"The Beginning of Signs"

In the Prologue to his Gospel, John wrote,

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

In our reading for this morning we will see how the glory of Jesus first began to manifest itself. It takes place in a very ordinary setting—a wedding. John describes this first miracle of Jesus as “the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory” (vs. 11), so I have titled this sermon, “The Beginning of Signs”. We will look, first, at the Occasion of the Miracle, then, the Performance of the Miracle, and finally, the Result of the Miracle.

The Occasion of the Miracle (vss. 1-5)

First, let’s establish the setting of this miracle.

“On the third day” establishes a connection with what has gone before; notably the calling of Nathanael in 1:44-51. A further connection with Nathanael is seen in that the miracle took place in “Cana in Galilee”, Nathanael’s hometown (John 21:2).

Jesus had told Nathanael, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that (1:50).” Indeed, he would, and it begins here. Nathanael, one of those chosen by Jesus to be eye-witnesses to his glory, first sees that glory in his own hometown.

That Jesus chooses to perform the first of his signs in Cana in Galilee is an example of his condescension. Galilee was generally looked down upon by the Jews of Judea. It was a border territory, close to the territory of the gentiles. In fact, it was sometimes referred to as Galilee of the Gentiles. The purity and orthodoxy of its Jewish residents was always a subject of suspicion. But the Prophet Isaiah had said that Galilee would be honored:

In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

² The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned (Isaiah 9:1-2).

Jesus, the “true light that gives light to everyone” (1:9) chose to begin to reveal his glory in a very ordinary place and at a very ordinary occasion—a wedding. This teaches us that Jesus works in the ordinariness of life. He is concerned about our daily struggles. He is not too proud to answer our prayers for the “small things” of our lives.

The occasion which precipitated this miracle was a catering crisis at a wedding. Have you ever been to a wedding where there was a crisis? I have attended many weddings in my time, and have officiated at a few. Strange things can happen at weddings, but, at least the ones I’ve attended, have not been marked by divine intervention where a shortage of wine (or anything else) was miraculously supplied.

Weddings were important events in first century Palestine. Partially, this is due to the fact that there was very little else to do. They had no television to watch, no Facebook to waste their time, no concerts to attend. Weddings were the one opportunity to have a good time. And they were a Big Deal. A wedding did not last just one day, but a whole week—a whole week of eating and dancing . . . and drinking! Wine was an essential element of any wedding party. The groom’s family was responsible to supply all the needs of the wedding feast, and to run out of wine was a serious social faux pas. Years later people in the town would remember that your wedding feast was the one where they ran out of wine.

Enter Mary, the mother of Jesus. In the Gospel of John, Mary is only seen twice; here and at the Cross. She is never called by her name, she is “Jesus’ mother” of “his mother.” John probably assumed that, if you were a Christian, you knew who Jesus’ mother was.

Mary sort of takes charge here. This is a gutsy woman. After all, this is a woman who has spoken to an archangel. She has seen strange visitors from the east bring gifts to her son. Like the Farmer’s ad she “knows a thing or two because she’s seen a thing or two.”

Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine (vs. 3).”

She doesn’t say it, but the implication is that Jesus should do something about it.

We see something of Mary’s faith. She knew who Jesus was. She knew that he was no ordinary man. She knew that he was the Son of God brought into this world through the miracle of a Virgin Birth. She believed in him. So, when a problem arose, she turned to him.

We could do worse than follow Mary’s example here. We sing:

O, what peace we often forfeit,

O, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Mary does what we should do with our needs—take them to Jesus. All those things that you cannot do anything about, except worry, are opportunities of his miraculous power. We see here that Mary knew Jesus’ power and she believed that he would act.

Jesus shows himself to be an obedient son, but not to her. His reply to Mary is difficult. There is an edge to it:

“Woman, why do you involve me (vs. 4)?”

At first, it sounds rude and dismissive. He calls her “Woman.” This is not as rude as it sounds. In that culture to refer to a woman this way was not considered rude, but it is not the way one usually referred to their mother.

Jesus seems to be distancing himself from her. He is saying, in effect, “Just because you are my mother doesn’t mean that you have any special claim on me.” This is a direct challenge to the Roman Catholic teaching that praying to Mary assures you that God will give special attention to your need. Mary believes in Jesus, but in that respect, she is no greater or no less than any other disciple of Jesus.

Then Jesus says, “My hour has not yet come.” This is a key concept in John’s gospel. In 7:30 and again in 8:20, the Jewish authorities attempt to arrest Jesus, but they cannot because “his hour had not yet come.” In John 12:23 Jesus says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” The chapter goes on to say that the way that Jesus will be glorified is by his crucifixion. When he says, “My hour is not yet come,” he means that the time predetermined by God for the son to give his life as a sacrifice for sin is not yet. God has a timetable, and Jesus is obedient to his Heavenly Father’s plan.

It is important to note that Mary doesn’t take Jesus’ remark as a refusal. She turns to the servants and says, “Do whatever he tells you (vs. 5).” Even though it may not be time for his glorification, Mary has faith that he will find a way to meet this need. By the way, this should be our intention whenever we pray for direction and whenever we read the Bible; to do whatever he tells us to do.

And so now the stage is set for . . .

The Performance of a Miracle (vss. 6-10)

John notes:

⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

These were very large jars, containing as much as 180 gallons. John notes their purpose, “The kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing.” The Jews washed a lot, not only for hygiene, but also for ritual purposes. Even now, at this first of the signs, John is saying that Jesus has come to replace the old religious rituals with something new, something better.

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

Jesus then instructs the servants to draw some of the water out of the jars and take it to the master of the banquet. He must have been in charge of the festivities, sort of like a modern-day wedding planner. Notice that he is unaware of the source of the wine--“He did not realize where it had come from” (vs. 9).

We are not told exactly when the water turned to wine. Was it in the jars? When the servants drew it out? When the master of the banquet tasted it? Jesus acts in a very low-key manner here. The master and the groom and the majority of their guest have no idea that a miracle has just occurred, but the servants and the disciples do. This is a reminder that, in general, the rich and the powerful did not believe in Jesus, but the poor and the ordinary people did.

We are reminded of what Paul said to the Corinthian Christians:

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:26-27).

And our thoughts go back to the Prologue:

¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:10-12).

The master tastes the water made wine and his eyes widen with surprise. He pulls the groom aside and says,

“Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine when the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now (vs. 10).”

He refers to a custom that, although we have no account of from antiquity, our knowledge of human nature assures us is true. The finer wine is put out first and then, when everyone’s taste buds are deadened so they cannot tell the difference, you trot out the less expensive swill. But the wine that Jesus made is the best he’s ever tasted. This isn’t the stuff that comes in a screw-top bottle, it’s the high-priced stuff people drink in fancy restaurants.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. A lot of Christians are uncomfortable with the idea that Jesus made wine. I have read all the arguments that attempt to prove that this was unfermented wine—grape juice—and I am unconvinced. Wine is all over the Bible. It was (and still is) an important part of the life of the Jewish people. In Psalm 104:15 says that God is the giver of the “wine that gladdens human hearts.” I don’t think he’s talking about grape juice. This was real wine for real people at a real wedding.

If we are going to be biblical, then let’s be biblical. If you believe it is appropriate to drink wine in moderation, then I can’t really point you to a verse that says you’re wrong. I can show you verses that speak against drunkenness. I can show you verses that warn against using your freedom in such a way as to cause a brother to stumble. I can show you verses that speak of the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. There are good, legitimate reasons why a Christian may choose not to consume alcohol. But let’s not get distracted by our modern legalisms.

John wasn’t concerned with the alcoholic content of the wine. That wasn’t his point. His point was that Jesus, by performing an act of creation, turning ordinary water into the finest wine, revealed himself to be the Creator—God come in the flesh.

The provision was the best quality and it was also abundant. Jesus doesn’t just meet the need, he meets the need and then some. 180 gallons! In this same Gospel, Jesus will say, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (10:10).” There’s more than enough of grace and love and forgiveness “and in the world to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:30). God doesn’t want us to eke out an existence as grumpy old so-and sos. He wants us to live abundant, joyful lives.

The Result of the Miracle (vs. 11)

Why did Jesus perform this miracle? There is one obvious reason that verse 11 does not give us – simply to meet the need. The host was out of wine. Jesus turned the water into wine that was better than the wine previously served. Similarly, Jesus works miracles today to meet needs. Jesus is interested in the details of our lives. He always demonstrates love and compassion.

But, John calls he miracle a "sign." John uses the Greek word semeion. This is the first of seven miracles that John calls signs. Signs challenge us to believe in the thing signified and call us to obedience. John wrote His Gospel that men might believe in Christ as the Son of God (Jn. 20:31). Clearly, miracles provide a witness for the deity of Jesus.

Through this sign, Jesus did--to a degree at least--what Mary wanted Him to do. When Jesus performed a miracle, His glory was manifested. He does it in a very low-key manner, so that not everyone understood that a miracle had occurred, but his disciples saw and believed. Later, when the time was right, Jesus would perform miracles more openly and in public.

The five disciples who were with Jesus already had believed. They had followed Him from Judea to Cana of Galilee. But this miracle strengthened their faith in Him. Our faith, like theirs, is strengthened through the works of Jesus.

Let us look around us and see what Jesus is doing. He is doing great things today. Across the world, Jesus is manifesting His great power. His servants are doing great things in His name.

Jesus took an ordinary occasion, a wedding, as an opportunity to act. The need was for wine. He worked a miracle to provide the wine. The miracle, however, was also a sign. It caused His disciples to strengthen their faith in Him.

The people who most benefitted from the miracle, the master of the banquet and the groom, did not understand it. This is often the case with us. God’s grace continually surrounds us, his love is constantly active in our lives. Yet, how often do we see only the hands of the ones who serve the wine to us and fail to discern where it comes from and the grace it represents.

Jesus is ever present in our lives. He calls upon us to obey and believe. He will meet our needs. Sometimes, He works miracles on our behalf. Always, He is present to sustain us and to guide us. As we follow Him, our faith will be strengthened.