Miracle At Cana Series

Marriage is a wonderful gift from God to humankind.

When we live and love up to the promise of marriage it really is a taste of heaven.

Maybe that is why we work so hard to make our wedding day a very special time. Yet life rarely works as smoothly or goes as well as we want it to and that is especially true on your wedding day!

Over the years of my ministry I’ve seen grooms faint, brides giggle uncontrollably, and unity candles that absolutely refused to burn - once when a best man used a lighter with 4 inch flame whooshing from the top. I’ve seen welding arc’s with less power - and that candle still wouldn’t burn.

When these kind of disasters happen we usually just laugh a bit and move on - because the really important part of a wedding - the love and the promise that make the covenant - is in the hearts of the bride and groom. Still we want this day to be so special...

The "Miracle at Cana" happened because Jesus’ mother Mary was concerned about an impending social disaster at a wedding. The wine had run out. There was about to be a lot of embarrassment because of it.

What Jesus did in response was what John calls a "sign". It is a "sign" because it signifies some very important things to us about Jesus and his compassion for people. He cares about even about our embarrassing shortcomings and he wants to help us find the joy in our life.

The Wedding at Cana

John 2:1-12 (NCV)

2 Two days later there was a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his followers were also invited to the wedding. 3 When all the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

4 Jesus answered, “Dear woman, why come to me? My time has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you to do.”

6 In that place there were six stone water jars that the Jews used in their washing ceremony. a Each jar held about twenty or thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled the jars to the top.

8 Then he said to them, “Now take some out and give it to the master of the feast.” So they took the water to the master.

9 When he tasted it, the water had become wine. He did not know where the wine came from, but the servants who had brought the water knew. The master of the wedding called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “People always serve the best wine first. Later, after the guests have been drinking awhile, they serve the cheaper wine. But you have saved the best wine till now.”

11 So in Cana of Galilee Jesus did his first miracle. There he showed his glory, and his followers believed in him.

There are some things you don’t want to have happen at a wedding! The Wedding at Cana was a social disaster in the making. Weddings in that part of the world are different than here.

Indian Weddings involve 9 meals over three days with several sets of clothing for the bride and groom - all the responsibility of the bride’s family.

Jewish weddings were, and are, a big deal in the Jewish culture. The wedding ceremony would take place late in the evening after a time of feasting. The father of the bride would take his daughter on his arm, and with the wedding party in tow, would parade through the streets of the village so that everyone could come out and congratulate the bride.

Finally the wedding party would arrive at the home of the groom. The wedding actually took place in the front door of the grooms house. It was no short ceremony but the festivities lasted for days. It was a time of great celebration.

After the wedding ceremony the bride and groom walked through the streets accompanied by flaming torches. Their attendants walked with them keeping a canopy over their heads. The wedding party always took the longest route through the village so that as many people as possible could wish them well.

There was no such thing as a honeymoon! No, the couple kept open house for a week. They were treated like royalty. They dressed in fancy clothes and many times actually wore crowns on their heads. Whatever desire they spoke for they received. Their word was law!

The grooms family was expected to provide all the refreshments for this week of festivities.

In the midst of this great celebration they ran out of wine!!! Not just the good wine. All of the wine!!!!