City Life Starter

Written by Stefan Johnsson

The Word

On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. ³ When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”

⁴ “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”

⁵ “Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.

⁶ Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.

⁷ “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. ⁸ Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.

⁹ When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom ¹⁰ and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”

¹¹ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

John 2:1-11 (CSB)

Reflection

Some years ago, I was going through the Gospel of John with a person who was seeking God. As we came to this passage in John, the inevitable discussion centered around why Jesus would change water into an alcoholic beverage. What do we make of this?

I gave him two main points to have him think about. The first is that Jesus did not come to this earth to seek His own personal glory. He came on a mission to save us as a humble servant and to glorify the Father above. When it came to this miracle, Jesus did not take the glory for what was done and did not show off in front of the entire wedding crowd. He did not bring shame to the bridegroom, but instead saved him from public humiliation. The bridegroom probably had no idea where the new wine came from and Jesus had no reason to take the glory for Himself. Jesus covered the shame that the bridegroom would have gotten for running out of wine. And if we fast forward to the end of Jesus’ life, we see how He covered the shame of sin for all of us when He died on the cross.

The second point that I shared with my friend was from what John wrote in verse 10 when the master of the feast asked why the good wine was kept until now. I believe this was a perfect metaphor for the coming of Jesus, how He was the fulfillment of the old covenant and the beginning of the new.

For the Israelites, they were given only a taste of God’s goodness (the poor wine) through the Mosaic laws handed down over the generations. It was only supposed to be a sign and a foreshadowing to what Jesus was going to do later on.

So here comes Jesus, the new and perfect wine which was kept for the end of the celebration. The good wine has come, and the poor wine of the past is no longer. It has run out, figuratively and literally speaking. Jesus used the stone jars for purification to put the wine in. It shows that the good wine (Jesus) will cleanse us from within and purify our hearts.

What a celebration, what a time to feast! Jesus, the perfect groom, has come to marry His bride, the Church. As we look at this miracle, let us remember that Jesus came as a servant to glorify His Father, cover our shame, and to purify us from all sin through his sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. This miracle helps us understand this basic concept and gives us an understanding for why it was included.

Application

Many jokes are made about how Jesus turned water into wine without us ever understanding its implications. Take the time this week to read these passages again and really seek to understand how this miracle foresaw what Jesus came to do. Look for the meaning behind the words as John wrote them for us to truly get to know our Savior and Lord.

Just like Jesus came to bring the new wine to this world, so He came to cleanse us of sin. Thank God today for what He came to do and praise Him.

Prayer

Thank You, Father, for all that You came to do and by sending Your Son Jesus to this earth. You saved me from certain death and cleansed me through the blood of Christ. I do not require laws to follow You, for it is Your grace and Your wine that purifies me. I praise You for all that You have done and will continue to do. Thank You, my Savior and my Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.