A Wedding at Cana
The second chapter of John's Gospel begins with Jesus and his disciples attending a wedding in Cana. Jesus' mother was there, too. I'm not sure how big Cana was, but today the city is Kafr Kanna, an Arab city in Galilee with a population of 17,600.
In this familiar story, Jesus performs the first of seven signs, or miracles, in John's Gospel. It may seem a bit strange that the first one takes place at a wedding in a small Galilean town and doesn't involve a healing or evil spirit being cast out. In this sign, Jesus changes water into wine so the wedding feast can go on.
Interesting too, is how Jesus was brought into the situation. The wine ran out, and Jesus mother came to him and simply said, "They have no more wine." Jesus replies in a rather startling way; he addresses his mother as "Woman" or as some translations out it "Dear Woman." He goes on to say, "Why do you involve me. My time has not yet come." Undeterred, Mary tells the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Already in John's Gospel, Jesus has looked into the hearts of others. He looked intently at Simon when Andrew brought him to Jesus, and changed his name to Cephas - the rock. Likewise, Jesus recognized that Nathaniel was genuine, real and true. Jesus sees the hearts of everyone. This account tells us something about Mary as well. She knows her boy - even though he said it is not yet his time, she has faith that he will do something. What great instructions from Jesus mother, "Do whatever he tells you." - be obedient to Jesus.
The vessels used in the miracle are six large stoneware jars, each holding 20 or 30 gallons. These were not wine vessels, they were used to hold water for purification rites. When filled with water and then changed to wine by Jesus, they yielded 120 to 180 gallons of wine. And not just any wine, the wine steward declared the best wine of the evening. Would we expect anything less? Jesus offer us the best! The amount is significant too. Not j ust a little wine, but lots of wine! There will be more than enough, certainly more wine than can be consumed by the wedding guests. In the "Word became Flesh" prologue in John 1, verse 16 reads: For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. Not just grace, but grace upon grace - limitless grace!
Jesus used water and some stoneware jars to display His glory - the Glory of his Father. He does the same with us. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul writes, But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are those jars of clay - easily broken and cracked, but we have this treasure. Like the purification jars filled with water, we are filled with Living Water - the Holy Spirit. Like the water at the wedding in Cana, we too are transformed by the Holy Spirit. And it all starts with "Do whatever He tells you!"
