Water into Wine

John 2:1–11 ESV

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.

1. The miracle at Cana was a sign of the inbreaking of God’s kingdom. (vs. 1-5)

John 17:1–3 ESV

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, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Jesus and the disciples arrive at the wedding expecting to be with family and friends in celebration of an important moment in lives of those they know. However, not long after they arrive, Mary finds out that they have run out of wine. At this moment, she is asking Jesus not to be a spectator of the event but the actual host to make sure the guests have enough drink.

It is at this moment that Jesus says something extremely important, “My hour has not yet come.” The word “hour” is very important in the gospel of John. Jesus makes reference to his “hour” several times throughout the gospel. The writer uses the term to describe a moment in the day, “It was the sixth hour” and so forth. Why is this kind of language so important? It is because the theological use of “hour” points to things that are eschatological or referring to last things. At this point in the gospel, Jesus uses it in reference to his death, resurrection, and ascension, which is Jesus’ sign of the ultimate inbreaking of the kingdom of God.

The hour of this inbreaking of the kingdom into human history is the moment when Jesus will reveal the fullness of his glory to the world through his death and resurrection. The Gospel of John is divided into three sections: the Prologue (1:1-18), the Book of Signs (1:19-12:50), and the Book of Glory (13:1-21:25). The Book of Signs focuses on the revealing of Jesus to the world as the Word made flesh through various miracles that he does as signs of who he is. The Book of Glory’s central theme is the death and resurrection of Jesus. Several times throughout the gospel of John, Jesus makes reference to him being “lifted up.” These references are of him showing forth the glory of God in the central act of his coming - his death and resurrection.

So, in John 17 when Jesus is praying what is known as the High Priestly Prayer, he is about to go to the cross. He says in John 17:1, “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 has come for him to be glorified in his death and resurrection. But what does all of this have to do with what happens at the wedding at Cana?

Even though the hour of Jesus glorification had not yet come, the sign that was produced with the water turning into wine was a sign of the inbreaking kingdom of God into human history to show that God has arrived in their midst to bring them out of the darkness of sin and into the light of salvation. Eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. This first sign was the first step on the road of knowing who Jesus was to them and who he is to us.

2. Rituals of the law were fulfilled in Jesus. (vs. 6-8)

Hebrews 10:10 ESV

10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

After the stewards are instructed by Mary to do whatever Jesus tells them to do, we are told that there are six stone jars for the Jewish rites of purification. They were so large that they held 20 to 30 gallons. So, we know that these jars are enormous. But their use within the wedding feast is interesting. The jars filled with water for purification were probably jars used for the guests to wash their hands. We see reference to the act of hand washing by Jesus in Matthew 15:2. The Pharisees want to know why the disciples break the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands before they eat. This is what these jars are probably used for. At this point Jesus tells the stewards to go and fill the jars with water. When they drew water out of jars, the water had turned into wine. What is really going on here? Is John telling us this so that we can know that Jesus can do some really cool party tricks to impress people? Not at all.

The purpose of this sign is greater than just a really great party trick. It reveals the nature of Jesus’ glorification in his death and resurrection. How so? Go back with me to verse 6. These jars were specifically used for a Jewish rite of purification. Jesus did a miracle through something that was used for the specific reason of purifying a person before he or she ate a meal. When we come to the table prepared for us by Jesus, we ask for the forgiveness of sins that we might be purified before we sit to eat a meal that is compared to the marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19.

This miracle reveals to us the nature of Jesus’ glorification as what is said by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:10 “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Jesus offered his body in glorification so that we might be purified and sanctified through him. The changing of the water into wine is the transformation that takes place with us when Christ is our Lord and Savior. We are transformed into a new creation in him and reconciled unto God. We are purified through the shedding of his blood and our sins are covered by his offering for us.

3. In the grace-filled abundance of wine, Jesus makes visible the presence of God. (vs. 9-11)

Exodus 24:16 ESV

16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

John 17:4–5 ESV

4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

After the miracle takes place, the disciples are in awe. They witnessed his glory manifested, and they believed even more deeply in him. This is the second time the word “glory” has been used of Jesus in the gospel. The first is in verse 14 where it says that “we have beheld his glory.” This points exclusively to those who by faith have experienced the Lord in and through Jesus. However, the glory of God in Christ is hidden from unbelievers. That is why no one else at the wedding understood this. They were all focused on getting more wine and getting drunk. Whereas the disciples witnessed a miracle that revealed who Jesus was - God in the flesh.

This is the reason why this term “glory” is used throughout the gospel of John about Jesus. When we go back to the Old Testament, we know that the “glory of the Lord” was the manifest presence of God for the people to see. In Exodus 24:16, we read about this glory, “The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.” For John, the God that dwelt in the tabernacle and on Mt. Sinai and God’s glory that was seen by the Israelites are the same, and now they are revealed in Jesus, the incarnate Word. Look at what Jesus prays further in John 17:4-5 “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

“Glorify me with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” In this prayer, Jesus is saying that the same glory that the Israelites witnessed is the same glory or presence of God that was witnessed by the disciples at the wedding of Cana. Through the abundance of grace that was on display in this miracle, the disciples were able to see for themselves the very presence of God that Moses felt when he walked into the cloud on Mt. Sinai and that the Israelites saw in the wilderness as they journeyed for 40 years.

This same glory is now present upon the church through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in his prayer about us in John 17:22 “22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,” This is precisely what Paul speaks about in Ephesians 1:16-20 “16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,”

As the church moves into this new time of renewal and revival, it must do so knowing that the glory of God - the very presence of God - is with us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We must not lose sight of this truth if we are going to go where God would have us go.