The Wedding Sign
John 2:1-11
Jesus was not a recluse and He was not a hermit like his cousin, John the Baptist. He is often seen accepting invitations to social engagements such as eating at someone’s house, He attended synagogue on a regular basis, and He was always “out and about.”
One of the happiest occasions in that day, and this, was a wedding. Marriage is ordained by God in the Garden of Eden, and sanctioned by Jesus, Gen. 2:24,25.
Jesus and the first five disciples He called are invited to a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee. Mary was also invited and was probably serving on the kitchen committee. (Most likely, Joseph had died by this time or else he would have been there also.)
1st Century Weddings...were usually in the fall of the year after the crops were harvested, so there would be money to pay for it, the people were generally more free to attend not having to work in the fields, and the celebration usually lasted one week.
The groom would have to pay a “bride fee” to compensate the family for the loss of labor they would incur. The groom and/or his parents would pay for all the wedding costs. The bride would bring a “dowry” to help set up housekeeping.
The engagement would usually last one year during which time the bridegroom would secure and furnish their home.
Then, when everything was ready the groom would walk to the bride’s home, take her to the place he had already prepared amid great fanfare of music, dancing, etc. It was a time of great celebration.
Of all the gospel writer’s, only John records this miracles and it is puzzling and even troubling to some peopleJohn says this was Jesus’ first miracle and in it He turns water into wine. Not grape juice, not unfermented wine (which doesn’t exist) but wine which if you drank enough of it one could get drunk. This word for wine is the same word used by Paul in Eph. 5:18. The point is that the Bible condemns drunkeness and the abuse, but not the responsible use, of alcohol in no uncertain terms.
Why would John include this miracle and embarrass Southern Baptists like that? I’ve heard all kinds of theological side stepping around this text, but it is what it is,...we need to let the Bible say what it says and find the deeper meaning and application.
ILLUS...The story was told of an international conference of Baptists who were meeting somewhere in Europe. The German Baptists sat across the table from the American Baptists and after dinner the American Baptist delegation decided to light up, and the German Baptists were so shocked they spilled their beer!
To run out of wine was a great big embarrassment and could be very costly for the groom.
Invited guests also invested time and money for gifts and travel (in a day when travel was slow and hard) to get there, and they expected to be treated right.
Archaeologists have found records of guests suing hosts because they didn’t receive the hospitality they thought they deserved.
Running out of food or wine made the groom look like a poor planner or a cheapskate. If he couldn’t plan a wedding how could he be expected to be the head of a household?
John records only eight miracles in his gospel, but he does not call them miracles, he uses the word “signs.” A sign, as John used the word, is something that gets our attention, gives an order or information, and directs us to something greater than itself.
Just as a STOP sign is just metal and paint, but represents state and'or federal law,...it points us to the law of the land which is greater than the sign itself.
Mary took the problem to Jesus, then she gave her only piece of advice recorded in the New Testament, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
That’s when Jesus then said for them to fill up the six water pots with water. Then when they drew out the water it had miraculously turned to the finest wine. The Creator suspended the laws of physics, and did immediately what normally took weeks. Jesus has the Creator’s power.
Presumably, this was a “private” miracle, there is no indication that the crowd at large ever knew that this wine was produced by a miracle. The reason for the sign is given in v. 11,
1. To manifest His glory
2. So that His disciples would believe on Him
Many years prior the prophets had said that when Messiah came, wine would flow like water, Amos 9:13.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overcome the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
This was Jesus’ first sign, and it would start the clock on the countdown to the cross. But as we said earlier, this is a sign which points to something more important than providing wine for a wedding.
Matt. 26:28,29...At the last Passover Jesus would observe with His disciples He said that this would be the last time He would wine with them until He drank it new with them in Heaven.
Now Jesus is talking about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Rev. 19:7-9.
One of the happiest occasions in that day, and this, was a wedding. Marriage is ordained by God in the Garden of Eden, and sanctioned by Jesus, Gen. 2:24,25.
Jesus and the first five disciples He called are invited to a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee. Mary was also invited and was probably serving on the kitchen committee. (Most likely, Joseph had died by this time or else he would have been there also.)
1st Century Weddings...were usually in the fall of the year after the crops were harvested, so there would be money to pay for it, the people were generally more free to attend not having to work in the fields, and the celebration usually lasted one week.
The groom would have to pay a “bride fee” to compensate the family for the loss of labor they would incur. The groom and/or his parents would pay for all the wedding costs. The bride would bring a “dowry” to help set up housekeeping.
The engagement would usually last one year during which time the bridegroom would secure and furnish their home.
Then, when everything was ready the groom would walk to the bride’s home, take her to the place he had already prepared amid great fanfare of music, dancing, etc. It was a time of great celebration.
Of all the gospel writer’s, only John records this miracles and it is puzzling and even troubling to some peopleJohn says this was Jesus’ first miracle and in it He turns water into wine. Not grape juice, not unfermented wine (which doesn’t exist) but wine which if you drank enough of it one could get drunk. This word for wine is the same word used by Paul in Eph. 5:18. The point is that the Bible condemns drunkeness and the abuse, but not the responsible use, of alcohol in no uncertain terms.
Why would John include this miracle and embarrass Southern Baptists like that? I’ve heard all kinds of theological side stepping around this text, but it is what it is,...we need to let the Bible say what it says and find the deeper meaning and application.
ILLUS...The story was told of an international conference of Baptists who were meeting somewhere in Europe. The German Baptists sat across the table from the American Baptists and after dinner the American Baptist delegation decided to light up, and the German Baptists were so shocked they spilled their beer!
To run out of wine was a great big embarrassment and could be very costly for the groom.
Invited guests also invested time and money for gifts and travel (in a day when travel was slow and hard) to get there, and they expected to be treated right.
Archaeologists have found records of guests suing hosts because they didn’t receive the hospitality they thought they deserved.
Running out of food or wine made the groom look like a poor planner or a cheapskate. If he couldn’t plan a wedding how could he be expected to be the head of a household?
John records only eight miracles in his gospel, but he does not call them miracles, he uses the word “signs.” A sign, as John used the word, is something that gets our attention, gives an order or information, and directs us to something greater than itself.
Just as a STOP sign is just metal and paint, but represents state and'or federal law,...it points us to the law of the land which is greater than the sign itself.
Mary took the problem to Jesus, then she gave her only piece of advice recorded in the New Testament, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
That’s when Jesus then said for them to fill up the six water pots with water. Then when they drew out the water it had miraculously turned to the finest wine. The Creator suspended the laws of physics, and did immediately what normally took weeks. Jesus has the Creator’s power.
Presumably, this was a “private” miracle, there is no indication that the crowd at large ever knew that this wine was produced by a miracle. The reason for the sign is given in v. 11,
1. To manifest His glory
2. So that His disciples would believe on Him
Many years prior the prophets had said that when Messiah came, wine would flow like water, Amos 9:13.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overcome the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
This was Jesus’ first sign, and it would start the clock on the countdown to the cross. But as we said earlier, this is a sign which points to something more important than providing wine for a wedding.
Matt. 26:28,29...At the last Passover Jesus would observe with His disciples He said that this would be the last time He would wine with them until He drank it new with them in Heaven.
Now Jesus is talking about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Rev. 19:7-9.
The miracle at the wedding in Cana was just a sign pointing us to something bigger and better, the Marriage Supper of the Lam of God. As the church, we are the bride of Christ. We are now in the betrothal stage and Jesus is preparing that home for us in Heaven, Jn. 14:2,3.
One day the bridegroom will return to claim His bride (the Church) take us all home to be with Him, and when He does we will sit down at the Marriage Super of the Lamb where Christ Himself will serve us!
Just as the ruler of the feast noted,... It’s just like God to save the best for last.
Jesus and grace are much better than Moses and the law;
Heaven is better than life on earth;
And Beulah beats Canaan!
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