The Wedding at Cana

John 2 : 1 – 11

John 2 verse 1 – 11 (NIV 1984)

Weddings!

1:  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:  “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time 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 realise 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:  This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

The blending of two families around a couple in love who want to commit to a life of marital bliss – or

The stark realization that your child has married into a family of lunatics!

Socrates:

“By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you will become very happy; if you get a bad one you will become a philosopher and that is good for any man”

A cause of great celebration and rejoicing

Miraculous Signs!

In his gospel story John relates not only the the narrative of the ministry of Jesus but he tells us of seven signs or miracles that point towards the identity and glory of Jesus. This is the first of the signs.

Jesus and his disciples were invited along with his mother Mary.

It seems that quite soon the wine ran out which put the hosts in a very bad light socially. Now Mary somehow knew what was going on behind the scenes and told Jesus. He gently tried to ignore her but she instructed the servants to do as Jesus instructed.

Jesus noticed the six huge stone jars which held the water necessary for the ceremonial washing prior to the meal which was required by the Law of Moses. He told the servants to fill them to the brim and then draw from them and present the result of their labours to the master of ceremonies. Having tasted it he called over to the bridegroom, “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.”

What was the purpose of this sign?
Jn 2:11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

What other interpretations are there of this event?

  1. The water that was present in the stone jars because the Law of Moses dictated that it be there for ritual washing under the Old Covenant, was changed into the best possible wine of the New Covenant that Jesus would introduce by his shed blood on Calvary.

He thus revealed his glory,

  • We are reminded of the way in which John began his Gospel:

Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Jn 1:2 He was with God in the beginning.  Jn 1:3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.   Jn 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

Reflecting on these words

William Temple wrote, “ The modest water saw its God and blushed”.

He thus revealed his glory,

In the synoptic Gospels Jesus is reported to have told the following parable:

Here is Luke’s version

Lk 5:37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. Lk 5:38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

Jesus is saying that his message of salvation is a new and complete covenant. It has to be accepted in its entirety and completeness. It can’t be tagged on to our former lives which have to be left in the past.

So what is New about the New Covenant?

  • We have a New Covenant in Jesus Christ

1Co 11:25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour we have a new relationship with God, we become children of God and Citizens of his heavenly Kingdom

  • We become new creations

2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour we are changed by the work of the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Jesus.

  • We have a new Commandment to live by

Jn 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  Jn 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  

Here is an inclusive, corporate instruction to love each other with the sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated on the cross. We are all equally subject to this commandment and our obedience to it demonstrates to the world the love and grace of God within his people.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Help us as your children to demonstrate in our corporate lives the love and grace of our Heavenly Father ,through our faith in his Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit so that by revealing his glory many may come to put their faith in Jesus. Amen


Category: Sermons , The Bridge

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