John 2:1-12 – The First Sign: Miracle at the Wedding in Cana
(Matt Koerber)
John 2:1-12 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.
At the end of this section, John tells us that this is the “first of his signs.” John is very interested in the way certain signs are used by Jesus to reveal himself and his mission. To begin with, there are a lot of amazing things that Jesus did. The last words of this Gospel tell us that if all of his amazing activities were written down, “the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (v.21:25) Out of that large body of work, John selectively chose* a few important signs to record, and this is the first of them.
I find it interesting that the first miracle that John records happens at a wedding and involves pretty mundane stuff. After all, we know that the ministry of the Messiah will involve life or death matters. The creator of the world has entered into human space and is bringing salvation into the midst of the dark and rebellious human world. Given that is what is happening, it does seem a bit strange Jesus kicks of his ministry by helping to enliven a dinner party. After all, it would seem that there are more important matters going on than whether a wedding reception is cut short through inadequate refreshments. In addition to that question, the perplexing statement from Jesus “my time has not yet come” adds a further layer of intrigue.
As we consider the seemingly mundane setting of a wedding for the first sign, we are reminded of the significant role that weddings play throughout the Bible as pictures of God’s redemptive work with his people. For example, in the OT God compares Israel to his bride (Hosea), John the Baptist compares the arrival of the Messiah to that of a bridegroom (v.3:27-29), the Apostle Paul likened marriage to Christ’s covenant with the church (Eph 5) and the book of Revelation shows the church to be a bride and the return of Christ to be a wedding celebration (Rev 19-21). Marriage is not only a picture of God’s love for his people, but the wedding anticipates the way God will return at the end of history. Jesus frequently told stories in the synoptic Gospels (Mt-Mrk-Lk) about the arrival of God’s Kingdom compared to a wedding celebration. In that sense, the wedding feast is the most fitting place for Jesus to reveal his identity.
Some people have concluded that Jesus wasn’t really planning to do this miracle, but that the needs of the moment pushed him into action. That is how they interpret the cryptic saying of Jesus, “My hour has not yet come.” Others think that Jesus is referring to his crucifixion or the end of history as the hour that has not yet come.
I think that both of these views have some merit to them. While I don’t think that Mary was unduly pressuring Jesus, or that she offers some special access to Jesus, I do think it is significant that Jesus not only attended the wedding of an unknown couple, but he stepped in to provide help when it was needed. Jesus often responded to needs that were presented to him. This miracle shows that Jesus cares about people and that we can bring the ordinary concerns of our lives to him.
But the significance of the wedding in redemptive history should not be lost. It has an important role to play in showing us the character of Jesus and his kingdom. The kingdom of heaven will be like a party. When Jesus returns, it will be like the greatest celebration that we can imagine. For that reason, we should learn to anticipate his return. The celebration of communion anticipates the final wedding feast of the Lamb of God (Rev 19.) When we gather together with others to eat and celebrate any meal, we are actually living into our core identity. In this sense, the “time of Jesus” that has “not yet come”, is his return and the restoration of all things. The abundance and quality of the wine point to the abundance of grace that Jesus offers. This is good news. We serve the Lord of abundant celebration. Until his return, our lives are conducted under the shadow of sin and death and we share in the sorrows of our savior. But we do so with the full expectation that the restoration is right around the corner and God’s grace is breaking into our world even now!
How can your times of gathering with other Christians (Sunday Worship, small group, etc.) be better viewed as times of celebration and anticipation?
* Note: The gospel of John contains six miracles that are specifically listed as “signs.” Some of them are related to the self-revelation of Jesus through “I am” statements. For example, the miracle of the Feeding of the 5,000 and “I am the Bread of Life.” In addition to six miracles specifically described as “signs”, John also tells us how Jesus walked on water (v.6:16-21). Finally, Jesus answered a question from the Pharisees about signs by pointing to the resurrection. (v.2:19)
Weekly Prayer Focus: Spiritual Renewal
Daily Prayer Request: Renewal for our Nation. That God would be working in churches across the country to restore our commitment to the Gospel. That Christians would return to Christ as their “first love” (Rev. 2:4) and that unbelievers would increasingly be drawn to repentance and faith.