John 2:1-12 – On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 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 10 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.” 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. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.” It is commonly believed that this was the wedding of a family member of Mary and Jesus. When a family member got married, it was a family affair, everybody chipped in. It is very possible that Mary was a host of the wedding. There are many ideas about why Mary thought that asking Jesus to supernaturally help out was something she should do. Let’s look at a few. One, was that this was probably family and that Jesus should be willing to help out family. Hadn’t she raised Him to be a good Jewish boy? She knew His heart and how He loved people and had a desire to help. Another thing is that we know this was the start of His public ministry, but nothing says that He hadn’t supernaturally helped her privately in supernatural ways. Perhaps she already knew that He was fully able because He had blessed His mother privately? Everything we know about God, about His intrinsic nature, about His command to honor our parents, and about the great love that lived in Jesus seems to easily point that Jesus may have privately helped out His mother with supernatural blessings. Besides, Joseph may have already passed away. Doesn’t the Word tell us that we should take care of the widows and that one should take care of their own parents? (1 Timothy 5:3-16) How much more so should Jesus help His mother out who was also a host of the wedding?
Also many believe that Jesus was establishing the importance of biblical marriage in our relationships here on earth and as a symbol of our relationship with Him. (Ephesians 5:22-32)
There are more symbolisms which we can draw. The six water jars that were used were typical of Jewish ceremonial washing jars. They were used for washing of hands and to draw from for washing of utensils. These jars were part of Jewish ceremonial tradition. Jesus was using these jars to show that when their instituted traditions ran dry, when what was once useful had fulfilled its purpose and now that Jesus had come, it was time to move from living by law and tradition to living by the Spirit and Truth that Jesus brought as the teaching that He gave to the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:4-26) Especially note Vs 21-24 in which He notes the changing of times. Also see His statements of “You have heard it said” and “But I tell you” in verses Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-34, 38-39, etc.” He was telling them that He was bringing a greater understanding and way.
It was not that Jesus came to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17) An underlying understanding is that when your past ceremonies fail you, He has come to fulfill the Word of God to bless you. So the old ways must give way to the complete plan of God. The new way is Jesus. Jesus is not to be fitted into their understanding of the old ways. The true meaning of the commandments and instructions of God are to be found in Jesus Himself. Their understanding is an old wineskin that cannot contain the wine that is the Holy Spirit. In trying to put the Gospel into the Law the old wineskin will burst and what can be understood will run on the ground and not be of no value. Both the wine skin and the wine will be of no use. But if the Law is rediscovered through Jesus, through the Holy Spirit within which is a sign of new life through Jesus, then a fuller and richer knowledge of the Law and the Lord will be known. The Law leads us to Jesus and once we have kneeled to Jesus the Law will be found to be within us because the Holy Spirit is within us. Then we live out the Law not from servitude but through the freedom and love of God within. It is Him making us new that enables us to not strive to obey the Law, but to by nature of being a new creature we do the Law as it flows from our new nature given to us by the Holy Spirit within. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
So by the doing of the miracle the ceremonial jars served a purpose just as the Law had. Once the jars were filled to wash away the dirt of the world just as the Law was used to free us from the sin of the world. Jesus gave the jars new use. Jesus then put them to new use to give people the wine, here representative of the Holy Spirit. The jars once washed away dirt. But they had to be constantly refilled with water to fulfill their purpose. Jesus filled the jars with the wine, as He filled us with the wine that is the Holy Spirit. Once received, we don’t have to be refilled. (John 4:13-14) If anything, we are now vessels to pour forth to Holy Spirit to others. The Spirit continually fills us to overflow as we overflow on to others. Beautiful! We are free from the Law by the Spirit of God who makes us new that we fulfill and understand the Law as men could not before.
This miracle was no simple miracle to help out in a social situation to avoid embarrassment, though that it did. It, like everything Jesus did was so much deeper, so much richer, so very much more beautiful. In considering how great our God is, let us bow lower to Him who is so much higher in every way. Praise our good and loving God! Praise God! His Word and His ways are amazing. Praise God!
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.