Water to Wine

Intro: After Jesus has called five disciples to follow Him they are invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Now a wedding in the Jewish culture is a lot different of what we think of weddings today. Jewish law stated that a virgin was to be wedded on Wednesday and a widow on Thursday. The reason for this law was the Sanhedrin (the Jewish judicial body) sat in court twice a week. They met on the second day, Monday, and on the fifth day, Thursday. If there was a dispute about the virginity of a wife after the marriage was consummated physically, the husband could come before the Sanhedrin the next day to make his case.

Oriental wedding feasts often lasted seven days after a year of betrothal/engagement. The feast followed the groom’s taking of his bride from her home to his home or his father’s house, before the consummation of the marriage.

Text; John 2:1-11

John 2:1–11 NKJV

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

1. Jesus Invited to a Wedding; 1-2

Jesus was probably invited to the wedding because of His mother. Mary must have been related to the family or she was the wedding planner. [ref. v. 5]

Here’s what’s important. The couple that invites Jesus to their wedding and makes the Lord first in their home, is wise. Make sure your wedding glorifies Christ. Put some clothes on the bride’s maids and the bride. Sensuality and immodesty may be stylish with the world, but it is not stylish with God. Don’t dishonor the Lord by serving a bunch of liquor at the reception. Before you get married, make sure you marry a believer. Don’t marry a Christian that is backslidden and will drag you down spiritually and get you out of church.

Mattoon, R. (2005). Treasures from John (Vol. 1, pp. 60–61). Rod Mattoon.

Marriage/family was the first institution of God after creation and marriage/family was the first thing Jesus attended after calling his disciples to ministry. I don’t think that was a coincidence!

2. The Wine Runs Dry; 3-5

One of the worst things that can happen at a wedding reception is to run out of food and drink. When they run out, “the party’s over”.

Do you remember the difference I mentioned earlier between a Jewish wedding feast and the one’s we have today? Seven days instead of one!

Wine- grape juice, fruit of the vine, new wine [unfermented wine, like unleavened bread used in the Passover/Lord’s Supper]

Strong drink [red wine] in the bible is fermented wine that carries alcohol content. Most wine was diluted to 3 parts water to one part wine.

Proverbs 23:29–33 NKJV

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.

1 Timothy 5:23 NKJV

23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

Why did Mary come to Jesus and tell Him they have run out of wine?

J. Vernon McGee makes this statement; She is really saying, “Here is Your opportunity to perform a miracle and demonstrate that I am accurate when I said that You were virgin born and that You are the One whom I have claimed You are.”

Woman- term of endearment, not attachment, nor disrespectful

When Jesus was baptized by John and entered into His full earthly ministry, His relationship with Mary changed. He followed the words of Mary and Joseph growing up but He was here about His Father’s business. God is His authority and only God had his ear. He could not consent to her authority but only to God. That is why he called her woman instead of mother.

Mary also needed to understand that she must approach Jesus like everybody else, a sinner in need of a Savior!

Mine hour- hour of suffering when Jesus would be subject to man’s will. Until then He would not be subject to man.

Whatever He says to you do it! Great advice!!

We should be subject to man according to the law of the land as long as that law does not conflict with the Word of God!

3. Water to Wine; 6-10

Water pots- purification pots; stone jars, used to cleanse dirty, dusty, or muddy feet and hands before meals and between each course of the meals. This is not drinking water!

Servants- they are told to fill the pots up. Servants know that these pots are not used for drinking, but remember Mary tells them to do whatever Jesus tells them to. [600 to 900 gallons]

Draw out- Now the servants are told to draw and serve the wine to master of the feast. This would be unthinkable for a Jew to drink from a purification jar, but it was the best wine ever!

There are times we don’t understand why God asks us to do things certain ways, but we just need to trust Him by faith and obey Him!

[vs. 9-10] This miracle shows us that the rituals associated with the old covenant law are giving way to the better covenant in Christ. The water of ceremony has been replaced with something far better. External purification has given way to internal cleansing.

John 4:10–14 NKJV

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

There are times we don’t understand why God asks us to do things certain ways, to go places we’ve never been, or be put in situations that make us uncomfortable, but we just need to trust Him by faith and do it!

4. Transformation; 11

Transform- make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of something or someone.

There are two things that have been transformed at this wedding feast;

The water was changed to wine. A heavenly wine that has never been reproduced again.

The disciples have been changed as their faith in Christ grows. They are transformed from fishermen of the sea to bold witnesses of Christ as fishers of men!

Close;

The most important point of this entire story is often missed. This is just one of many instances suggesting Jesus was welcome among those who were having a good time. If the average Christian today were a pattern, there would be very little joy and happiness in the Christian life. The average Christian goes around all day with a long, solemn face. If Christians do by chance find themselves in the company of someone who is having a good time, they immediately suspect the cause for the excitement and fun is illegal, immoral, or fattening. Jesus was not like that. He did not condemn those who were having clean fun.

Higle, T. C. (1999). Journey to the Cross: A Study of the Life of Christ (p. 31). Tommy Higle Publishers, Inc.

We are nothing but dirty water pots of this world that God wants to transform into vessels of honor for His glory. He desires to fill us with the Word of God and then ladle it out to those who are thirsty for joy in Jesus.