Weddings are about love and abundance.  The deep love that a couple has for each other brings them to the altar to affirm before their family and friends the love they have, to make a public commitment and to receive the support, love and blessings of their friends.  Then the party begins and parties are always fun and, as we’ve already seen, should involve some wine!  We give presents to our friends at weddings showing how we love them, we eat, drink and are merry reflecting the abundance of love that is present and, for those of us who are Christian, we rejoice in God’s love which is showered upon the couple on their happy day. 

The Wedding at Cana

All these things would have been present at that wedding long ago in Cana.  Jesus, his mother and the disciples were there to celebrate and affirm the love of their friend – we never find out whose wedding it was – but it’s clear there was a problem with the organisation.  Jewish weddings in this era went on for days and the guests had to be entertained; wine, then and now, is clearly an essential part of the hospitality. 

To the modern reader the fact of having to perform a miracle to supply wine seems rather frivolous, but Jewish weddings in this era took a week and involved lots of people coming and going.  Arrangements would have been made months in advance – and loans of money needed so that food and wine could be purchased.  It seems unthinkable that anyone would run out of wine at a wedding!   It implies that the couple or their family had fallen out with their friends and relatives (or if they hadn’t yet they would do with the lack of wine!)  We simply don’t know the answers to these issues but it does seem very strange that adequate provision hadn’t been made.

Someone must have told Mary of the problem and she knew what to do – she pointed people towards Jesus.

Do Whatever He Tells You

This is the first recorded miracle of Jesus in John’s gospel, interestingly the first is a wedding and the last is at a funeral – the raising of Lazarus.  We sense that Jesus is a little reluctant to get involved – maybe he knew what the problem was with the wine and, if it was due to a neighbourhood dispute, didn’t want to get involved.  “Why do you involve me, my time has not yet come” he asks.  However, he’s a good Jewish boy and his mother simply looks at the servants and tells them to do whatever Jesus commands and so they fill the jars.

A house would only have had one stone jar for purification rites; the others would have been got especially for the wedding.  St John is telling us something with the reference to “six jars” as “six” is always a sign of imperfection – just falling short of perfection represented by the number seven in Jewish thought.  Maybe the writer is making a point about the unreadiness of the host (things weren’t quite perfect), maybe he is making a deeper point about the Jewish faith which he saw as being incomplete without Jesus or maybe there were just 6 stone jars!

When Jesus performs the miracle he does so with some gusto.  The abundance of the wine is shown (the jars were filled to the brim) and more wine that could have been used is provided.  All this shows the abundance of Jesus’ provision and is a reflection of God’s abundant provision for us. 

Jesus’ action both saves the honour of his host and enhances it – “you’ve saved the best wine until last”.    Finally John makes the point that the disciples know what’s happened and this “sign” or miracle confirms and increases their faith.

Lessons for Us

There are, I think, two lessons for us in this miracle of Jesus.

The first is that we need to have Mary’s faith and “do whatever he tells you”.  Up until this point it seems that Jesus hadn’t been known as a miracle worker, Mary’s trust in him was well placed and she knew that he would help.  So often we struggle with things in our own strength and never take them to God.  Mary’s suggestion “do whatever he tells you” is as valid today for us as it was then for the servants.  Doing what Jesus tells us, however, does also involve spending time to listen to Jesus, being still in His presence, understanding the Gospels so we can work out what it is that he is telling us. 

Then there is the idea of God’s abundance.  Jesus gave more than was needed, the jars were full to overflowing with his provision.  There is a near constant Scriptural theme that our needs are more than provided for by God.  From the manna given to the people of Israel as they live Egypt to the loaves and the fishes shared out by Jesus there is the constant revelation in Scripture that God will meet our needs – and that God will use us to meet the needs of others.  This abundant generosity is our starting point for any thinking or reflection we do on how we use our money and how we give.  God gave generously and our own response to that should also to be generous in our own giving.  We give as a reflection of God’s gracious generosity to us. 

And So

God reveals his glory in the unlikeliest of places — in a stable at Bethlehem, at a wedding party in Cana, in a muddy Jordan river, and on a bloody cross on Golgatha.  Jesus' first public miracle (his first sign) was performed at the insistence of his mother.  

Jesus’ miraculous production of 120 gallons of the best wine (many times more than needed) shows the superabundance of the blessings which he came to offer.   

This miracle signifies the new rich wine of the Gospel and it points to the “wine of the new covenant” and the “bread of life” which Jesus provides for his disciples in the in Holy Communion.  

It also points to the great banquet which Jesus will provide at the end of time.  The miracles of Jesus demonstrate the power of God's love and mercy for his people. God's kindness knows no limits.

(Rev Andy Braunston)