VERSE5
Mary is satisfied Jesus will do what is best and so submits to Him
and tells the servants to do the same. She understands his need to
time things right and is content to leave him in control of the
decision. She is no control freak who has to have it her way. She can
let go and let God. Barclay writes, "Even when Mary did not
understand what Jesus was going to do, even when it seemed that
He had refused her request, Mary still believed in Him so much that
she turned to the serving folk and told them to do what ever Jesus
told them to do. Mary had the faith, which could trust even when it
did not understand. She did not know what Jesus was going to do,
but she was quite sure that He would do the right thing."
Mary did not read into what Jesus said, a no, forget it, I won't help,
but rather, give me time to figure it out. She said, fine, you guys do
what He says when He comes up with a solution.
John E. Large writes, "Among all the words ever recorded the
whole human history of the worlds literature, can you conceive of a
wiser command or of a lovelier valedictory?"
Obedience is a key idea here. The miracle took place in an
environment of complete obedience to the will of Jesus. Obedience
is a key subject all through the Bible.
We see here PERFECT OBEDIENCE-WHAT EVER
PRACTICAL OBEDIENCE-DO
PERSONAL OBEDIENCE-HE TELLS YOU
Whatsoever He bids you, do it,
Though you may not understand:
Yield to Him complete obedience,
Then you'll see His mighty hand;
"Fill the water pots with water,"
Fill them to the very brim;
He will honor all your trusting-
Leave the miracle to Him!
Oh, ye Christians, learn the lesson!
Are you struggling all the way?
Cease your trying, change to trusting;
Then you'll triumph every day!
"Whatsoever He bids you, do it,"
Fill the water pots to brim;
But remember, 'tis His battle-
Leave the miracle to Him!
Thomas Allan
The forces of nature obeyed Jesus:
At Cana first His power is shown
His might the blushing waters own
And, changing as He speaks the word,
Flow wine, obedient to their Lord.
The servants would not see how filling these jars with water was
relevant to the need. Everyone had already washed and that is why
they were empty. Why do the irrelevant? All they had to do was
obey Jesus and it would become clear that there was a purpose.
Just do your best and let Him do the rest. Jesus could have done it
without their help, but He always likes to have some human
cooperation in all of His miracles. Jesus does not expect men to do
miracles, but He does expect them to do what they can do, such as
filling water pots.
When man's resources run out and come to an end the story is
never over. Jesus can step in and supply what man cannot. The
law could get man just so far, but only grace could get him into the
abundant life. Water can only become wine by the grace of God:
law can never do it.
VERSE6
Lloyd C. Douglas, author of the Robe, wrote an earlier book called
Those Disturbing Miracles. In it he wrote, "Surely he is a very
unfortunate reader of this epic who gets himself so distracted by all
those stone water pots that he misses the real and only point at
issue, which is the simple fact that Jesus bears a transforming
power, that He turns water into wine, frowns into smiles, whispers
of fear into anthems of hope, deserts into gardens, and sin-blistered
souls into valorous saints by the catalyzing alchemy of a selfless
love."
We read in Mark 7:3, "The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat
unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the
tradition of the elders." These six jars would hold anywhere from
120 to 180 gallons. This does not mean that Jesus made all of the
water in these jars into wine. Some feel that as the smaller vessel
was dipped into one of these jars it was changed to wine. Some feel
it was only the vessel dipped into the well after the jars were filled
that was turned to wine. The fact is nobody knows how much wine
was created.
VERSE8
Draw out now=a debatable image. Did they draw out of the 6
water pots or out of the well? If out of the well then it was only the
wine in their small containers that was turned into wine. This
would mean a very limited amount of wine. If out of the water pots
it could mean Jesus changed all the water into wine in those six pots
and this would be an enormous amount of wine. Most believe the
wine was made just for that occasion to fill a need near the end of
the celebration and that there was no need for an enormous
amount.
VERSE9
The ruler of the feast=not the master of ceremonies but the man in
charge of the arrangement of the room and the food and drink. He
was the wine steward or the hear waiter. He was responsible for
tasting the wine.
Jesus could have made wine out of nothing, but He chose to change
the lower to the higher. He takes what is and lifts it to what it can
be. He takes the lowly life and transforms it into a higher life.
The master of the banquet did not know there was a problem being
solved. The guests did not know there was a problem. If everybody
knew Jesus did a miracle to supply wine the bride and groom would
still be embarrassed which would defeat the purpose of the miracle.
VERSE10
Drunk freely=Turner says the word here means to become
intoxicated. They are now less alert to taste and so can take watered
down wine and not notice is the point.
Barclay writes that he probably spoke in jest saying, "most people
served the good wine first; and then, when the guests have drunk a
good deal, and when their palates are dulled and when they are not
in much of a condition to appreciate what they are drinking, they
serve the inferior wine, but you have kept the best until now."
Barclay writes again, "Every story John tells us, not of something
Jesus did once and never did again, but of something Jesus is
forever and eternally doing. ...........and what John wants us to see
here is not that Jesus once on a day turned some water pots of water
into wine; he wants us to see that whenever Jesus comes into life,
there comes a new quality which it like turning water into wine." Quesnel
writes, "God gave at first the old wine of the law, without
strength, spirit or taste; and in the fullness of time He gave the new
wine, of a strong and powerful taste, which enables us to fulfill the
law, which inebriates the heart in a holy manner..."
Dear Friend! whose presence in the house
Whose gracious word benign,
Could once, at Cana's wedding-feast
Change water into wine.
Come, visit us, and when dull work
Grows weary, line on line,
Revive our souls, and make us see
Life's water glow as wine.
Gay mirth shall deepen into joy,
Earth's hopes shall grow divine,
When Jesus visits us, to turn
Life's water into wine.
Transforming the commonplace into the glorious is the work Jesus
loves to do. He takes moral waste and turns it into moral wealth,
says Clovis Chappell. Luther Burbank said every weed is a
potential flower and he proved it by turning many weeds into
flowers. He made the cactus bloom. It is a godly work to take the
commonplace and glorify it. Jesus took the churches greatest
menace-Saul, and turned him into the churches greatest
missionary-Paul.
THE WORST FOR THE LAST:
There is a certain amount of social deception in all of life, and here
is a case of economy and planning so as to use even the poor quality
wine. If it is done at the right time nobody will notice. You hide the poor
to give the impression there is no poor. Any good host wants
to make a good impression. The problem is this is the world's
system. It offers a lot of fun at the beginning and does not tell you
of the worst for last. In contrast Jesus may call you to take up the
cross at the beginning but He offers the best for the last. John
Bunyan in Pilgrims Progress has Christian go through great trial,
but at last he comes to the land of eternal bliss and cries out, "O
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus thou hast indeed kept the best wine until now."
Satan has the worst at last, but the Savior has the best.
Quality is important to our Lord. He does not make the good, or the
better only, but He makes the best.
Such is thy banquet, dearest Lord;
O give us grace, to cast
Our lot with Thine, to trust Thy word,
And keep our best till last.
John Keble
The Pulpit Commentary says, "It is a Christian act to increase the
innocent pleasures of the world. Where the cup of gladness is not
full, Jesus will fill it. The good of this miracle is made manifest as
one considers what an effectual protest it is against those who
would make religion the necessary enemy of deep-rooted social
customs."
The Pulpit Commentary says, "God's grace is progressively
revealed in the individual experience of Christians. The longer
Jesus is known, the more are His benefits realized, and the more He
is valued."
VERSE11
FIRST
F.W. Robertson writes, "This was the "beginning of miracles" which
Jesus did, and yet He was now 30 years of age. For 30 years
He had done no miracle; and that is in itself almost worthy to be
called a miracle. That He abstained for 30 years from the
expression of His wonder-working power is as marvelous as that He
possessed for 3 years the power to exert. He was content to live
long in deep obscurity.................................He could bide His time.
He had the strength to wait." "In all the
works of God there is a conspicuous absence of haste and hurry."
SIGN
It leads the spectator's eye off from the deed to the doer. The signs
point to Jesus .We are not to get so into the sign that we forget the
one to whom it points.
Barclay writes, "To John miracles were the signs of the love of God.
In any miracle, then, there are three things. There is the wonder,
which leaves men dazzled, astonished, aghast. There is the power,
which is effective, which can deal with and mend a broken body,
and unhinged mind, a bruised heart, a power, which can do things.
There is the sign which tells of the love in the heart of God who does
such things for men."
Manifested his glory=(doxa) It occurs twenty times in John's
Gospel. The verb to glorify is used 22 times, more than any other
Gospel. This sign was to glorify Jesus, and that means to make him
honorable in our sight. Origen, the church father says the main
significance of this miracle is in its symbolizing that to the Christian
Jesus is the source of joy.
Barclay writes, " it was in sympathy, in kindness, in understanding
for simple folk that Jesus acted. Nearly everyone can do the big
thing on the big occasion; but it takes Jesus to do the big thing on a
simple, homely occasion like this. There is a kind of natural human
maliciousness which rather enjoys the misfortune of others, and
which delights to make a good story of them over the teacups.
But Jesus, the Lord of all life, and the King of Glory, use His power to
save a simple Galilaean lad and lass from shame and humiliation.
It is just by such deeds of understanding, simple kindliness that we
too can show that we are followers of Jesus Christ."
It is the glory of anything to be true to its nature. There is the glory
of the Sun and the glory of the moon and the glory of the stars.
Each is glorious as they are true to their nature. Jesus is glorified by
being true to His nature. He is a caring, loving Savior who will do
what He can in any situation to add to the joy of life. It is His nature
to do so. We see in the next passage that it was also His nature to
reject and resist injustice and do what he could to prevent it. He
was glorified in anger as well as in this positive miracle. F. W.
Robertson says it was also His glory to sanctify all things natural
and all natural relationships.
Glory Of The Common
Glory In His Concern
Glory In His Control.
The Pulpit Commentary says, "Does it seem to the reader of this
simple narrative that this language is somewhat strained-is pitched
rather to high? And obscure village, a homely festival, a peasant's
party;-are these suggestive of, harmonious with, this great word
"glory"? Ah! let us not be deceived by outward appearances; but
rather remember that, as the world judges, there was no glory in
Jesus anymore than in His surroundings, His associates."
Beginnings are important for they contain the seed of all that is to
follow. You can see some of the future by looking at the beginning.
The Gospel is good news and so from the very beginning Jesus does
what is good and joy producing. Jesus has some terrible things to
say about judgement and hell, but these things were said to those
who rejected his good news. They were not his message but rather
the consequence of not receiving his message. They are valid truths
of Jesus but they are not his Gospel. Jesus wins the lost with good
news of salvation and only gives the negative warnings to those who
will not receive the good news.
His disciples put their faith in Him. This was really very much a
secret miracle. Nobody said, "Listen everybody, for your
entertainment and pleasure Jesus is going to turn water into wine.
It was a secret sign to the disciples and not to the crowd of wedding
guests.
Jesus was not a showman or opportunist who used His miracles like
magic to make money or draw crowds for entertainment. The
Apocryphal gospels have Jesus all sorts of things like making clay
birds and then making them fly away, or lengthening boards that
were too short as a carpenter. Jesus used miracles only for the
benefit of others and to be signs of His deity.
Faith can grow. It is like all living things. Give it more evidence and
it gets stronger. The disciples did not start with a full-grown faith
and neither do we. Our faith is to see and hear more and more of
what Jesus can do and get stronger and stronger. Faith is
progressive and gets stronger as revelation progresses. The
disciples were fairly new in their faith and this first miracle gave
them strong confirmation they were truly following the Messiah.
They were not just impressed with the gift but with the Giver.
I will end this message with a poem I wrote about this first miracle.
A WEDDING TOOK PLACE THE THIRD DAY,
IN CANA OF GALILEE.
MARY WAS THERE AS A MAINSTAY,
JESUS JOINED THIS GAIETY.
HE AND HIS DISCIPLES WERE GUESTS,
SUDDENLY THE WINE WAS GONE;
MARY CAME MAKING A REQUEST
TO HELP THIS GREAT FEAST GO ON.
SHE SAID, "THERE IS NOW NO MORE WINE."
HE REPLIED, "WHY INVOLVE ME?"
"DEAR WOMAN, ITS NOT MY DESIGN
TO REVEAL ALL THAT WILL BE."
HE SAID, "MY TIME HAS NOT YET COME."
THEN SHE DID THIS PLAN PURSUE.
HER ORDER WAS NOT BURDENSOME.
"DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU."
THERE STOOD SIX WATER JARS OF STONE,
USED FOR WASHING BY THE JEWS.
THEIR CLEANSING WAS A CORNERSTONE,
FROM THESE GALLONS THEY COULD CHOOSE.
JESUS SAID UNTO THE SERVANTS,
"FILL THESE JARS UP TO THE BRIM.
THEN DRAW SOME OUT AS OBSERVANTS.."
THEY COMPLETELY OBEYED HIM.
TAKE TO MASTER OF THE BANQUET
THEY OBEYED AND THEY DID SO.
HE TASTING SAID, "I MUST ADMIT,
WHERE THIS CAME FROM I DON'T KNOW.
THEN HE CALLED THE BRIDEGROOM ASIDE
SAYING, " MOST GIVE THE BEST FIRST,
BUT THIS CHOICE WINE YOU CHOSE TO HIDE
UNTIL GUESTS HAD QUENCHED THEIR THIRST.
"YOU HAVE SAVED THE BEST UNTIL LAST,
NOT THE USUAL WAY TO GO."
JESUS BY THIS BREAK FROM HIS PAST
DID HIS SECRET GLORY SHOW.
THIS WAS HIS FIRST MIRACLE SIGN.
HIS GLORY WAS THUS REVEALED.
THIS TURNING WATER INTO WINE,
HIS DISCIPLES FAITH CONGEALED
