Day Three: An Abundance Of Wine
Throughout the Gospel of John, there are seven signs found in his account of the life of Christ, the first of them being the miracle at a wedding in Cana. The primary purpose of this miracle is to point us to the true identity of Jesus.
As the story begins, we see Jesus and his family in attendance at this wedding. We’re not told what association Mary and Jesus had with the family, but Mary’s concern over the lack of wine reveals that she was likely more involved with the planning of the wedding than a simple attendee. Mary wanted the wedding to be a success, so when the wine ran out, she turned to the one person she knew could solve the problem: Her son.
Initially, Jesus seemed as if he did not intend to perform the miracle, saying, “My hour has not yet come.” This peculiar phrase is found a handful of times in the Gospel of John (see John 7:30, John 8:20, John 12:23 and 27, John 13:1, and John 17:1).
Jesus’ response could have been a correction to the motivation of his mother, who may have seen the lack of wine as an opportunity to launch Jesus’ ministry career. His firm rebuke is less a word against performing such an act, but more of a loving correction to his mother’s misguided intentions.
So, what happened in this miracle? Jesus commanded six large purification jars to be filled with water. Purification jars like these likely held between eight and nine gallons of water. This miracle involves a lot of wine—54 gallons worth!
This might seem a bit much, but Jesus was intentional with every detail of his ministry. At this moment, the abundance of wine was a clear sign that the messiah was among them. The prophet Amos, speaking of the Messianic Age, said, “Behold, the days are coming when…the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it (Amos 9:12–15).” The age of the savior would be marked by a deep and abiding joy, symbolized by an age of abundant wine.
There is another layer that we must reflect on before this story ends. Jesus had taken six large jars used for ritualistic purposes under the Old Covenant and converted them into jars teeming with a symbol of abundance and joy. Jesus Christ came, not to do away with the law, but to bring its full meaning and full potential into our reality.
The old ceremonies and rituals are being fulfilled by Christ, at a wedding feast of all places, for Jesus himself is the truer and greater groom who has come for his bride. In Christ, every true believer is united in a covenant, like that of marriage, that cannot be broken. The groom has arrived. Let Christ’s abundance flow!
As the story begins, we see Jesus and his family in attendance at this wedding. We’re not told what association Mary and Jesus had with the family, but Mary’s concern over the lack of wine reveals that she was likely more involved with the planning of the wedding than a simple attendee. Mary wanted the wedding to be a success, so when the wine ran out, she turned to the one person she knew could solve the problem: Her son.
Initially, Jesus seemed as if he did not intend to perform the miracle, saying, “My hour has not yet come.” This peculiar phrase is found a handful of times in the Gospel of John (see John 7:30, John 8:20, John 12:23 and 27, John 13:1, and John 17:1).
Jesus’ response could have been a correction to the motivation of his mother, who may have seen the lack of wine as an opportunity to launch Jesus’ ministry career. His firm rebuke is less a word against performing such an act, but more of a loving correction to his mother’s misguided intentions.
So, what happened in this miracle? Jesus commanded six large purification jars to be filled with water. Purification jars like these likely held between eight and nine gallons of water. This miracle involves a lot of wine—54 gallons worth!
This might seem a bit much, but Jesus was intentional with every detail of his ministry. At this moment, the abundance of wine was a clear sign that the messiah was among them. The prophet Amos, speaking of the Messianic Age, said, “Behold, the days are coming when…the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it (Amos 9:12–15).” The age of the savior would be marked by a deep and abiding joy, symbolized by an age of abundant wine.
There is another layer that we must reflect on before this story ends. Jesus had taken six large jars used for ritualistic purposes under the Old Covenant and converted them into jars teeming with a symbol of abundance and joy. Jesus Christ came, not to do away with the law, but to bring its full meaning and full potential into our reality.
The old ceremonies and rituals are being fulfilled by Christ, at a wedding feast of all places, for Jesus himself is the truer and greater groom who has come for his bride. In Christ, every true believer is united in a covenant, like that of marriage, that cannot be broken. The groom has arrived. Let Christ’s abundance flow!
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