This first sign of John’s Gospel is more than a story of God’s abundant provision; it is a microcosm of the rest of Jesus’ ministry. As the fruitful vine and the faithful bridegroom, Jesus did that which we could never do to not only bring us back into fellowship with Him again, but ultimately to provide us with a seat at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The One who turned water into wine drank the cup of His Father’s wrath to make our cup overflow with the new wine of the gospel.

Have you ever secretly thought that Jesus’ first miracle is a bit of a letdown? The audience is small, the master of the feast does not even know something supernatural has taken place, and it seems the main takeaway from the guests is the quality of wine. Many people fixate on ancillary details of this miracle— the way Jesus speaks to His mother, the alcoholic nature of the wine— and it’s easy to miss the glory wrapped up in this passage as Jesus bursts onto the scene as the initiator of the new covenant.

To understand the overlapping symbolism of this miracle, we have to start not with the empty cups of wine at Cana, but with the shriveled vine of Israel. Israel had long been disobedient and rebellious against the covenant commands of the Lord. Because of their covenant unfaithfulness, the Lord once said to Isaiah, “I will make [my vineyard] a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”^[1] Israel was not thriving. The wine of God’s blessing and favor had run out.

Israel was also many times portrayed as a bride who is beloved by her husband, but unfaithful to Him. The Lord continually calls her back, pleading with her to reject the idolatry of the other nations and return to covenant faithfulness, yet she continues in her adulterous ways (Jeremiah 31:32). The pattern of harlotry continued for years, and resulted in Israel’s captivity by pagan nations, including the occupation by the Romans in Jesus’ lifetime. Despite their sin, Yahweh promises that one day, “You shall no more be termed Forsaken….as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:4-5).

So the stage is set with Israel, an adulterous bride whose wine has run out, with no other hope than the promised Messiah. This is more than a social disaster, it’s a spiritual crisis. It is against this backdrop that Jesus attends a wedding with His disciples. John makes the point to observe that this miracle occurs on the third day.

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