Advent 17 (2013): Water into Wine

Years ago, I worked in the garden department at Home Depot.  One early morning in the midst of what was to be an all-day downpour, I got a call at work from a couple who were understandably desperate.  They were hosting their child’s wedding at their home and it was supposed to be an outdoor wedding.  Given the time of year, all the rental places had tents already rented and they could not get any more tents to help to overcome the rainy day.  I found a few white pop-up tents in stock and found other ones at other area Home Depot stores on the computer and we called and secured them for this couple.  After the wedding, the couple wrote a thank you to the store entitled, “Barbara Saved the Wedding.”  It was a very nice thought and made many people happy to read it, but it wasn’t a miracle.  I didn’t really save the wedding.  I was just doing my job–with prior practice, some computer know-how, and a bit of decent follow-through.

Jesus, however, did save the wedding!

John 2:1 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.” 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 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

He performed His first miraculous sign at a wedding feast, turning water into wine.  This is not something that with practice and know-how any of us could do.  Jesus didn’t make a quick run out to the liquor store or the mini-mart with a divine debit card.

Jesus did a miracle that only God could do.

To those who were paying attention to what was going on, He revealed His glory (remember that this is the glory of the One and Only God) and as a consequence of doing so, His disciples put their faith in Him.

Jesus saved the wedding (and prevented a huge embarrassment to the bridegroom), but more than that, He demonstrated that He is Emmanuel (God with us) and that LOVE showed up in-person when Jesus came.  His miracles–including this first one–proved He is the Messiah, that His ministry that would be attested to by miraculous signs, and that our rightful response to such LOVE is faith.

Questions for pondering:

1. How did a miracle attest to Jesus’ coming from the Father?
2. Who showed faith in this story?  Was each person asked to show the same level of faith?
3. The passage doesn’t tell us when the water was turned into wine.  Knowing what you know of faith, how did the servants show faith as they brought what they had drawn out to the master?  What if it was still water?  What would have happened to the wedding festivities?