Better Wine
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Ladies and gentlemen — this is a special moment!
Today is the first time I’m preaching a message not connected to a series since May 19, 2024. That’s a monumental moment for all of us!
Before we dive in, just a quick reminder — though we’ll mention this again later — baptisms are coming up in two weeks on December 7th.
If you’ve never been baptized — if you’ve never made that public declaration of your faith — it’s time. Let’s not put it off any longer.
Here’s what I want you to hear:
Baptism is the outward expression of an inward transformation.
Baptism doesn’t save you — Scripture is clear. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works — and that includes baptism.
But that doesn’t mean baptism is unimportant. It is important.
It’s deeply important for your walk with Christ and your witness to others.
Sometimes people will say, “Well, the thief on the cross wasn’t baptized.”
And my response is — let’s not use an exception as the standard.
Jesus commanded us to make disciples and baptize them.
So we’re going tLast thing I want to talk about before we dive into the message this morning is the Room for More Offering.
Now I know what you’re thinking —“Here we go, the pastor wants to talk about money again.”
But let me be very clear:
This is not about money.
This is about the Kingdom.
We could skip this offering.
We could all keep giving our normal amounts.
We could stay in this little building, stay the same size, and keep everything as it is.
But that’s not what God called us to.
God has more He wants to do in and through our church — and I don’t know about you, but I want to be part of that.
Now — I know when I said the number $25,000 a few weeks ago, some of you thought:
“That’s impossible.”
“Pastor, you don’t know how much I make — I can’t.”
I hear you. And I want to challenge you.
But I also want to be careful. If I handle this wrong, it’ll sound like manipulation — and that’s not my heart.
In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul talks about the Macedonian church — a church that faced extreme poverty and severe affliction — and yet still gave with radical generosity.
Let me read this to you:
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
They didn’t give under pressure.
They weren’t guilted into it.
They begged to take part — because they understood the joy and privilege of supporting the move of God.
That’s the kind of heart I believe God is forming in this house.
So here’s my ask — and it’s simple:
Don’t give out of pressure. Don’t give out of guilt. Don’t give because it was asked.
Give out of faith.
Pray. Seek God. Ask Him what He would have you give. And then trust Him.
And one last thing — not to change the goal, but to stir your faith:
We’ve set a goal: $25,000. That’s what we believe will help us take the next step in what God is doing.
But what if God chooses to do more?
What if this offering ends up being more than just about hitting a number?
What if it becomes a story of unexpected obedience, unexpected generosity, and unexpected provision?
I’m not saying the goal is moving. I’m saying our faith might be growing.
Let’s pray. Let’s trust God. And let’s believe that whatever He provides through us — it will be exactly what we need for what He’s calling us to.
All right — are you ready?
This is the first message I’ve preached that’s not part of a series in over a year and a half. That’s a big deal. I’m excited. I hope you are too.
Go ahead and turn with me to the book of John — we’re going to be in chapter 2 this morning.
We’re picking up just before what many Bible scholars consider the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.
And where do we find Him?
Not in the temple. Not on a mountain. Not in the synagogue.
He’s at a wedding.
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.
I’ve titled the message this morning:
Better Wine
Pray
I want to take a poll this morning.
Why did Jesus turn water into wine?
The answer: Something else.
Let’s Walk Through the Passage
So let’s walk through this passage together and uncover what else might be happening here.
The first thing I want you to take note of is this:
There was a crisis at this wedding.
Now — it might not seem like a crisis to us. But in that culture, hospitality at a wedding was everything.
These weren’t quick, two-hour events like we’re used to.
Weddings lasted for days — and people traveled long distances by foot to attend.
They often missed work. This was a serious investment of time and energy.
So the way you honored your guests was through the wedding reception — the food, the wine, the celebration.
To run out of wine wasn’t just inconvenient.
It was shameful.
It was basically saying:
“You weren’t worth the extra effort. We didn’t plan for you.”
And here’s the thing: if you ran out of wine at your wedding, people didn’t forget.
You’d be talked about for the rest of your life.
“Remember Levi’s wedding? Yeah — the one where the wine ran out.”
It became part of your story — and not in a good way.
Jesus’ mom was not about to let that happen to this couple.
So she goes to Jesus.
3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
Now — how many of you know she wasn’t just informing Jesus?
Moms don’t do that.
Moms give commands disguised as information.
If your mom says, “The trash is full.”
She’s not sharing a fun fact — she’s telling you to take it out.
If she says, “The dishes are dirty.”
What does that mean?
It means: “You better do the dishes!”
That’s exactly what Mary’s doing here.
She’s not just making an observation.
Let’s pause for a second.
Some of you hear that and think, “Did Jesus just call His mom ‘woman’?” That doesn’t sound right.
But listen — Jesus was not being rude or disrespectful.
In the original Greek, the word translated “woman” was actually a formal and respectful address.
It’s basically the cultural equivalent of “ma’am.”
So if you want to be more like Jesus?
Say “yes ma’am,” “no ma’am,” “yes sir,” “no sir.”
That’s not just good manners — that’s Christlike character.
Jesus basically responds, “Ma’am, what does that have to do with me? I’m a guest at the wedding. I’m not the responsible party here.”
And then He adds this phrase: “My hour has not yet come.”
That phrase — “my hour” — is something Jesus repeats multiple times throughout His ministry.
We’re going to come back to that later.
But now — I love Mary’s response.
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
She doesn’t argue. She doesn’t push. She doesn’t even respond directly to Jesus.
She just turns to the servants and says, “Do whatever he tells you.”
In other words: “He’s going to handle this. Just be ready to follow His lead.”
Mary knows something about her Son — and she’s trusting Him to step in, even if He hasn’t said “yes” yet.
Mary lived Ephesians 3:20 before Paul wrote it….
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
She didn’t know how He would do it.
She didn’t know what He would do.
But she believed He could do more — far more — than anyone at that wedding expected.
And I just wonder…
Is there anyone here today who doesn’t know how He’s going to do it?
You don’t know what He’s going to do.
You don’t know when He’s going to do it.
But deep down — you still believe He’s able.
You still believe He’s faithful.
You still believe He can step in.
You’re holding on to that same quiet confidence Mary had:
“Do whatever He tells you.”
That kind of faith doesn’t need the full picture — it just needs the right person.
Jesus then does this
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.
Now — a few things here.
First, those were purification jars — not drinking jars.
They were meant for ceremonial washing, not celebration. But Jesus is about to transform something that symbolized the old covenant into a sign of something new.
Second — let’s talk about the master of the feast.
The master of the feast was basically the event coordinator, the head waiter, or even the best man.
He was responsible for the flow of the event, the timing, the food, the wine — everything.
If something went wrong, he’d be the one answering for it.
So Jesus tells the servants:
Scoop out this water. Walk it over. Serve it to him.
And this is where I want to pause for a moment.
We always talk about the faith of Mary — and rightly so.
But what about the faith of the servants?
Some woman just told them, “Do whatever my son says.”
So they fill these huge jars — used for washing — with water.
And then Jesus tells them to scoop it out and bring it to the man in charge of the entire wedding.
If it didn’t work — they wouldn’t just be embarrassed. They’d be humiliated. Maybe even punished.
But they obey anyway.
No guarantees. No explanation. No preview of the miracle. Just obedience.
Now think about this:
Jesus could have used anything for this miracle.
A wineskin. A pitcher. A cup. Even empty barrels from the kitchen.
But what did He choose?
Purification jars.
And that’s not an accident.
Jesus never does anything randomly. He moves deliberately with purpose.
These jars weren’t just functional — they were symbolic.
They were used for ritual washing under the Old Testament Law.
In that system, if you kept the law, you were purified.
Clean hands. Clean feet. Clean status — at least temporarily.
These jars represented the old covenant — external cleansing, constant repetition, never fully complete.
And Jesus chooses those jars as the vessels for His first miracle.
Because He’s not just fixing a catering problem — He’s making a statement.
Something better is coming.
A new kind of cleansing.
A better kind of wine.
You know one of the small details in this story that often gets skipped over?
Jesus says, “Fill them to the brim.”
These weren’t just any containers — they were purification jars.
Used in the law. Used in the old system. Used for rituals that symbolized being clean.
And Jesus doesn’t say, “Just put some water in.”
He says, “Fill them to the brim.” Fill them all the way up.
Why?
Because He’s making a point.
Even if you filled the law to the brim…
Even if you did every ritual…
Even if you followed every rule perfectly…
You still couldn’t be made new without Jesus.
The law could cleanse the outside.
Jesus came to change the inside.
So the servants draw out the water — and they take it to the master of the feast.
And when he tastes it, he’s immediately taken back.
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.”
Now this was the custom — start with the good wine, when everyone’s fresh and alert.
And once people had drunk enough to not notice the difference, then bring out the cheap stuff.
But not this time.
This wine?
The master didn’t know where it came from — but he knew it was good.
Really good.
Unusual. Unexpected. Better than anything that had come before.
He couldn’t explain it — but he knew something had shifted.
Now I want to clarify a couple things — because this part of the story can be misunderstood if we’re not careful.
First — when it says “people have drunk freely,” it doesn’t mean they were drunk.
The Greek word used here is μεθυσθῶσιν (methysthōsin, pronounced meh-thoo-STHO-sin),
from the root μεθύω (methyō, pronounced meh-THOO-oh), which means “to drink freely” or “to have one’s fill.”
While it can refer to intoxication in certain contexts, in this passage it simply means:
they had enjoyed enough wine that they wouldn’t notice a change in quality.
It does not mean they were drunk.
And that lines up with Scripture’s consistent call to sobriety and self-control.
Second — “good wine” in this context meant wine that was fermented and aged.
The word for “good” is καλὸν (kalon, pronounced KAH-lon) — it means excellent, noble, or high in quality.
And the word for “wine” is οἶνος (oinos, pronounced OY-noss) — which always refers to fermented wine in Greek.
There is no historical or biblical support for this being grape juice.
So let’s be clear:
Jesus did not turn water into grape juice.
He turned it into real, fermented, high-quality wine — the best they had ever tasted.
Now — that doesn’t mean Jesus was promoting drunkenness.
Scripture is clear: self-control matters (Ephesians 5:18, Proverbs 20:1).
And before I move on, I want to say something with care and compassion:
I know that for some of you, alcohol hasn’t brought joy — it’s brought pain.
Maybe you’re in recovery. Maybe alcohol has cost you years, relationships, or peace.
If that’s your story — I honor it. And I want you to know:
You don’t need to drink wine to follow Jesus.
You don’t need alcohol to celebrate grace.
Jesus turned water into wine — but He didn’t command anyone to drink it.
This miracle isn’t about promoting alcohol.
It’s about transformation.
It’s about how Jesus takes the ordinary and turns it into something better.
It’s about the new wine of His kingdom — the joy of His presence, the abundance of His grace.
So if you choose to abstain — out of conviction, wisdom, or recovery —you’re not missing out.
Now verse 11:
11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
Now — this is often called Jesus’ first miracle, and that’s true in one sense.
But the text doesn’t call it a miracle.
It calls it a sign.
And that matters.
Because a miracle draws attention to the power — but a sign points to a purpose.
A miracle says, “Look what He can do.”
A sign says, “Look where He’s taking us.”
Jesus wasn’t just showing off divine ability —He was revealing divine identity.
It says He “manifested His glory.”
Not just power… glory.
And what happened?
“His disciples believed in Him.”
This sign wasn’t for the wedding guests.
It was for the watching disciples — to begin building their faith, one revealed glory at a time.
Let’s go back to the phrase Jesus said to Mary:
4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
That line almost sounds out of place, doesn’t it?
“My hour has not yet come?”
What hour? What is He talking about?
Well — later in the Gospel, Jesus explains.
23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
And in that moment, Jesus is talking to His disciples — about His death.
So now we see it clearly:
In John 2, He says, “My hour has not yet come.”
In John 12, He says, “The hour has come.”
he also says it in the garden:
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
The “hour” is the cross.
It’s the moment when Jesus will suffer, bleed, and die — and in doing so, be glorified.
So when Jesus performed this first sign in Cana, He knew exactly what it was pointing toward.
This wasn’t just about saving a wedding.
This was the first domino in a divine plan that would lead Him all the way to Cross.
Jesus was thinking about the cross all the way back at the wedding.
Before the Pharisees plotted.
Before Judas betrayed.
Before Pilate washed his hands.
Jesus already had the cross in view.
Why?
Because wine represents blood.
And Jesus knew — even at that wedding — that He was going to pour out His own blood.
This wasn’t just about saving a party.
This was about foreshadowing His passion.
He turns water into wine in John 2 —
But He pours out His blood in John 19.
One was a sign.
The other was the sacrifice.
In both, He gives something better than what came before.
Now here is where i want to land….
Go with me to John 19:25-30
25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”
29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Do you remember the six purification jars at the wedding in Cana?
Here’s something most people miss…
There were actually seven jars at that wedding.
Jesus was the seventh.
He didn’t just bring the wine — He would become it.
He didn’t just transform the water — He would pour out His own blood.
He didn’t just provide purification — He would become our purification.
The first sign was wine at a wedding.
The final sacrifice was wine at the cross.
And when Jesus drank the sour wine, He said:
“It is finished.”
Not “I am finished.”
“It is finished.”
The law.
The striving.
The rituals.
The purification jars.
Finished.
but wait….theres more.....
34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
Let that settle in.
At the wedding in Cana, Jesus turned water into wine.
But at the wedding of Calvary, something even greater happened…
He didn’t turn water into wine.
He poured out blood and water — from His own side.
Because He was the seventh jar.
Because He was the true wine.
Because He is the Bridegroom preparing a people for Himself.
At Cana, He saved a family from shame.
At Calvary, He saved the world from sin.
At Cana, the wine ran out.
At Calvary, the blood kept flowing.
This wasn’t just a sign. This was salvation.
Don’t miss the sign. Don’t settle for the old jars.
Come to the One who saved the best wine for last — and poured it out for you.
Now before we close, I want to pull back the curtain a little bit.
You may not have realized it…
But this morning, I was teaching you something deeper than just a story.
I was teaching you how to read the Bible.
How to see Jesus not just on the surface — but in the structure, in the symbols, in the layers.
This is what we call hermeneutics.
That’s just a fancy word for:
How we interpret Scripture. How we read it faithfully. How we connect the dots.
It’s not about over-spiritualizing every little detail…
It’s about learning to see how God wrote one story — from Cana to Calvary — and how it all points to Jesus.
You don’t need a seminary degree to read the Bible well.
You just need the Holy Spirit, a little humility, and a heart that says,
“Jesus, show me who You are.”
And when you read the Bible that way —Suddenly, a wedding in Cana becomes a preview of the cross at Calvary.
Water in jars becomes a pointer to blood and water from His side.
And wine in a cup becomes the grace that never runs out.
You’ve been learning how to read the Bible all morning.
