The First Sign Series

THE FIRST SIGN

John 2:1–11

Introduction

As a preacher, I have been involved in many weddings. Weddings can be complex or simple, and when it comes to

planning the ceremony, whatever the bride wants is what she gets. The groom is just there for moral support.

Maggy and I will celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary this July. It was a hot day in the Mississippi Delta. We didn’t have much, so there were a lot of helpers. Maggy’s dress was made by a friend of her mother’s, and it was simple and beautiful. I actually sang a song to her during the ceremony - what was I thinking! The ladies at church prepared the rehearsal supper in the church kitchen. A friend made our wedding cake. On that hot Mississippi day, the A/C had a hard time keeping up with the heat. During the ceremony, the top tier of the wedding cake slid onto the floor! Ladies hosting the reception in the church hall scrambled to get it cleaned up and looking presentable. We didn’t know about it until later!

When something goes wrong at a wedding, it’s hard not to panic

In our text today is a wedding where something goes wrong, and someone is about to be embarrassed! The first miracle of Jesus, which John calls a "sign”. John 2:11 “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.” There are seven signs in the first half of John’s gospel, all meant to drive us toward believing in Him as the Messiah, the Savior. This first sign tells us at least three things about Jesus.

1. The First Sign Reveals the Heart of Jesus

John 2:1-2 "On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.”

Cana of Galilee, a small village just a few miles from Nazareth. In the ancient Jewish world, a wedding was the greatest celebration of a lifetime. After the ceremony—often held late in the evening—the bride and groom were led through the streets by torchlight, under a canopy, taking the longest route possible so the whole village could rejoice with them. Instead of a honeymoon, the couple hosted an open house for an entire week. They were treated like royalty, wearing crowns and bridal garments. In lives marked by poverty and constant labor, this was a rare and precious joy. This was likely the wedding of a family member or close friend. Mary is there, Jesus is there, and His newly called disciples are there. And then the unthinkable happens.

John 2:3a “When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

Those five words in verse 3 represent far more than a catering problem. In Jewish culture, wine was essential to celebration. The rabbis said, “Without wine, there is no joy.” To run out of wine would bring deep embarrassment and lasting shame upon the bride and groom and their families. Mary brings the problem to Jesus. Not a theological crisis. Not a national emergency. Just a quiet, humiliating shortage.

I love the conversation between Jesus and Mary—we do not have much insight into their relationship.

John 1:4-5 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” We would love to have heard Jesus’ tone of voice here - it is utmost respect! Mary’s instruction is still good advice, by the way!

The heart of Jesus:

-He cares about ordinary lives and everyday struggles.

-He is interested in even our small concerns.

-Jesus understands what it is like to be a human.

-Your concerns matter to Him. Even the quiet ones.

This sign reveals the heart of Jesus, but also …

2. The First Sign Reveals the Power of Jesus

John 2:6–10 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them 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 realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he 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.”

The six large stone water jars each hold 20 to 30 gallons! Somewhere between the filling and the pouring, water becomes wine. Not cheap wine. Not barely adequate wine. But wine so good that the master of the banquet is astonished the best has been saved for last. In total, Jesus produces somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons of extraordinary wine. I read about a boy in Sunday School who said, “If you’re going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!”