Untitled Sermon (7)

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.

Before we go any further in our study, it’s important that we take a minute to talk about the uniqueness of John’s gospel.

John is the 4th gospel and the last one written (85-95 AD)

90% of material is unique to John!

John’s material is markedly different from that of the other gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, & Luke)

This has led some to conclude John either; 1) did not know of the others; 2) set out to write a completely independent account of Jesus’ life

1) Highly unlikely someone in John’s position was unaware of the others

2) Too much interdependence among early Christianity for him to have gone rogue

Kostenberger: “Rather, he assumed much of the content of the earlier Gospels and theologically transposed various motifs to bring out the underlying significance of particular aspects of Jesus’ person or work...” (35)

One of the most prominent examples of this focusing on Jesus’ miracles.

The other 3 gospels most often refer to Jesus’ miracles as “mighty works” (Matthew 11:20)

John records 7 miracles of Jesus and refers to them all as “signs”

Water to Wine (John 2:1-12)

Cleansing the Temple (John 2:13-22)

Healing the Centurion’s Son (John 4:46-54)

Healing the lame man (John 5:1-15)

Feeding the 5,000 (John 6:1-15)

Healing the man born blind (John 9)

Raising Lazarus from the grave (John 11)

John was communicating something deeper than just the surface act of power that the witnesses beheld as Jesus performed these works.

It was not just the validation of the message and the messenger

It was also a revelation of something greater, something deeper, something theological

John 20:30-31

These miracles were there to support John’s thesis about Jesus

John wasn’t going rogue, he was adding to the picture that had already been started by the synoptics.

So as you and I read and study John and come across these “signs,” it would behoove us to ask what deeper truth John was communicating about Jesus. It wasn’t just that he was a man or teacher of power, so we should pay attention. Each of these signs had a purpose to pull back the curtain a little more on the person and work of our Savior.

P1: Read with John’s Purpose in Mind (John 20:30-31)

John 20:30-31 clearly tells us that John was intentional about what he included, as were the other gospel writers. But as we’re studying John, let’s make sure we pay close attention to what he includes and remember this was not random but purposeful.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

We believe and fully affirm that the Bible contains the words of God not simply men’s thoughts about God

2 Timothy 3:16-17

We believe that in the original writings, every word recorded was precisely what God wanted recorded.

This is called verbal plenary inspiration

This means that every single word of the Bible without distinction or qualification was inspired by God.

We believe that through this process the personality and style of each human author was preserved.

2 Peter 1:21 Writers were “carried along” by the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Scriptures are therefore the authoritative standard for the people of God

John 17:17

And, that means, that everything contained within the pages of the Word of God is there for a reason

So as we read and study John, we must not gloss over anything but understand the great intentionality and purpose behind each of these signs.

When you’re reading and come across a sign or miracle, remember the words of John 20:30-31 and ask how this particular sign was accomplishing John’s intended purpose.

Pentecost: “By His miracles Christ demonstrated His authority in the realms in which He will one day rule as King in His kingdom. Further, the miracles revealed conditions in the kingdom over which Messiah will rule...Thus in studying the miracles we must consider what they reveal about the person and authority of Christ, as well as the benefits that will be provided through His reign for those in His kingdom.” (The Words & Works, 118-19)

Recommended Resources:

Signs of the Messiah - Andreas Kostenberger

John (Pillar NTC) - DA Carson

John (Tyndale) - Colin Kruse

John (Boice Set) - James Montgomery Boice

John (MacArthur) - John MacArthur

John (NICNT) - Leon Morris

There is no filler material in the Bible

END P1

Now to our text.

As we come to John 2 we come to the beginning of what is sometimes called the Cana Cycle because of the bookend miracles that take place in Cana in our passage today and in John 4:46-54 with the healing of the Centurion’s son.

John 2:1-2

Cana

Unknown precisely, but likely the modern town of Khirbet Cana about 9-10 miles due north of Nazareth (MAP)

Weddings involved grand feasts that may have lasted anywhere from a day to a week depending on the family and their resources

Jesus and the 5 disciples (Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and John) he had gathered so far were invited to this feast, and it seems that his mother, Mary, had a significant role to play as well.

John 2:3

Wine during Jesus’ time:

Wine was almost always mixed with water

It could range from 20 to1 all the way to 3 to 1

It was a way to purify the drinking water

Also, Rabbis would not bless any wine that was not first mixed with water

Wine was also a symbol of joy and celebration; it reminded people of their expectation of the Messianic age

Wine at a wedding

This was an honor/shame culture where hospitality was crucial to the honor of a family

It was the host’s responsibility to provide enough wine for the entire feast, with some ancient examples of people suing the groom’s family if the wine ran out too soon.

Mary’s expectation

Not that Jesus would do what he does as this was the first sign (John 2:11)

Possible Mary shared some responsibility in the provision of the wine?

Likely though, Mary knew enough of her Son to know he might be able to help

Angelic revelations

John the Baptist’s testimony

His baptism

If not directly, Mary was at least implicitly suggesting that this was the time for Jesus to reveal his full identity.

John 2:4-5

“Woman, what does this have to do with me?”

This is Jesus distancing himself from his mother in the traditional mother-son relationship

2 Kings 3:13

Hos 14:8

Carson: We must not avoid the conclusion that Jesus by rebuking his mother, however courteously, declares, at the beginning of his ministry, his utter freedom from any kind of human advice, agenda or manipulation. He has embarked on his ministry, the purpose of his coming; his only lodestar is his heavenly Father’s will (5:30; 8:29). D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 171.

Jesus’ priority was always the Father’s will, but this was another marker that since his public baptism, things had changed, even down to his relationship with his own mother

“My hour has not yet come.”

hour = hour of glorification

John 17:1

P2: See Jesus’ Purpose in View (vv. 1-5)

The “hour”

Metaphor for the crucifixion and subsequent exaltation

One commentator made the point that this somewhat ambiguous statement “whets the reader’s curiosity” with questions about what the hour could refer to and when it will come. This in turn prompts us to read paying closer attention in our search for the answers to these questions.

The hour was not yet...

John 7:6

John 7:8

John 7:30

John 8:20

The hour had come

John 12:23

John 12:27

John 13:1

John 17:1

John 10:17-18

Jesus was communicating multiple things here to both his mother, and his disciples, and by extension as we read it, to you and me.

His relationship had changed with his mother

He had officially embarked on his formal public ministry, and his concern was for the things of the Father, specifically as it would relate to this hour and its eventual arrival.

Because of this, he was not concerned with any Messianic expectations for his activity that his mother or followers may have had

As such, his hour was not subject to them but to him and the Father

Still, could Mary and the disciples have understood all of this?

In short, no, but Luke and John both call attention to times when, after the resurrection, the disciples remembered aspects of his teaching and it fueled or produced greater faith.

Jesus may have been answering a question Mary didn’t ask to teach a truth in a real-life parable.

Wine had messianic implications

Weddings had messianic implications

In other words, he may have been revealing his identity for those with ears to hear

Either way Jesus knew his purpose, and it didn’t involve the expectations of Mary or the disciples, or the wedding guests. His purpose was to fulfill the hour that would come at the cross. This wasn’t that time, but still, in his grace, he acted to teach and to reveal a little more of his true identity to his followers.

END P2

Mary may not have understood, but her faith is commendable as she looked at the servants and instructed them to do whatever he said. (Also, this is another indication that she was somehow involved in or responsible for this wedding.)

John 2:5

Before we progress to the rest of the account, we need to remember again that these are not just divine magic tricks or emphatic statements about Jesus authority. These are SIGNS. Symbols of something more. With that in mind, verse 6.

John 2:6

These were jars for ritual cleansing

The guests would have used these jars to wash their hands (Mark 7:3-4), and they were probably also used for cleansing the utensils used in service

This is why they were stone as stone was a material that could not contract uncleanness

This was actually not commanded of anyone but the priests (Ex 30:17-21) 

They each held about 2-3 measures or 20-30 gallons of water

So this is roughly 120-150 gallons of water

John 2:7

The jars are ordered to be filled to the brim

If the Jars were filled to the top nothing could be added?

The old way, the old system has been fulfilled, and now something greater, something better was here (c.f. Kostenberger [Baker] and Carson [Pillar])

John 2:8

At some point between verses 7 and 8 it appears that the water in these jars had been miraculously transformed into wine.

There is another suggestion based on the word for “draw” here which is the word used for drawing water from a well (John 4:7, 15)

So rather than drawing the water from one of these jars to bring it to the master of the feast, they draw from the well which had become the source of the good wine

This would increase the impact of the miracle

Jesus hadn’t just made the 150 gallons of water into wine, he had transformed the very source of the water into wine

However, Chrysostom has pointed out that the word was used of draining wine vessels in other contexts.

Either way, this is significant! And as a sign, it was communicating something more than meets the eye.

The imagery then is communicating that the old way was being taken out of commission in favor something new, something better, something Messianic.

P3: Recognize What’s Better About Jesus (vv. 5-11)

Remember, John is intentional with his arrangement of these events and what he includes:

After this, we will see Jesus cleansing the Temple

After that, we will encounter Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus (new birth)

Jesus had come on the scene and was sending notice that he was there to interrupt the status quo, to shake things up, to bring something new, to restore pure worship, to announcement of the fulfillment of what was old in the arrival of the new.

John 2:9-10

Whether the water was drawn from the stone jars or from the well itself, by the time it gets to the MC, it has been transformed into good wine.

The conventional norm at the time was to serve the good wine while the guests were still able to discern its quality and the cheaper wine after they had been sufficiently lubricated so as to lose some of that refined taste.

The quality of the wine provided by Jesus stood out as especially superior to the point that the MC interrupted the wedding proceedings to commend the bridegroom for his generosity.

Once again, at risk of pressing the allegorical too far, Jesus is introducing that which is superior even to what was previously thought good.

Hebrews 11:40 “something better”

1 Peter 1:12

Hebrews 12:1-2

John 2:11

The ultimate revelation of the glory of Jesus would be at the cross.

This was a breadcrumb of glory meant to keep the disciples curious, to keep them following, to keep them seeking him

CONCLUSION:

The servants were witnesses to the same sign as the disciples. Did they end up among Jesus’ followers after this? Maybe, but probably not all of them. And there are plenty of other miracles Jesus would do in the presence of masses, but not all would follow him.

The glory in view would only be understood through eyes of faith. Do you see his glory? Do you see that he’s better?