The Wedding in Cana: Jesus turns water into wine

I went to Israel in 2015 and went to a place called Cana. The bible mentioned that Jesus had attended a wedding in Cana and performed the miracle of turning water into wine there. So I bought a “Cana Wedding Wine” in Cana. However, Chris doesn’t drink any wine! He had no idea about how to select the wine for the wedding. Therefore, he needed help from Auguste, his uncle in law!

Some of you may be wondering, what is this wedding in Cana? Here is what the Bible says:

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine (John 2:1-12)

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 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

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.”

They did so, 9 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 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed 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.

Weddings were very special occasions. In the days of Jesus, the people went to a party after the ceremony. This party continued for a week. The guests ate and drank together. Everyone was very happy. But if there was not enough food or drink for the week, the bride and the bridegroom felt great shame. You see, at a wedding such as this, hospitality is everything. It was their duty to provide plenty. This wedding feast took place at Cana in Galilee. There are all sorts of speculation regarding whose wedding it is. Nevertheless, it seems like Mary had some responsibility for the wedding, because she became concerned when they run out of wine. Perhaps someone she loves is going to be embarrassed.

This passage is not just about Jesus filling in for a poorly catered wedding. This was a sign. Signs are about pointing a direction forward. Just like we need to look at the signs to know where we are going. We’re told that this was a sign. There are five wine signs that point to the deeper and higher meaning of this great miracle.

1) “My hour”

Sign one was Jesus’ discussion with his mother. When Mary asked Jesus to do something, he literally says “dear woman, what is this to me, and what is this to you? My hour has not yet come.” “Woman” does not mean anything harsh in the original language. It is a term meaning ‘lady’ or ‘madam.’ ‘What have you and I in common? What is there between us two? My ways are not your ways. I know when it is fit to work a miracle, and when it is fit to withhold, but you do not.’ Here is the rebuke. Jesus does not see that he has anything to do with the situation. Jesus was thinking about other things. Jesus knew that he had come to the earth for a special purpose. He never forgot this. Mary is embarrassed because there isn’t enough wine for the wedding. But Jesus is saying that “I have a different purpose to you. I have a higher purpose, and that hour, that time, has not yet come.” So when is the time, when is the hour?

What is fascinating here is, Mary understands that Jesus’ response is not a no, because she immediately tells the servants to “do whatever he tells you.” It seems that Mary also has authority to give orders to the servants. Which leads us to sign number two.

2) Cleansing

There are six stone jars nearby. They are the kind that were used for ceremonial cleansing. Today we’re familiar with the baptism water, which is a symbol or a sign for spiritual cleansing. The six water jars are specifically made of stone because stone does not pass on uncleanness. Their total capacity is 180 gallons! They are for holding water, for purifications according to Jewish customs. The jar and the water had to be very pure, as they are for purification. So it is clear that the water in such jars could be changed into wine only by divine power. Another point is, the number seven in the Jewish circles, is a little bit like the number ten today. Ten is like the perfect number. You come to nine, you’re not quite there. In Jewish circles, seven is the perfect number, because God created everything in six days, proclaimed it to be very good, rested on the seventh day, and made it “holy.” In other words, the seventh day is a “good day” in God’s eyes! So now there is only six of these stone jars. And so somehow, we know this cleansing isn’t complete. We’re looking for something better. We already found out from John chapter one that John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin, and a colleague of Jesus in ministry. John says “I am a ceremonial cleanser, I’m a baptiser, but water isn’t sufficient to do the kind of cleansing that we need.” And he pointed to Jesus as the person who does the deeper spiritual cleansing. This leads us to sign number three.

3) The Creator

Jesus had made the water change. It had become wine! Jesus told the servants to draw the water out of the jar and take this to the master of ceremony. The servants did as they were told, and then the miracle happened. As the Son of God, Jesus has the ability to create, just like the Father, and uses water to create “good wine.” This echoes the narrative about the Creation in Genesis: God created all things and proclaimed it to be “very good.” Jesus is the creator, and with the same creational power as God. We’re told that the master of ceremony had no clue what was going on. He called the groom over, in order to learn the truth and give his opinion of the wine.  He tasted the wine and thought it was the best wine in the world, but did not know where it had come from. He comments on the host’s unorthodox behaviour. “You were supposed to serve the best wine first, when the guests’ palettes are still receptive to its quality. But you, have saved the best till now.” People always drank the best wine first at a wedding. But Jesus’ wine was even better! So the host thought that the people had been drinking the cheaper wine first instead.

But the servants knew, as they drew the water. And this was the funny thing. The Greek term architriclinus, translated as “master of ceremonies”, refers to the one in charge of the whole banquet. Usually the master of ceremonies are well aware of everything that’s going on, but here, it was the people carrying the trays around and doing things out at the back, the servants of Jesus, they understood what was going on.

4) Glory

“That through this miracle, Jesus revealed his glory.” This is a funny thing to say, because we know that Jesus is someone who heals sick people and raises dead people, and providing wine at a wedding doesn’t seem like something that’s big of a deal. But again, it’s another sign pointing forward. And here, we’re thinking, “what is this glory that was revealed to the servants?”

We will now fast forward to John chapter 17: Finally, just before Christ’s crucifixion on the cross for our sins, he prays and says “Father, now my hour has come. Glorify your son, that your son may glorify you.” Now we are approaching the hour of glory.

And finally, two chapters later, in John chapter 19, we’re told that as Jesus died, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side, and there was a flow of blood and water. You know what’s interesting about John’s gospel? The other gospels has the last supper scene, where Jesus broke the bread for the disciples and said, “this my body” and gave them the wine, and said, “this is my blood poured out for the cleansing of your sin.” John’s gospel doesn’t have that. This wine sign, this water for ceremonial cleansing, that pointed forward towards the hour of Christ’s glory, seems to tell that the time will come, through Christ’s own death, the shedding of his own blood, he would cleanse his servants and his people. He would transform our lives, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

5) “The wedding of the lamb”

The fifth and final sign, which is the most important one, is that you may notice in this whole reading that there is no mention about who is the bride or groom. Something was incomplete here. Finally, in the last book of the bible, the book of Revelation, also written by John, in 19:6, John says, “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad, and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”” Jesus is the lamb and the groom. The people of God is the bride. In the Old Testament, weddings are often used as a metaphor for the kingdom of the Messiah (Isaiah 54:1-8；62:1-5). In the New Testament, Jesus often uses weddings as a metaphor for his second coming (Matthew 8:11; 22:1-4; Luke 13:29;14:15-24; cf. Revelation 19:9). The appearance of Jesus in the wedding at Cana symbolises the coming kingdom of the Messiah. It is the people of God, who come into relationship with God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who are those who will finally one day witness Christ’s return, and be united with Him.  

References:

Rev. Chadd Hafer’s message at Chris and Yvonne’s wedding, 7 Sept 2019, Christ Church Lavender Bay.

Card, Michael.; John: The Gospel of Wisdom.

Lightfoot, J. B., Still, Todd D., Witherington, Ben.; The Gospel of St. John : A Newly Discovered Commentary.

Thomas, Weisheipl, James A., Larcher, Fabian R..; Commentary on the Gospel of John.

https://www.cbtc.org.hk/archives/5227#.Xdo4kOgzY2y    

http://www.pct.org.tw/weeklyneweyes.aspx?strWID=W20151216813