“And on the third
day here was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was
there…And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have
no wine.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Draw some
out now, and take it to the headwaiter.’
And they took it to him…And the headwaiter called the bridegroom and
said to him, ‘Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk
freely, then that which is poorer. you have kept the good wine until now.’ This
beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory,
and His disciples believed Him.’ –John 2:1, 3, 7-8, 9b-10
(NASB). [Read John 2:1-12]
Imagine having Jesus physically present
at a marriage celebration! His mother
was there at the location found and believed by archaeologists to be at Khirbet
Kana, located 8.3 miles (13 km) north of Nazareth. Even shards of pottery have been found,
highly indicative that they might be remains of (or some similar to) the six
water jars used for this miraculous provision.
Weddings even then were happy occasions, lasting about a week. Feasting and merry-making were the means of
celebrating, with the groom’s parents providing the repast, including
wine. Some believe the honored couple
getting married might have been related to Mary, hence her concern that the
wine was running low. As a kinswoman (or
friend) she may have been assisting with the serving. Why did she approach
Jesus? And was he unkind to her when he
said, “Woman, what have I to do with
you? My hour has not yet come” (verse 4).
Mary knew who Jesus was, although she did not yet know how his
Messiahship would be manifested. She did
not ask Him to do a miracle; she merely reported a shortage and did not want
the hosts to be embarrassed. And Jesus,
in answering her, may seem a bit curt to us, but “Woman” was a polite way to
address her. Telling her that His “hour
had not come,” was also a reminder that the timetable for His life and ministry
was in the Father’s hands. Mary, in
telling the servants to do whatever Jesus bade them do, must have known
assuredly that He would take care of the situation and not allow embarrassment
to come to the host family.
The servants followed Jesus’
instructions and brought water to fill the six large vessels. Tasting the wine, the headwaiter found it far
superior to that which was served at the beginning of the feast, an unusual
occurrence at week-long wedding celebrations.
John calls this “the beginning of Jesus’ signs.” Wine symbolized joy. Jesus made this statement early that his
mission was to bring joy to a depressed and imprisoned people. By turning the water into wine He was showing
that He would enter into the daily affairs of the people and make a difference. Turning
the water into wine also manifested that Christ is Lord of matter as
well as things of the Spirit. His
presence sanctifies marriage and gives it a prominent place in the events of
life, thus stamping His approval on the institution God established in the
Garden of Eden for family life and procreation.
He also approved the mirth and gladness of the celebration of marriage. Jesus and his disciples arrived at the
wedding on the third day. The miracle
may point to and be a symbol of Christ’s own resurrection from the dead on the
third day.
A wedding is a significant and happy
occasion. To think that Christ was a
guest at a wedding in Cana of Galilee helps us to know that He cares about and
wants to sanctify, make sacred and meaningful, our own wedding
celebration. “The miracle showed the
glory of Jesus as the sovereign Creator and ruler of the material universe and
also as the merciful God who provides abundantly for His people’s needs.” (ESV Study Bible, note, p. 2023). Think back to the beauty and sacredness of
your own wedding. Or if you have helped
to plan or assist with a wedding, this event is held dear. For Christ to honor the bride and groom and
their guests with His presence makes the ceremony a heavenly blessing.
–Ethelene Dyer Jones 02.16.2014.
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