John 2:1-11 – New Wine
I heard about an unfortunate event that happened some time ago at a wedding. A young couple, very much in love, were getting married. Sue, the wife to be, was very nervous about the big occasion and so the pastor chose one verse that he felt would be a great encouragement to them. The verse was 1 John 4:18, which says: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
Rather unwisely, the pastor asked the best man to read it out and to say that the pastor had felt that this was a very apt verse for Sue and that he would be preaching on it later in the service. The best man was not a regular churchgoer, so he didn’t know the difference between the Gospel of John and the first letter of John. As instructed, he introduced his reading by saying that the pastor felt this was a very apt verse for Sue. Instead of reading 1 John 4:18, he read John 4:18, which says, “You have five husbands and the one that you now have is not your husband.”
Today we are going to talk about another wedding fiasco. It was in the town of Cana, in the area known as Galilee, where Jesus performed His first miracle. And it’s a controversial one, but it still shows how Jesus is exactly what people are looking for. This isn’t just about knowing the truths of the Gospel; it’s about knowing Him. Let’s read John 2:1-11.
Now, before we look at what this does mean, let’s take a look at what this is NOT about. I do not want us to be distracted by the alcohol consumption here. This passage is not about drinking. The main point is not about getting drunk at weddings. Wine was used as the common drink because the water supply was not the best. Fermented drink was considered safer to drink. If you believe that 100% abstinence is the best, you’re probably right. But if you believe that Jesus wouldn’t go around the stuff, then you have a hard time proving it.
So, here’s the big picture. Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding, which presumably Mary, Jesus’ mother, was helping with. Weddings in those days were big deals. The celebrations lasted for days, and everyone in town was invited. And there was supposed to be plenty of wine, as provided by the groom. To run out was a serious violation of the social code, and could even result in bankruptcy if someone chose to take legal action. To run out of wine was not a small deal. It was a serious offense against the townsfolk.
And so Mary comes to her son, telling Him the problem. Even though He had never done a miracle, she knew full well that He was the Savior, the Messiah, the One sent from God, the Son of God. And what Jesus says in response is an odd reaction. First, He calls her “woman” instead of “mom”. Opinions to why He did this are varied. Perhaps, since He was moving from being a carpenter to being the Messiah, Mary would have to approach Him as her Savior, not as her son. Then again, He called many women the same. It is likely no term of disrespect.
And then, what He tells her is even more odd – v4. Now, I don’t know if she was asking Him to do a miracle. Maybe she was simply hoping that her son would do something to fix the problem. Either way, the words sound abrupt, even rude. But, the literal translation for his words is: “What to Me and to you?” Or, What is there common between my point of view and yours?” Jesus was asking his mother if she really understood His nature, His mission and His sacrifice. It was a clarification of motives.
He went on to say that His time had not yet come. Time for what? Obviously He didn’t mean that it wasn’t time for others to see what He could do. Maybe His point was that Mary could not understand Him. Maybe He wanted her to trust Him, even when He couldn’t understand Him. Maybe His point was, “Even if you can’t figure out what I’m doing, please trust me to do the right thing.”
Well, she did trust Him. Maybe she didn’t even expect Him to do anything, but she told the wedding attendants to listen to Him, if He did say something. Which He did. He told the servants to fill 6 large jars with water. Between 120 gallons to 180 gallons. About 100 liters. That’s a lot of water.
Then, the servants were told to scoop out some of this water, and in the process it turned to wine. The servants took this wine to the master of the banquet, who tried it. He said it was the best wine of the party so far. He couldn’t figure out why the best should be saved till the last, after everybody had had a fair amount already and their taste buds weren’t quite as discerning. The best was saved for the last.
This was Jesus’ first miracle. This showed His glory, His wonder, His power. And the disciples placed their trust in Him because of it. He had given them ample proof that He was worth following.
You know, we search for miracles. People want to see Jesus or the Virgin Mary in paint blotches or pastries or appliances. People want to believe that the impossible can really happen, despite what scoffers may say. We want to believe that there is more supernatural things going on around us than we are aware of.
But this passage is not just about Jesus turning water into wine. If that’s all it said, why would it matter? So what if Jesus can really liven up a party? People want more than miracles. They don’t care if someone half way around the world sees a miracle. No, every person wants a personal miracle. Each person wants a change for themselves, and in themselves. Never mind if this thing works for everybody else; will it work for me?
I want to tell you today, it will work for you. Jesus wants to change you. No matter how long you’ve been walking with the Lord, He wants you to progress in that walk. There is no height you can reach that you can’t go higher. There is no depth of understanding that you can’t go deeper. Listen: you can be closer to God than you are right now.
But what it means is for you to be changed. There’s an old saying that says, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always have what you’ve always had.” That means, you’ll get to the end of yourself. You’ll run out of whatever kept you going. If you don’t keep going to the Lord, you’ll run out of the passion that you had in your earlier walk with Him. If you don’t keep fresh in your walk, you will grow stale in things like prayer, excitement, and Bible understanding and enjoyment. Like the master of the banquet, you’ll run out of joy.
And the key to finding new wine – that is, fresh joy, and a miraculous change in your life – comes from following what Mary said in v5. You have to do what He says. You have to obey Him. You have to be willing to set aside your own plans and dreams for the sake of obedience.
And in the context of this story, that involves 2 things: 1) Give Him your common things. Jesus used water, a common, everyday thing, and did the miraculous with it. I suppose He could have brought wine from absolutely nothing. But He chose to use something that they already had. He chose to use the ordinary to bring about the extraordinary.
Which is good news for us common folk. We’re not superstars. We’re not loaded with talents. Most of us only do one or two things well, if we’re lucky. But Jesus doesn’t just use the superstars – the Reggie Whites or Catriona Le May Doanes or the Joni Erickson Tadas or the Billy Grahams. He uses the Joes and the Franks and the Cliffs and the Elwoods and the Donnas to bring about His plans. He used an unnamed boy’s lunch to feed thousands. He used an unnamed widow to show what gratitude really was. He used an unnamed man’s home to pour out His Holy Spirit into the hearts of believers. God uses the common things. You don’t have to be multi-talented to be used.
That also means that the common things you do, He can transform. Your 24 hours, He can transform and use for good. Your meager resources, He can transform and use. He can use whatever you give Him, no matter how grand or small. Don’t be afraid to give Him everything for fear that it isn’t enough. Zechariah 4:10 asks, “Who despises the day of small things?” Don’t be that one.
And quickly, the 2nd thing involved in being changed is this: 2) Give Him your customs. Which sounds funny. Let me explain. The jars that the servants filled were ceremonial in nature. They were used for ritual washing before meals, as prescribed by the OT. And Jesus using them showed that He can bring new life to your religious customs. That means, church does not have to be boring, no matter what goes on up here. Worship can be – should be – internal, not just what happens to you. Worship is so much more than singing the songs or reading the words or listening to a speaker. Worship is meant to be in spirit, as well as in truth. Your Bible study does not have to be boring. Your prayer life does not have to be boring. Jesus can infuse new life and new joy and new insights and new passion into these things.
But you have to give them to Him. You have to say, “Lord, bring me meaning to the things I do. I want these to be more than ritual, more than empty traditions. Take my empty hollow attitudes and beliefs and traditions and rituals and ceremonies and help them to make sense to me. Help them have meaning. Flood me anew with Your love and Your miracle-working power.”
And you can see what happened when Jesus took the common things, and the customs, and transformed them the miraculous. Jesus showed what He was made of. He showed His power and fame, His renown and distinction. Then, the disciples put their faith in Him. They were already called His disciples. They already followed Him. But Jesus’ turning the mundane into the miraculous brought about faith in those followers. Listen: finding a freshness in your faith is as simple as letting Jesus take control of your heart. Giving Him your simple, everyday, common things. Giving Him control of your religious rituals. And trusting Him with the consequences. Your faith will progress from doing the right things to doing things right. And Jesus’ power and glory will be more obvious to you than it has been in a long time.
Today, trust Him with your heart. Give Him all you have, all the glamorous stuff, all the not-so-glamorous stuff. And He will work a miracle in you and will transform you.
