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John 2:1-12 (The NET Bible) Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.”

Jesus replied, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.

Jesus told the servants, “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” and they did.

When the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper wine when the guests are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!”

Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days.

Signs in John’s Gospel

1. Water to Wine

2. Healing of Official’s Son

3. Healing of a paralyzed man

4. Feeding of 5,000

5. Walking on Water

6. Healing of Man born blind

7. Raising of Lazarus from the dead

Water to Wine

Baptists’ least favorite miracle

We have to explain:

What Jesus is doing at a big party

Why Jesus would not just permit wine but make more of it.

Wedding at CanaNow on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,

John 2:1

Characteristics of a traditional Jewish Wedding

First part of the wedding ceremony:kiddushin – the bride approaches and circles the groom. Two blessings are recited over wine: one the standard blessing over wine and the other regarding the commandments related to marriage.

Wedding at CanaNow on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,

John 2:1

Characteristics of a traditional Jewish Wedding

Second part of the wedding ceremony:nisuin - The bride and groom stand beneath the chuppah, a canopy held up by four poles, symbolic of their dwelling together and of the husband's bringing the wife into his home. The bride and groom recite seven blessings. The couple then drink the wine. The groom smashes a glass (or a small symbolic piece of glass) with his right foot, to symbolize the destruction of the Temple.

Wedding at CanaNow on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,

John 2:1Characteristics of a traditional Jewish WeddingLast part of the wedding ceremony:The couple then retires briefly to a completely private room, symbolic of the groom bringing the wife into his home. This is followed by a festive meal, which is followed by a repetition of the sheva brakhos. Exuberant music and dancing traditionally accompany the ceremony and the reception. Could last up to seven days.

Wedding at Canaand Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.”

John 2:2,3Disaster hits the wedding

Jesus mother is concerned

Wedding at CanaJesus replied, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” (Literally, “Woman, what to you and

to me.”) John 2:4

John’s inclusion of this responsesignals for Mary and for us a changein the dynamics of the relationship

she has with Jesus.

Jesus response

Wedding at CanaJesus replied, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” (Literally, “Woman, what to you and

to me.”) John 2:4

Jesus is more important than Mary.

Mary submitted to Jesus, so should we.

Jesus sanctioned the institution of marriage by his presence at the wedding and reception. Jesus is not interested in monasticism, asceticism.

Jesus response (some applications)

Wedding at CanaHis mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.

John 2:5,6About the Water jars

Total – between 120 and 180 gallons of water.

Used for Jewish purification rights before and after meals.

Wedding at CanaJesus told the servants, “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” and they did.

John 2:7-8

Wedding at Cana When the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper wine when the guests are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!”

John 2:9-10

Wedding at Cana Significance of the Miracle

Christ is interested in ordinary lives. He attends an ordinary event and cares enough to help out in an ordinary disaster.

Jesus transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. He takes ordinary water and creates extraordinary wine.

Jesus creation has the appearance of age.

He made it in abundance. He cares about us living our lives with abundance.

Jesus made the wedding celebration even more enjoyable by providing the wine. Therefore, God is interested in our joy as well as our needs.

C.S. Lewis has pointed out that every miracle of Jesus is simply a kind of short-circuiting of a natural process; a doing instantly something which in general takes a longer period of time. Lewis says, “Each miracle writes for us in small letters something that God has already written, or will write, in letters almost too large to be noticed, across the whole canvas of nature.” That is what Jesus is doing: he is overleaping the elements of time, of growth, gathering, crushing and fermenting. He takes water---an inorganic, non-living, commonplace substance---and without a word, without a gesture, without any laying on of hands, in utter simplicity, the water becomes wine, an organic liquid, a product of fermentation, belonging to the realm of life. Thus he demonstrated his marvelous ability to master the processes of nature.

Wedding at CanaJesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

John 2:11

Why was this the first miracle?

The Old Testament often predicted that when the Messiah came there would be an abundance of wine. Wine is a symbol of the presence of the Messiah. The opening sign of the ministry of Jesus is the production of wine that proclaimed that the Messiah was present and ready to establish the kingdom.

6 The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine – tender meat and choicest wine. 7 On this mountain he will swallow up the shroud that is over all the peoples, the woven covering that is over all the nations; 8 he will swallow up death permanently. The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from every face, and remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. Indeed, the Lord has announced it!

Isaiah 25:6-8

12 As a result they will conquer those left in Edom and all the nations subject to my rule.” The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking! 13 “Be sure of this, the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when the plowman will catch up to the reaper and the one who stomps the grapes will overtake the planter. Juice will run down the slopes, it will flow down all the hillsides. 14 I will bring back my people, Israel; they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble and settle down. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce; they will grow orchards and eat the fruit they produce. 15 I will plant them on their land and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

Amos 9:12-15

Jesus loves weddings

The Church is His Bride

There will be a wedding of Christ and his church.For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, 27 so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:25-27

Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the All-Powerful, reigns! Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen” (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints). Then the angel said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Revelation 19:6-9

 Jesus is looking forward to having a drink with us in the Father’s KingdomWhile they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after

giving thanks he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:26-30