Take The First Step

JOHN 2:1-11

Today we heard about the first miracle that Jesus performed in his ministry. It was one that he really did not want to do, but who can disobey your mother?

During his ministry, Jesus performed thirty-seven miracles:

• He turned water into wine

• 26 times he healed people

• Twice he fed the multitudes

• 4 time he saved the disciples on water

• 4 times he raised people from the dead

That was amazing miracles in a little more than three years!

His ministry of miracles all began that afternoon at Cana, when a young couple were celebrating their wedding day. Cana was not even in Judea, it was a jerkwater town off the beaten path – there was no reason for them to be there. But most likely they had been invited to the wedding, which lasted seven days. And Jewish law was very strict about rules of hospitality, not only for the one extending the invitation, but those receiving it. So they were in Cana.

Mary, Jesus, and some of His disciples were dressed in their finery and enjoying the food and companionship and joy of the new couple. The feast was spread and the wine was served, and everyone was having a good time. In fact, such a good time that the wine jars were drained. The father of the bride was about to be extremely embarrassed - the scandal of running out of wine – a serious faux pas!

But in stepped Mary, who suggested to the wine steward that her son might have an answer to their problem. Jesus hesitated, but Mary insisted that the servants do whatever He might tell them to do. So He told them to fill six empty water jars and serve up their contents. When those contents were served, the water was gone and excellent wine was in its place, much better wine than had first been served.

On the surface, this seems like a little miracle, not quite up there with calming the raging storm or raising Lazarus from the dead or feeding the 5,000. But this was Jesus’ first miracle.

Not that he really wanted to do this – when Mary told him to fix the problem, he resisted, telling her

Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? (John 2:4)

We can imagine that he was having a good time with his disciples, and didn’t want to be bothered – or have attention drawn to Himself. But Mary paid no attention to His reluctance and ‘persuaded’ him as only a mother can do, to take care of the situation. I don’t know if she had to use that “mother’s look”, but Jesus finally did what she wanted.

It seems like a frivolous use of Jesus’ power, turning water into wine. It’s been the subject of a host of theological humor. Like the Baptist preacher who was caught with a load of moonshine whiskey. He claimed he was just hauling water. When confronted with the fact that it was whiskey rather than water, he exclaimed, “It’s a miracle. Our blessed Lord has done it again.”

But this first and "minor" miracle should not be taken lightly - it showed

• who Jesus was. . .

• who He would become . . .

• what He would be . . .

• what He could and would do.

It is interesting to note that no other gospel documented this miracle. To those writers, this miracle was considered insignificant, not even worth mentioning.

There is a part of this scripture that generally goes unnoticed:

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. (John 2:6)

Seems pretty innocuous, doesn’t it. . . but it is significant to the story. The six waterpots were there because they had been used by the wedding guests to clean their hands and feet prior to being seated. Jewish law was extremely strict about cleanliness, so all the guests had used the water in these pots to clean their hands and feet – and now the pots were considered unclean! Yet, these were the very pots that Jesus used to turn the water into wine – violating all Jewish law for cleanliness.

Jesus transformed these pots from something unclean and forbidden into something clean and good.

When we look closely at this miracle, or as John identifies it—a ‘sign’, the fact that Jesus used water in dirty pots to reveal his glory catches our attention. In other gospel stories, Jesus used spit and mud to cure a blind man, loaves and fish to feed five thousand, and a wooden cross to save the world.

God seems to take particular delight in using the common and ordinary to glorify himself and to accomplish his purpose. We know that this is true not only in the Bible, but also in our everyday lives.