Water into wine at a wedding

Jesus (politely) replies to His mother's request

The more you study the Gospel of John, the more you find evidences of design. Chapter One introduces Jesus as the Lamb of God, an offering for sin. Chapter Two explores two major events:

The Changing of the Water to Wine (?!)

The Cleansing of the Temple

1) On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2) and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3) When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4) "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5) His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

This is the first of many stories suggesting that Jesus was always welcome among those who were having a good time.

"To fail in providing adequately for the guests would involve social disgrace. In the closely knit communities of Jesus' day such an error would never be forgotten, and would haunt the newly married couple all their lives." Whenever you are having guests, it is important to have enough to serve them. Additionally, wine was a rabbinic symbol of joy; "to run out of wine would almost have been the equivalent of admitting that neither the guests nor the bride and groom were happy."

Jesus refers to His mother with a term of respect, but He does not call her "mother" - there is a different relationship with her now. The recorded words of Mary are few; it is good to pay attention to them, because thy glorify Christ, not Mary herself (such as whatever He says to you, do it). To deliberately go through Mary to get to Christ is to consider Jesus as hardhearted, and Mary tender-hearted; "This is totally alien from the Bible. It comes from mother-son ideas prevalent in pagan religions."

In Jesus' day, Jewish wedding celebrations lasted for one week, during which time relatives and friends would stay in the home of the bride and groom — sort of a honeymoon/family reunion/bachelor party/wedding shower all rolled into one! During this seven-day celebration, the bride would be tucked away in a secluded part of the house, and would not be seen by anyone but her groom. At the end of the week, she would emerge, accompanied with great fanfare and celebration. This is fascinating as it relates to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. You see, when the Rapture takes place, we — the Bride of Christ — will be carried away into heaven for seven years. Just as the Jewish bride was in seclusion with her groom for seven days, we will be tucked away in intimacy with our Lord Jesus Christ, away from the tribulation which will be unleashed upon the earth.

Absence of Joseph: Most commentators believe he had died.

Why did she ask Jesus? Mary was no doubt earnestly anticipating Jesus' day of demonstration, for it would be a day of vindication for her; but she leaves it to His will.

Some traditions say that this was John's wedding, and he left his bride at the altar after seeing this miracle (probably not true!).

Mormons take it to an absurd degree, saying this is Jesus wedding.

Water into wine

 6) Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7) Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8) Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
9) They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10) and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
11) This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. 12) After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
 

This first "sign" of John's gospel is a miracle of conversion, from the old ways of law, ceremony and purification to the new life of Christ.  How did Jesus do miracles? Here, He does not say a word or blink an eye; He merely exercises His will.

Moses turned water into blood (showing the Law results in death), but Jesus' first miracle turned water into wine, showing the gladness and joy of the new dispensation - and good wine, too! The water pots are connected with the system of Law, because they were used in ceremonial purification. The wine was after the water, from the water, and better than the water.

It is also significant that Jesus desired the joy of the wedding to continue uninterrupted - He isn't a sour-faced kill-joy. Jesus here breaks the conception many have of a "holy man;" holiness is often very different from its popular image.

Jesus desired the cooperation of men in this miracle. He could have filled the pots Himself, or just as easily created the liquid in the pots. The servants did not do the miracle (their efforts alone were completely insufficient); but because of their obedience to Jesus, they shared in the joy of the miracle. They obeyed without question, and to the fullest; thus insuring the greatest fulfillment of the miracle.

What did Jesus use to do His miraculous work? What was available?

The amount of wine provided (between 108 and 180 gallons) demonstrates that Christ is really able to supply needs according to His riches and glory (Philippians 4:19).

Jesus manifested His glory on what day, significantly, on the third day (according to 2:1).

His disciples believed in Him - this doesn't mean that they did not believe before, but that their belief was deepened and re-expressed. This is typical in our Christian lives; God does something great in our lives, and we believe in Him all over again.

A Closer Look:

Remember, the Old Testament period ends with John the Baptist (Luke16:16). The Law and the Prophets were until John (the Baptist). Some Bible commentators believe that the order of events in John are not chronological, but lay out the spiritual history of Israel.

John’s Gospel writes about the state of Judaism: its failure; the ignorance of the Sanhedrin (John 1:26 “whom ye know not”). The “wine had been given out”: Wine = Joy (Psalms 104:15; Jude 9:13).

Water of Purification: [Background: Ashes of the Red Heifer, Numbers 19. The current search for the Ashes continues in preparation for rebuilding the Temple.]

Six water pots: Six is the number of “man” or “incomplete.” They were made of stone; not gold or silver and they were empty. (Does this sound like you and me?)

Water pots allude to empty religion; they were used for the purifying of the Jews. They are filled at the commandment of Christ and the result is new wine and the manifestation of His glory.

The temple cleansed

Jesus drives out the moneychangers and sellers of expensive "approved" sacrificial animals

13) When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14) In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15) So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16) To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
17) His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
 

We must reject the thought that Jesus did this dispassionately, without anger.

The only place where Gentiles could come and worship was made into a marketplace; it could no longer be a house of prayer for all nations (a significant show of concern by Jesus for Gentiles).

In the cleansing of the temple described by John, Jesus is concerned with the presence of the merchants, not by their dishonesty (as is the case in the later cleansing described by the synoptic).

Commererce in the church can be dangerous even when it is honest (example: a simple man who wants to know the Lord and a pastor who keeps pushing a multi-level scheme at him).

A miracle of conversion comes before a work of cleansing; this is always how Jesus works in His people.

Jesus speaks of a new temple, and its destiny

18) Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
19) Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
20) The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21) But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22) After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

It was strange that a Galilean carpenter would make such a claim, but by Jesus' work, the actual temple was made obsolete. And because of Jewish rejection of Him, it was destroyed.

Jesus spoke of the temple of His body; His body is still a temple (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5).

Who raised Jesus from the dead? Jesus says that He will raise Himself, despite the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and others. This was a claim no mere man could make; a claim repeated dramatically in John 10:18.

Herod’s temple was actually a massive renovation of Zerubbabel’s temple built during the days of Nehemiah. The reconstruction of this temple began in about 18 B.C. and was continued until 63 A.D. Forty-six years would imply that this occurred about 28 A.D. If Jesus was born in 2 B.C. (as some reckonings), this would make Him “about thirty,” or of priesthood age.

Jesus does not entrust Himself to the adoring crowds

23) Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24) But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25) He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

"If belief is nothing more than admiration for the spectacular, it will create in multitudes applause; but the Son of God cannot commit Himself to that kind of faith."