The first miracle performed by the Lord Jesus Christ is unique. In many ways it stands in contrast to His other miracles. It certainly causes problems for those who maintain that drinking alcoholic beverages is forbidden to the Christian. Jesus didn't change the water into Welch's grape juice! As we look at the other miracles performed by our Savior, we see that they are divine interventions in crisis situations. The sick are restored to health and the dead are raised to life. He opens blind eyes and deaf ears. He unlocks silent tongues. He causes the lame to walk. He multiplies a few loaves of bread and a handful of fish to feed a multitude. Jesus' miracles are a matter of life over death, wholeness over brokenness, health over sickness, satisfaction over starvation. By comparison, changing water into wine seems almost frivolous. What is Jesus doing here? What does "this beginning of signs" as John calls it, point to?

To answer these questions, a little background on Jewish wedding practices in the first century might be helpful. Ancient Jewish weddings were not one-day affairs. They were extended celebrations that could go on for days. It was not uncommon for such weddings to last for a week. Wine was essential to the celebration. To run out of wine would be a shameful embarrassment. It would be like having the catering service run out of food before all the quests are served or having a DJ not show up for the wedding reception. Think of the disappointment and spoiled joy that would cause. In ancient Palestine, the groom was financially responsible for the wedding feast. There is some evidence to indicate that aggrieved relatives of the bride might even bring a lawsuit against the groom if the supply of wine failed. Talk about getting the marriage off to a good start!

Jesus and His disciples along with Mary were at this wedding. Mary comes to her son with an observation that really carries with it a request. She says, "They have no wine." Jesus responds "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." Jesus' words point Mary become the moment, beyond the need for wine to spare the groom embarrassment, to the purpose for His coming. Jesus speaks of how His "hour has not yet come." The "hour" that Jesus refers to is the "hour" of His death on the cross. We can see that from the rest of John's Gospel where Jesus makes it plain that He has come into this world for the "hour" of His crucifixion. This is His hour, the hour of His glory as He fulfills His destiny as the Son of God who suffers and dies for our salvation. That is why, as Jesus approaches the cross on the eve of His crucifixion, He opens His greatly high priestly prayer recorded in John 17 saying "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You."

Jesus' words show us that His own mother-the woman from whom He received His flesh and blood, the woman who nursed Him and cared for Him-has no inside track with Him. He is free from any agenda that human beings-even His mother-would lay upon Him. He will not be controlled or manipulated. He has come to do the will of the Father. He has come to be the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. He will allow nothing to get in the way of our redemption.

Mary is not put off by her Son's response. Her words show that she trust that He will do whatever it is that needs to be done. So she says to the servants "Whatever He says to you, do it." Whatever Jesus says, do it. His Word alone counts. Jesus directs the servants to the six big jars located nearby. These jars containing 20 to 30 gallons each were used for Jewish washing rituals, rites of purification. Some scholars suggest that these jars would have been used to contain water for traditional bridal bath of purification to be done on the wedding night. We ought not overlook the fact that there were six jars. Six is the number of incompleteness as it is one less than seven, the number of perfection and completeness. Even in this detail, the Lord Jesus will be made manifest as the one who completes and perfects all things. Six stone jars used for the ceremonies of the law will be filled no longer with ordinary water but with good wine, Messiah's wine.

The servants do as Jesus had commanded them. They dip into the newly filled jars and draw out wine instead of water. They take a goblet of that wine to the master of the feast for his approval. The master of the feast-a man who functioned both as the manger of the facilities and the master of ceremonies- was astonished at what he tasted. He knew that the high quality wine was to be served first and then, after the taste of the guests was dulled, the cheaper wine. "You are kept the good wine until now."

Those words of the master of the feast show us the point of our Lord's first miracle, "this beginning of signs" that Jesus did at Cana in Galilee. The Old Testament spoke of the coming of the Messiah as a time when new wine would flow unabated. Isaiah, for example, says "And in this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees" (Is.25:6). This sign points to the fact that the One who gives this gift of wine, the beverage of salvation, is here. "He manifested His glory," says John. That is, He "epiphanied" His glory. He put His glory on display as the One who comes in flesh and blood to give us salvation.

There are two other dimensions to this event in the life of our Lord that we ought not overlook. First, note the timing for this miracle. John says it happened on the "third day." The third day since what? The third day since John the Baptist had proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God. This "third day" of course points to another third day, the great third day of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Jesus predicts His own passion, death, and resurrection saying "For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And after the third day He will rise again" (Lk 18:33). After His resurrection, our Lord opens the Scriptures to His disciples saying to them "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day" (Lk 24:46). The miracle of water into wine points to THE THIRD DAY, the day of Jesus' resurrection-the day of the new creation, the Lord's Day.

Second, observe where Jesus does this miracle. He performs this miracle at a wedding feast. The imagery of the wedding feast is the imagery that God uses to describe heaven in the Book of Revelation. Christ is the heavenly bridegroom who joins Himself to His bride the church to bless her with His life forever.

"This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him." There would be more "signs" to come culminating in the great sign, the sign of Jesus' death and resurrection for us sinners. The glory of that salvation is still made manifest today as Jesus gives us something far greater than wine. He gives us the beverage of salvation, His own blood that cleanses us from our sins and carries into our mortal bodies life with the living God. He gives us His body as the pledge of life with Him forever. In the Lord's Supper we have something that far exceeds the festivities of the wedding at Cana. We have the foretaste of the heavenly feast for the Lamb is with in His flesh and blood and we behold His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus to life everlasting. Amen.