Jesus first Sign

You might want to know that it is 24 days since Christmas and a lot of things seem to have happened.

On the other hand between the first Christmas, the day that Christ was born, until the events described in today’s gospel passage, John chapter 2, there were about 30 years.

If you do some research you won’t find much about what Jesus did during those 30 or so years.

In the books by Matthew, Mark and Luke we learn about the events surrounding his birth, then there’s the event in Luke chapter 2 when he was about 12 and spent time in the Temple astounding the teachers there with his knowledge. At the same he was worrying Mary and Joseph because of his absence - they didn’t know where he was. We are told he increased in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52), was obedient to his parents and trained to become a carpenter.  

But John’s book says nothing of those early details but instead suddenly introduces Jesus with these remarkable and memorable words:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:1,2)

John then tells us of his baptism by John the Baptist.  He then tells how Jesus met Philip, Nathanael, Simon Peter and John who became his first disciples.  There’s no account of him preaching or persuading them to follow him. He simply said to them, “follow me”, and they did.

There must have been something remarkable about him that led these men to drop what they were doing and follow him.

It reads as if these things happened in just a few days because John chapter 2 starts with the words, “On the third day” and on that day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.  The experts aren’t too sure just where Cana in Galilee was and have pointed out several places it could have been, but it was somewhere in the region of the lake called Galilee, probably not far from where the family lived in Nazareth.

We know that Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding and that in addition, Jesus mother was there.  Because Jesus was invited you would presume that the bride and groom were friends of Jesus. They must have been close to Mary, too, because she seemed to have had a supportive link to them when a crisis came up.

We can speculate that quite a few unexpected visitors turned up and enjoyed themselves. Jesus himself had brought along four extras. Anyway, it became clear that the hosts had under-catered for the number of guests because the wine ran out. 

We can understand that this would have been more than embarrassing for the hosts. Humiliating, even! Bad for their reputation and how distressing for the bride and groom! It looked as if it was going to spoil their wedding day. 

There’s no reason to think that there was any announcement about the wine running out - why make things worse by doing that?  Mary’s involvement meant that she at least was told.  

But why did Mary go to Jesus and tell him the wine had run out? What did she expect Jesus to do about it?

It doesn’t look like Jesus wasn’t pleased to be involved either because he said, “Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.”

Jesus hour was yet to come. Three or so years in the future he would face the anger of the authorities and submit to crucifixion as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

In fact, as you read the gospel records you see that once it became known just who he was it didn’t take long for the priestly authorities to start to attack Jesus. 

John the Baptist’s words in chapter 1 soon became real-life events. He said, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” John 1:8-11.

Sadly, this is the response Jesus gets from our society, too, isn’t it?.

“The true light that gives light to everyone has come into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world does not recognise him.”

Mary instructed the servants to “do whatever he tells you” (John 1:5)

The correct thing to do in those times was to make available facilities for visitors to carry out simple things to make them comfortable. Bear in mind they didn’t have concrete paths and paved roads and that sandals were common footwear so hosts would provide an opportunity for guests to wash their hands and feet. 

Water was also needed so people could meet the religious requirements of ritual cleansing and washing.

For this purpose they had six stone jars - stone, mind you, not ceramics which were not always ritually pure. Between them these held something like 200 Litres of water when they were filled, which they were.  Under Jesus instruction they were filled to the brim. 

With water, by the way.

The servants did as Jesus told them and they did it to the utmost, following his instructions to the brim.

Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realise where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew’ (John 1:8-9)

These waiters had just filled the jars with some 200 Litres of water and, under Jesus instructions they were drawing some out and presenting it to the master of the banquet, the MC, as wine. How do you suppose they felt about doing this?

Those servants demonstrated obedience at least. They did as they were told. But what response did they expect from the MC when he tasted this - this, whatever it was?

There is no record of Jesus performing incantations, ceremonies or prayers over the six stone pots but somewhere between filling the jars and the contents reaching the MC it became the best wine they had tasted.

The MC “called the bridegroom aside 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.’” (John 2: 9-10)

One problem with wine is that it is possible to have too much to drink and the MC would have expected at least some of the guests would get drunk, too drunk to appreciate the quality of the wine they are given.  The MC’s experience was that people would serve their best wine first while the guests were sober enough to appreciate it then it didn’t matter what you served them

To this bridegroom’s credit, he had saved the best to last!

Think about it. It was the best wine they had ever had. They could recognise it as being outstandingly good. And it was wine made from water, not grapes!!

Some people don’t believe in miracles or signs such as this. 

The possibility of turning water into wine is mocked, of course.  For example in the production, “Jesus Christ Superstar”.

And you have heard about the priest who was pulled over for erratic driving. The officer asked him, “have you been drinking?”  Only water from my water bottle, he was told.  Further investigation showed the water bottle was full of whisky.

When the officer pointed this out the priest proclaimed, “Praise the Lord! He’s done it again!”

You have heard that one before and it can be told because almost everyone has heard about Jesus turning water into wine at this wedding in Cana of Galilee.

But if Jesus did not actually turn the water into wine then there is no message here, no lessons to learn, no sign given.  Rather there was a disastrous wedding celebration that all those who attended would talk about in the district for years to come. Such a failure!

But Jesus DID turn water into wine, the best wine ever made! All those who attended enjoyed the result and the story has been recounted for the last 2,000 years as being a true event.

We read that “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” (John 2:11)

In his book the apostle John does not use the word miracle.  Instead he describes events like this as signs. This was the first of the signs that Jesus gave.

John’s gospel opens with the words, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

It is a sign.

This was a sign that John’s description is correct.  Jesus is God.  Jesus is the creator. He was with God at creation. Without him nothing was made that had been made.  It was made for him and in him all things hold together.

Jesus is the creator who organised how water would behave at the world’s creation and here he exercises his authority so this water became wine.

What does the sign say to you?

It revealed his glory, the glory of the only begotten son of God, the glory of God himself with us. He showed the glory of God with us. He showed that he is the Lord, the King, God himself. 

In the days before this sign four of his disciples left everything to follow him but now he had given them a sign and now they knew who he was.  They believed in him. 

As I read of this sign I, too, believe in him.

Here at this wedding feast Mary gave the advice that remains the best advice we can get. “[Mary] said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you’” (John 1:5) Do whatever Jesus tells you! If you want any lessons from this passage there’s a good one. “Do whatever Jesus tells you”

Jesus own words we read later were, “if you love me keep my commandments”. Therein lies the definition of a Christian.  If you love Jesus, if you believe in Jesus, you will keep his commandments, you will follow his teaching.  It’s all there in the New Testament of the Bible

We read that “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” (John 2:11)

I am one of his disciples.  I believe in Jesus.  Do you?

I serve a risen Saviour

He’s in the world today

I know that he is living

Whatever men may say

You ask me how I know he lives

He lives within my heart.

Appendix:

Over the years preachers have drawn quite a few lessons from this event.

1. Here at this wedding feast Mary gave the advice that remains the best advice we can get. “[Mary] said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you’” (John 1:5) Do whatever Jesus tells you! If you want any lessons from this passage there’s a good one. “Do whatever Jesus tells you”
2. The governor of the feast did not understand what had happened, but he admired the result and here is a picture of what our Lord always does. He gives his people the best. 
3. And there’s a positive thought; Jesus kept the best to be the last. Our best is yet to come.
4. In this life the wine we receive is mingled with much bitterness. Tears of sorrow flow into it and, sadly, what joys we have often seem to run out as we go on, just as this wine did. But when we shall drink it with him, at the banqueting table in the kingdom of God, what will it be like? Unimaginably wonderful!
5. We have the joy of Christ's love here on earth but when we get to heaven, and drink it fresh from the everlasting spring, what will that joy be? Think of the blessedness laid up for the people of God! 
6. We pluck some of the fruit from the trees, and eat it and it’s wonderful. But the fruits laid up in heaven are the very pick of the fruit of the tree of life. Those who live for the world have had their best already; but we anticipate the great feast with Christ where we go from good to better, and from better to the best.
7. Perhaps what we need to do is check out the ordinary things, the things we take for granted. In our lives do we have things equivalent to stone water jars? Because if we do we might find we have overlooked some wonderful provision, some miracle that Jesus has given us but we have missed it, taken it for granted and not appreciated or given appropriate thanks for it.
8. Back in Egypt Moses had brought a curse on the common things of life when under God’s instruction he turned water into blood but here Jesus added sweetness to people’s lives by turning water into wine.