MIRACLE AT A WEDDING

Bruce's Beat 6-3-2018

            John records in his gospel the first miracle of Jesus. It was at Cana in Galilee. It was at a wedding feast. And Jesus turned six water pots filled to the brim with water into the best wine that the master of the feast had tasted – John 2:1-11.

            We would expect that the first miracle of the Christ to be something more significant that just this changing of the water. How is the glory of the promised Messiah revealed in this seeming innocuous miracle?

            Several important things are going on in this miracle, even if it seems rather ordinary. First, the prophets spoke of the prominence of weddings and wedding banquets in the ministry of the Messiah – Isa. 54:4-8; 62:4-5. The working of the miracle at the wedding in Cana signified that the Messianic age was here!

            Second, it was a replacing of water with wine, and not just any wine, it was the best. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus spoke of the symbolism of new wine in old wineskins – Mark 2:19. The “new wine” was the doctrine of Christ in comparison to the “old.”   The emptiness of Jewish traditions was being replaced with the satisfying doctrine of Christ.

            Third, Jesus made nearly 120 gallons of wine. Heaven doesn’t provide the bare minimums or just enough to get by. Grace abounds and provides to excess, even in the smallest details.

            The miracle at the wedding in Cana was the completion of a call to believe when Jesus chose the 12 to be His disciples. Jesus told Philip and Nathaniel that if they followed him they would see “greater things” – John 1:50-51. The changing of the water was just the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise. As a result of this beginning miracle, the disciples believed in Jesus.

            The abundant supply of the physical needs at the wedding feast was designed to teach that our spiritual needs are satisfied in Christ. May we always turn to Him for that which our soul needs.