Water into Wine
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Introduction
Introduction
Water into Wine
The Gospel of John is structured around around seven signs:
Jesus turned the water into wine, 2:1-12
Jesús convierte el agua en vino
The healing of the royal official’s son, 4:46-54
Jesús sana al hijo del oficial
The healing of the paralytic at Bethesda, 5:1-15
Jesús sana al paralítico en Bethesda
Feeding of the 5,000, 6:5-14
Alimentación de los 5,000
Jesus walks on water, 6:16-24
Jesús camina sobre el agua
Healing of the blind man from birth, 9:1-7
Jesús sana al que era ciego de nacimiento
Raising of Lazarus, 11:1-45
Jesús resucita a Lázaro
On this day, in which we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we have the privilege of seeing the first of these signs.
Let us not forget that the miracles in the bible are not there simply to catch our attention or to serve as entertainment.
Miracles in the bible are used by God to authenticate his messengers.
Miracles in the bible are real supernatural acts of God.
In the case of this Gospel, we understand that they were recorded so that we may believe.
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Pero éstas se han escrito para que ustedes crean que Jesús es el Cristo, el Hijo de Dios, y para que al creer en su nombre tengan vida.
We will consider the first of these signs under the following headings:
The problem
El problema
The miracle
El milagro
The purpose
El propósito
I. The problem
I. The problem
El problema
Jesus family and his disciples have been invited to a wedding.
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
2:1
Al tercer día se celebró una boda en Caná de Galilea, y la madre de Jesús se encontraba allí. También habían sido invitados a la boda Jesús y sus discípulos.
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
We are not told the reason for this invitation. It could very well be that they were close or distant relatives.
Whatever may be the case, we know one thing for sure: jewish weddings were an occasion for much celebration.
Jewish weddings could last for as much as one week. We know this from ancient records as well as from the Old Testament (e.g., Samson’s wedding according to , )
It was a time of feasting and much rejoicing.
Many friends and relatives would come from far off. The bridegroom and his family were expected to provide food for all their guests. This was especially important in a culture that put a great emphasis on the importance of hospitality.
If the bridegroom did not provide well for his guests he would face much shame and potentially lawsuits for his failure to provide.
During the course of the wedding tragedy strikes.
When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
Cuando el vino se acabó, la madre de Jesús le dijo:
—Ya no tienen vino.
Mary comes to Jesus and informs him there is no more wine.
It is possible that either Mary was very close to the family and is concerned for the shame and legal problems that the bridegroom may face; or it may be that she was working in some kind of catering capacity.
Whatever may be the reason, this is a very serious matter. The wine has run out.
We live in a society where alcohol has been very much abused. There are people who have lost family, jobs, money, dignity because of their abuse of alcohol. However, it should not surprise us that we find wine mentioned here in Scripture.
However, just because the Bible mentions the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine, we should not think God approves of drunkeness. Drunkenness is a sin and must be repented of. In fact, the Bible identifies drunkeness as one of those sins that will keep people from entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
ni los ladrones, ni los avaros, ni los borrachos, ni los calumniadores, ni los estafadores heredarán el reino de Dios.
We can be assured that the Lord Jesus would not have condoned drunkeness, for nowhere in verses 1—12 do we find mention of the people becoming drunk.
One is surprised as Jesus’ reply to Mary.
“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
—Mujer, ¿eso qué tiene que ver conmigo?—respondió Jesús—. Todavía no ha llegado mi hora.
John
Jesus calls her “woman”. Now, if I were to call my mother “woman”, I can assure you she would not be very happy with me. However, this was a common way of speaking to a mother. It is the same word Jesus used when he commended Mary’s care to his disciple John ().
Jesus speaks about his “hour” that has not yet come.
Elsewhere in the Bible this expression is used to speak about his death, resurrection, and ascension to the father.
At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
Entonces quisieron arrestarlo, pero nadie le echó mano, porque aún no había llegado su hora.
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
—Ha llegado la hora de que el Hijo del hombre sea glorificado—les contestó Jesús—.
Jesus demonstrates, that even early on in his earthly ministry, he has as his primary focus his mission upon earth.
The second person of the Holy Trinity became man to give his life as a ransom for many.
The Son of God wrapped himself in human flesh to live a perfect life and give his life for the forgiveness of sins, for all those who believe.
God’s covenant of redemption is the driving force behind Jesus’ earthly ministry. He is so focused on God’s plan of redemption that he wants to make it clear, even to his mother, that he has come to this world to bring life to humanity.
Will Jesus do anything?
Mary knew for what reason Jesus had come to earth.
She knows Jesus became incarnate in her womb for the purpose of saving us for our sins. She knows Jesus is God in the flesh. She knows he is Emmanuel (God with us) and God who is full of mercy and compassion is an ever present help in time of need.
Mary has faith that something is about to happen.
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Su madre dijo a los sirvientes:
—Hagan lo que él les ordene.
JOhn 2
What beautiful words were spoken by Mary.
Never did Mary call attention to herself but rather as John the Baptist, she called others to full and absolute obedience to Him who can do all things.
Let us heed Mary’s exhortation.
II. The miracle
II. The miracle
El milagro
John introduces this marvelous miracle by explaining a Jewish custom involving ceremonial washings.
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Había allí seis tinajas de piedra, de las que usan los judíos en sus ceremonias de purificación. En cada una cabían unos cien litros.
There massive stone jars were most likely in a prominent place in the home so that guests could wash themselves according to ancient Jewish law.
He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Jesus orders that these jars be filled with water.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
Jesús dijo a los sirvientes:
—Llenen de agua las tinajas.
Y los sirvientes las llenaron hasta el borde.
Notice that John records they were filled with water and filled to the brim. There was no way someone could have added additional liquid, dye, or flavoring such that they could trick others in thinking they had miraculously turned it into wine.
The servants did just as they were told. They simply obeyed Jesus’ word. They did not hesitate.
Next, Jesus orders them to take some to the master of ceremonies. This would be the person whose main purpose was to maintain order, ensure guests were being taken care of, and coordinate the distribution of food and drink.
The servants knew that the jars contained only water.
They knew it would have been simply ridiculous to offer this water to the master of ceremonies. Most likely, the water was from a well. It was not very safe to drink. In fact, in the ancient world many added a small amount of wine to drinking water so the alcohol would kill off any bacteria.
Nevertheless, they obeyed.
And suddenly, the miracle happens!
The miracle happens between the time the servants take some water and give it to the master of ceremonies.
and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside
El encargado del banquete probó el agua convertida en vino sin saber de dónde había salido, aunque sí lo sabían los sirvientes que habían sacado el agua. Entonces llamó aparte al novio
The master of ceremonies is astonished for he knows the normal custom in Jewish weddings:
You give the best wine when your guests arrive.
After they have eaten and drunk, you can then bring the cheaper / lower quality wine and they will not know the difference.
He practically praises the bridegroom for his generosity.
It is truly a miracle. The bridegroom does not know what happened. The master of ceremonies does not know what happened. But Mary, the servants, and Jesus all know that supernatural act has just happened before their eyes.
Jesus has created wine without grapes, without the need to press the grapes.
Jesus has made wine out of water. He has created wine out of that which was not wine. Nothing is impossible for God for he created the world out of nothing.
III. The purpose
III. The purpose
El propósito
Was there a purpose to all of this?
There are various things we can learn from these beautiful historical event in the life of Jesus.
Jesus sanctifies weddings by his presence. Marriage between a man and a woman is a God-given institution.
Jesus is God himself for he creates out of nothing. He has the power to perform miracles.
However, the greatest thing we learn is what we read in verse 11.
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Ésta, la primera de sus señales, la hizo Jesús en Caná de Galilea. Así reveló su gloria, y sus discípulos creyeron en él.
It was through this miracle that his disciples’ faith became strengthened.
It is true that they believed in chapter 1. We read how Peter, Philip, Andrew, Nathanael, and possible John came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
However, this miracle served to further strengthen their faith in their new found Messiah. They were now seeing with their own eyes God’s miracle working power.
It was a first of seven signs that Jesus performed so they could believe that he is the Christ, the Son of God, the saviour of all those who believe. Jesus had come to this earth to save humanity from its sin. He came to experience the hour of humiliation, suffering, pain, and eventually die a sinner’s death.
He never lost sight of his purpose upon this earth.
He made it clear to Mary that he was here to fulfill a purpose.
Let us believe, for that terrible and sad day eventually came where he would give his life upon the cross.
On that day he turned water into wine, a few years later he would fill a cup with wine and give to his disciples; so that they would drink the cup of the new covenant in his blood.
Within a few hours we would be hung on across where he would spill his blood for the forgiveness of our sins.
How could we not believe in such a wonderful savior?