John 2:1–12—Jesus Turns Water into Wine
1 The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.”When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.
9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”
11 This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
12 After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.
Points of Interest
- ‘The wine supply ran out during the festivities’—this, as you might imagine, would be quite an embarrassing failure on the part of the hosts. With the bar closing early, there’s a very real possibility that the party could come to a premature end.
- ‘Dear woman, that’s not our problem’—Mary has an inkling that Jesus could do something about the situation. Jesus doesn’t disagree, but he’s trying to mind his own business: ‘Mom, wedding coordinating isn’t really my line of work.’
- ‘Do whatever he tells you’—there’s something charmingly domestic about the way Mary simply ignores Jesus’ hesitation. Jesus may be the eternal Word, the Lamb of God, the Holy Escalator between heaven and earth, but he’s also the son of a mother who is unwilling to take, ‘No,’ for an answer when she asks her boy for something. I wonder how often Mary and Jesus have been in situations like this before.
- ‘you have kept the best until now’—what could have been a humiliating experience of trying to economize just a little too much on the cost of the wedding ends up looking like extravagance instead. When the guests are too tipsy to care, the host brings out the good stuff.
- ‘the first time Jesus revealed his glory’—Jesus spends his first miracle on saving a family friend from embarrassment. I find it extraordinarily kind. It reminds me once again of that time when Moses wanted to see God. ‘Show me your glory,’ Moses asked. ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you,’ God responded (Exodus 33:19). As far as God is concerned, God’s glory is God’s goodness. ‘God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ’ (1: 17).
- ‘his disciples believed in him’—none of the other guests even know what happened, but the disciples get a private glimpse of just how special the person they are following is.
Taking It Home
- For You: The situation at the wedding looks pretty bad, and the servant doesn’t know how it will turn out. All he knows is that he is asked to fill six big jars with water and take some of the water to the master of ceremonies. Without knowing the result, he does what he is asked, and the water turns into wine. Everything works out! Is there any situation in your life where things are looking bad? Ask God to give you faith that, despite how it looks, things could work out for the good. Is there anything God is asking you to do or act on that requires this type of faith?
FF Family/Household Option: Talk about the situation you identified and what possible action God may be asking from you.
- For your 6: One of the results of Jesus’ sneaky behind the scenes miracle is that the bridegroom receives abundant honor instead of shame. Ask God to honor your 6 today. Pray that God would honor them in front of their family, friends and coworkers. Ask God if there is a way that you could show honor to your 6.
- For our church: Jesus’ first miracle ever is making sure a wedding reception is a hit by meeting a very practical need. Jesus is willing to give attention to something that might seem trivial. Pray today for the practical needs of our own church, all the somewhat basic things that we need to operate. Also, pray for the practical needs of all the people in our church community. Ask God to abundantly provide for even the most basic of things.
