John 2:1-11 CSB
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus's mother was there, [2] and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. [3] When the wine ran out, Jesus's mother told him, "They don't have any wine." [4] "What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?" Jesus asked. "My hour has not yet come." [5] "Do whatever he tells you," his mother told the servants. [6] Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons. [7] "Fill the jars with water," Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. [8] Then he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter." And they did. [9] When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from-though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom [10] and told him, "Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now." [11] Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
Water into Wine
Weddings are wonderful celebrations where two people unite as one, surrounded by singing, dancing, and overflowing joy. I grew up in a rural area where festivities were held in a simple community building. I can still see the music coming to life and the children mimicking the adults, holding hands as they earnestly tried to dance—sometimes tumbling down with a grin while the room erupted in laughter. When I picture the wedding at Cana, this is the warmth I imagine, though their custom was much longer, lasting five to seven days.
Suddenly, a moment of deep embarrassment loomed for the couple and their families. No one had anticipated how quickly the joy, the crowd, or the wine would be exhausted. The celebration was about to be cut short.
This crisis revealed Jesus’ compassion for our everyday needs. Mary, knowing her son was the Messiah and remembering Gabriel’s promise that He would reign over the house of Jacob, turned to Him for help. While His address to her as “woman” might sound harsh to modern ears, in that culture, it was a term of deep affection. Yet His next words were striking: “My hour has not yet come.” Many believe He was pointing toward the ultimate gift He would offer on the cross. Before He was lifted up, He would break bread and pass a cup to His disciples, saying, “This is my blood.” In asking for this miracle, Mary was unknowingly requesting the very element that would define Christian fellowship—the Eucharist—for centuries to come.
Jesus showed His love for both His mother and the guests by commanding the servants to act. They drew the liquid out of the jars and the transformation occurred. The headwaiter was stunned, remarking that while most serve the best wine first, this host had “kept the fine wine until now.”
In many ways, we are like that water. Jesus takes our emptiness and brokenness and transforms us into something better—He brings us to fullness. Our loving Father supplies our needs with overflowing joy. While some at the wedding were blind to the miracle, continuing their singing and dancing without a second thought, the power of God broke through for those with eyes to see. They witnessed His authority over creation—the divine power that changed the very makeup of water into wine.
Reflection Questions
- When your “wine runs out”—when your joy or resources feel depleted—is your first instinct to go to Jesus as Mary did?
- Jesus used jars meant for “purification” to hold the new wine. How is Jesus transforming the “old” parts of your life into something new and full of life?
- Some people at the wedding missed the miracle entirely. What “miracles of provision” has God placed in your life recently that you might be overlooking in the busyness of life?
Prayer
Father,
Thank You for being a God of abundance and joy. We thank You that You care about the small things in our lives, even the things that might embarrass us. We ask that You take our “water”—our plain, everyday lives—and transform them into “fine wine” for Your glory. Help us to be like the servants, simply doing whatever You tell us to do, so that we might witness Your power breaking through.
Amen.
