John 2:1-11
2:1On 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, x 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. [1]
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I find it fascinating that Jesus chose to perform the first of his “signs” (as John calls them) at a wedding. And that the immediate purpose of the sign was to provide more wine for the celebration. We like this incident here in Napa, because it shows Jesus not only to be a winemaker, but an excellent winemaker.
But actually something much larger is going on here. This sign, like all seven “signs” in the Gospel of John points to the fulfillment of Jesus’ mission and the coming of the new creation. When viewed that way, and especially since we know how the story will unfold through the rest of the New Testament, the choice to begin at a wedding is not so surprising at all. The last of John’s writings in the New Testament, Revelation, concludes with a wedding as well, the wedding feast of the triumphant Christ and His resplendent bride, His church, the New Jerusalem. It is fitting that Jesus begins his new creation work with a wedding celebration, in which he contributes to the festivities with the finest of wine.
Jesus makes use of one of the most common and central features of all cultures and most of our lives, wedding and marriage, to picture His relationship with His people. But the picture goes both ways: Understanding marriage helps us understand Christ and His love for His bride. And understanding Christ’s cross-shaped love for His people helps us to understand God’s intent for marriage.
So my prayer today is for my marriage and for other marriages, those in our St. John’s community, those of my friends and family. I pray that all these marriages would be blessed by Christ that they may be living images of His love for His bride, His church.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 2:1–11). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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