I love weddings. I have only had the occasion to perform two weddings and those were both great and special occasions for me. I had so much fun. And weddings are supposed to be fun. I think we should take a lesson from 1st century Judaism on how to party. The usual festivities consisted of a procession in which the bridegroom’s father brought the bride to the groom’s house, and then a wedding feast would be offered. Most often the festivities lasted 7 days. Now that’s a party.
It not insignificant that Jesus’ first miracle was at a party. Jesus often used weddings, feasts, banquets and parties to describe the Kingdom of God. Jesus was not just stating empty phrases. Jesus wanted us to know that Christianity is a celebration. The Psalmist tells us to be glad and rejoice, to shout for joy. My favorite author Tony Campolo has a book called “The Kingdom of Heaven is a Party.” I would say that based on this, the church should also be a party. This is a simple lesson that our lives together are to be bound by joy.
This is why I love weddings. It a time in the church when I really feel that celebration, that joy, that sense that God’s desire is that we are to party. This is our setting for our story… it is a party. And obviously our narrative begins somewhere in the middle or maybe near the end of the party because as we know they were beginning to run out of wine.
This brings us to our lesson of our little thing for this Sunday—The Wine.
I heard a pastor give a sermon on this passage once and he mentioned the idea that miracles are the outcome of a problem. So first let’s identify the problem. Look at verse 3.
Mary was filling Jesus in on the problem. Now I don’t know how you read this passage but I find the discussion between Jesus and His mother quite interesting. Was Mary just telling Jesus? Was she simply relaying the message? Perhaps, she was telling Jesus because she was embarrassed for the host. “Hey son, can you believe these folks have no more wine?”
I suppose based on Jesus response, many read this as a statement form of a request. Mary did not ask Jesus to do anything about the problem. But Jesus responds as if she is pushing Him to do something about the problem.
And this is what Jesus does. Jesus recognizes problems. As I read it, Mary simply stated the fact that there was a problem. Jesus immediately recognized His ability to cure the problem. And Jesus’ response to Mary is intriguing. He literally says, “What to me and to you?” This is a Semitism, a common Hebrew phrase. What this Semitism translates to is, “What does this have to do with me?” Now this is bothersome and I don’t want to get too far off track but I should say that I believe this is John’s editing that leaves us with so little. I would have to assume that there is more to this discussion than what we can read about in these 11 verses. I mean it would be quite harsh if Jesus said to us, “Well, I know you have problems, but why is it my business?”
Jesus does not react that way to our problems. To conclude this discussion on Jesus’ response, I should also add that the author of this Gospel John, has high concern for the “hour.” This is referring to the period of death, resurrection and ascension. It was not until the time of His crucifixion that Jesus said, “My hour has now come.” So no, Jesus was not just saying, This is not my problem. Jesus was saying that it’s not my time to get to involved in the final stage of his ministry. Jesus was not saying that it is not my time to perform miracles, preach sermons, heal the blind and free the oppressed.
If anything I think this points to the fact that a mother knows. Mom’s you know your children don’t you? I know my mom used to know my thoughts before I would think them. Mary tells Jesus of a problem. Jesus responds by saying, “Well, It’s none of my business.” And immediately Mary turns to the servants and says, “Do what He tells you to do.” A mother knows. Mary knew her son’s abilities. Jesus knew His own abilities. And miracles are the results of problems. And let me tell you the fact that these people had no wine was a serious problem, and we will get into that in a minute.
What I want to do now is skip all the way to the end of our passage in order to back track and explain why the wine is literally so significant.
If the problem is there is no wine and the solution is to make wine. What is the purpose of performing the miracle? Look at verse 11.
The miracle is significant because it reveals Jesus’ glory. And as a result people put their trust in Jesus. Up to this point, the disciples were following Jesus around based solely on the recommendation of John the Baptist. Now the disciples knew and trusted, they put their faith in Jesus, because Jesus’ glory was revealed to them.
How? Let me tell you that in the first century there was no shortage of false prophets and magicians claiming to be miracle workers. So why would they believe Jesus just based on the fact that this guy turned some water into wine? I mean, if anything I might think some of the disciples would grow more skeptical because of the perception that this could just be a “trick.” The message, the revelation is hidden in the wine.
The miracle had a sacramental theme that is discovered in the wine. Certainly, the disciples would not have known that at the time. They did not have what we have today. They did not know that Jesus blood would be signified by wine in the cup at the Last Supper. Later on wine comes to signify Jesus’ gift of salvation. While this is not known by Jesus’ immediate followers, we as His followers now know it today.
We know that as we come and take from the cup on communion Sundays that the wine or, as we use today, juice symbolizes God’s blood. We know that this is significant because Jesus died on the cross for our sins. 1 John 1:7 says, “the blood of Jesus purifies us all from sin.”
Later Jesus would use bread to perform miracles. Jesus would multiply the loaves of bread to feed those who were hungry. This no accident that bread and wine play such significant roles in the story of Jesus. They are sacred to us. They are special for us. They not only serve as reminders of God’s grace and love for us, God’s ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. But also by using bread in the story of feeding the thousands of men and women and wine in this miracle Jesus shows us that His life and His willingness to give is in abundance.
Notice the performance of the miracle. John records specifically what was involved, to great detail. Verse 6 says, “Nearby stood 6 stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial purification purposes.”
Just as the story of the woman at the well, I remember learning this story in Sunday School class as a child. Often when we see pictures of these jars we are shown tall beautiful vases. But that is not at all accurate, the were low basins that were used in strict Jewish homes so that each person could wash their hands before the meals and between each course of the meal. John says that each basin held 20 to 30 gallons of water. These 6 20 to 30 gallon basins would make 240,000 serving of wine if there was one half pint per glass.
For this miracle, Jesus made a lot of wine. The fact of the matter is this: When Jesus gives He is not stingy, He is not selfish. God gives in abundance. There is plenty enough of to go around, plenty of His love shown by His sacrifice. If anything the disciples saw that what Jesus was revealing was that there is plenty of what he is offering to go around.
So in the eyes of the disciples what was Jesus offering? Back then, wine was used for two things other than consumption, a gift and medication. Wine was often given as a gift during a celebration, much like a wedding. Wine was also used for healing. In the story of the Good Samaritan, the Good Samaritan used oil and wine to help heal the man’s wounds.
In Mark 15 we see Jesus hanging on the cross. In verse 36 we read about a man offering Jesus a sponge soaked in wine vinegar. Why? Because it wound help relieve the pain. Jesus refused the wine and fully accepted the suffering. Wine was for gifts and healing. While we can fully understand the implications of Jesus’ sacrifice being abundantly enough of his salvation. We should not miss the message that the disciples saw that day, Jesus also gives an abundance of His gifts and an abundance of healing.
This miracle was a miracle of abundance, of extravagance, and also one of transformation.
The servants obeyed Jesus. They filled the basins full of water and when they drew it out the basin it was wine. We know this is the miracle of turning water into wine. Or let me say it this way, transforming water into wine. And not only did Jesus transform this water into wine, the wine Jesus created, this new wine was much better than the old wine.
Look again at the passage. The servants drew some of the wine out of the basin and took it to the headwaiter, the master of the banquet. When he tasted it he was shocked. Look at verse 10.
This was not just to illustrate our human nature to being cheapskates. The idea was that the good, expensive wine would be consumed by the guests first and when their senses were not as keen the host would switch the expensive wine with the cheap stuff. While it shows that we are all humans and that people were even cheapskates 2000 years ago, there is also a tremendous message about this new wine of Jesus.
Transforming water into wine is a parallel to the difference between law and spirit. Jesus new wine, Jesus’ way, was better than the old way. While the old wine was good enough for the time being, the new wine has now been offered and we are called to drink of this new wine. While the law was temporary, that well has run dry. God is now calling us to consume the Holy Spirit. This is a Biblical debate of two religions: Judaism verses Christianity.
Recorded in Mark 2 we can read about Jesus, probably at another wedding –Jesus loved dinner parties and weddings. At this party, Jesus compares the new way to the old way using this illustration: He says, “No one pours old wine into a new wineskin.” No you pour new wine into new wineskins. And the new wine which Jesus brings should not be mixed with the old wine.
You see, the headwaiter’s statement is about the new faith of Jesus. The best has been saved for last. The new way is better than the old way. Remember Mary stating the problem way back in verse 3. The fact is this: “They have no more wine.” As I said earlier the fact that they have no more wine is a serious problem.
Although serious, the problem is simple, and the solution is simple. The wine, the new wine, that Jesus offers in abundance is the new way, the new faith. Jesus’ blood is so much more than anything we can read about in Old Testament sacrifices. This is a miracle illustrating the transforming power of Jesus Christ – making all things new.
Jesus has given us a new way, an absolute way. The miracle shows us a revelation. As we read earlier verse 11 says, “Jesus revealed His glory and his disciples put their faith in Him.” In this miracle, in the wine, we see God’s true glory. We see the sacrifice. We see the willingness to give. We see a revelation, that Jesus Christ’ blood would be shed and it would be shared among those who believe. The gift Jesus has to offer will be shared among the baptized. We can discover in the flow of wine the revelation that Jesus brought us a new way. And in all of this we discover that Jesus’ actions, the flow wine, the flow of blood, was and is an extraordinary act of Grace. And He did it just for us.
The miracle of the wine shows us God’s character. Miracles are not just for impressing. Miracles are “sign” acts. They signify who God is. And they point us to where we should be. God has called us into a celebration. We have been invited to partake of a magnificent wedding feast. We should understand that Jesus will return and take His bride, the church. That wedding, still to come, will be a wonderful event of much rejoicing and gladness. But we don’t have to wait for pie in the sky, sweet by and by for the party. Christianity is a celebration because we have life, through Jesus Christ and we have it abundantly. We have an abundance, an unlimited amount, of God’s gift of love. We have an abundance of God’s gift of healing. Jesus is making all things new. What’s not to celebrate?
Let us pray.
