Day 5 of 49
The First Miracle
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.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
Jn 2:1–12.
John wrote of the wedding at Cana, turning water into wine, as the first of seven signs found in the Gospel of John. He let the reader know the narrative had a purpose. He wanted his readers to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, we will find life in his name.
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Jn 20:30–31.
What is the difference between a miracle and a sign?
Sign: semeion– indicator; mark; signal. It “refers to an object or occurrence that makes a particular insight or perception possible”. (Eric Lewellen, “Miracles,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).)
Miracle: dynamis– power; mighty deed; supernatural power; Today when we use the word miracle, it refers to a work or deed that cannot be explained by science or any other normal means.
Wedding celebrations lasted a whole week in the first century. Family and friends joined the celebration at various times throughout the week. Disgrace and shame followed if the host family failed to provide enough food and drink to last.
I am assuming that the wedding was for the child of a close friend or family member of Mary. It seems that she helped with the serving and overseeing since she knew of the lack of wine. And the servants obeyed her.
Did Mary come to Jesus because she expected him to act or was she just letting him know the problem? She had pondered his birth, the angels, the prophets’ message, and the tabernacle visit for 30 years. Did she assume that after his baptism he would begin his work?
Jesus called her Woman, which in today’s world sounds harsh. He also used it when he told John to take care of her while he was on the cross. It would not have been an insult. Because it is followed by “what does this have to do with me? My time is not yet come.”, we see it as a rebuke.
Sometimes moms do have a tendency to push their kids forward…and we get the eye rolls and the “oh Mom”. Sometimes they do what we want and sometimes they don’t.
But she must have understood something different in what he said, perhaps an idiom that means “it’s my problem. I’ll deal with it in my time.” She did not hear him say, “I won’t do this, it’s not my time.”, because she told the servants to obey him.
He did fix the problem with new wine, so we can assume it was God’s timing.
Was there any significance in the use of the purification jars? A purification jar would be made of stone, not pottery. Pottery is subject to ritual contamination or impurity. They each held 25-30 gallons, providing more than enough wine to finish the feast.
Was it an indicator for the new wine in old wineskins? (Mt 9:14-17; Mk 2:18-20; Lk 5:33-39)
Or maybe, it indicated the disciples being ritually cleaned by the Word that Jesus spoke to them and ready to receive the Holy Spirit. And as they walked in his Word,, they would bear much fruit.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
Jn 15:1–9.
Or was the wine a sign of the coming of the Messiah? The prophets spoke of the abundance of wine that would herald the coming of the Lord.
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.
13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
14 I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord.”
Jer 31:11–14.
So you shall know that I am the Lord your God,
who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain.
And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.
18 “And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim.
Joel 3:17–18.
Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it.
14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
Amos 9:13–14.
This sign manifested the glory of God. The miracle itself revealed that Jesus had power over nature, to change it into something totally unlike the original. The action showed that he cared for people by providing a family freedom from the shame of failing as a host. He honored his mother by listening to her.
After this miracle, the disciples with him, believed and continued to follow.
Lord, Thank you that John wrote this gospel so that we too can believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Thank you for the eternal life provided for us.
Open our eyes to the needs of those around us, that we can provide hope…physical as well as spiritual.
TRICIA LATHROP 