When Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, he was doing more than helping out a party that had run dry.

Historical and Theological Background

At a Jewish wedding in the first century, the wine was the groom’s responsibility. One New Testament scholar wrote, “Weddings lasted seven days, and hosts invited as many people as possible, especially distinguished guests like prominent teachers…To run out of wine at a wedding was a social faux pas that would become the subject of jests for years; the host was responsible for providing his guests with adequate wine for seven days.”1

Summary: This is an epic fail from the groom. He sorely undershot the needs of the feast. So, when Jesus provides an abundance of wine (roughly 1,000 bottles), he did help this groom save face and avoid a social disaster—but something deeper happened, too.

It’s important to feel the gravity of this miracle. As D.A. Carson points out, “Jesus’ miracles are never simply naked displays of power, still less neat conjuring tricks to impress the masses, but signs, significant displays of power that point beyond themselves to the deeper realities that could be perceived with the eyes of faith.”2 The apostle John shows us with his comments at the end of the account:

John 2:11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee,

and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

These words should cause us to ask three questions about Jesus’s miracle:

• What glory was manifested?
• Why did this cause the disciples to believe in Jesus?
• What did the disciples believe about Jesus?

There is a shared answer to all three.

A unique message was revealed and fulfilled at this wedding, one the entire Old Testament has been building toward—Jesus is the true Bridegroom, Messiah, Savior of God’s people. Thousands of years of history and theology converged in these stone jars as Jesus instructed them to be filled with water. These “purification jars” were now filled with a new wine, a better wine—a foreshadowing of how we sinners can only be cleansed by the wine/blood Christ will give. But there is still more to see here in Cana.

When Jesus stepped in and provided what the unnamed groom failed to do, Jesus was manifesting his glory as the prophesied Bridegroom of God’s people.

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