, it is important to understand that this wine did not go through a normal process. It did not come from the grapes. It did not ferment over a lengthy period of time. It had come from water. Only one who could create all that there is could perform such a miracle as this. It seems obvious that John records this miracle to let all of us know that Jesus is God. And only God can perform a miracle.

But is there more to all of this? Isn't there more significance to this changing water to wine?

The Significance - 2.11

This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

Obviously, John lets us know that this is the beginning of the signs which Jesus did. So let's look at what the purpose of this was.

John states that Jesus "manifested his glory." In other words, he showed everyone that he is God. Jesus did not do this simply to save them from embarrassment. Jesus never did any signs or miracles to show off. The purpose of these signs was to show people who he was; he was God at work.

Yet as I look at these verses and those following, I do not see that any of the people at the wedding came to salvation. The reality is that most people, if not all of them, saw what happened but did not understand the significance.

But not all is lost. John further states, "and his disciples believed in him." They had already heard what John the Baptist said about the fact that Jesus was the Messiah. They also had heard Jesus say this about himself. We saw Nathaniel and Philip, along with the others that expressed belief in Jesus. However, now they see for themselves God in action.

Summary

As we reflect on this new event which John shares, we can see some interesting spiritual parallels.

First of all, since we understand that wine often represented joy in the Old Testament, there would also have been an expectation of all kinds of joy with this new life that was about to begin as husband-and-wife. It would seem that in our world today, there is no joy. People chase about seeking fulfillment from all kinds of temporary things. Yet we know that without Christ, there is no true, lasting joy.

As we look at the waterpots, we assumed that they were empty. The reason is because Jesus told the servants to fill them to the brim with water. There is an interesting parallel in the fact that we are told to fill others up with God's word. We are not told to perform the miracle of changing them. That miracle belongs to God. The servants did as Christ had told them. Then he did the miracle of turning the water to wine. You and I must be certain that we are filling the lives of others with God's Word. Then allow him to change them, bringing them to salvation.

There are far more illustrations that we could probably glean from this passage. I encourage you to allow God to speak to you whatever it may be that you need to glean from this passage.

Recognize that Jesus is God. Recognize that God alone does the miraculous. Understand that we are his servants to do his bidding as he will do his work to bring glory and honor to his name.