Jesus Changes Water Into Wine
“1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’ 4 ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.’ 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’ 9 They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. 10 Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’ 11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days’”
John 2: 1-12.
Something went wrong at this wedding, and in many ways it was likely caused by Jesus who showed up with 5 disciples — John, Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and Andrew (see John 1: 40-44). Five unexpected guests could have contributed to the wine running out.
For a Jewish feast, wine was essential. “Without wine,” said the Rabbis, “there is no joy.” Any time, people ran out of wine or any other provisions was a problem, because hospitality in the middle east was so important — even sacred. Running out of wine at a wedding would have been a terrible humiliation for the bride and the bridegroom.
So Mary came to Jesus to tell him that He needed to intervene because they were running out of wine. Jesus’ reply makes Jesus sound very rude. He said: “Woman, my hour has not yet come” (verse 4). But Jesus has His own time and His own way of dealing with the situation. To address Mary as woman sounds to us very rough and abrupt. But it is the same word that Jesus used on the cross to address Mary as he left her to the care of John (John 19:26). So it was a title of respect.
But Mary was always confident of Jesus. So he told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do, and these words are so important to each of us. Every day of our life we need “to do whatever Jesus tells us to do.” These are among the most important words spoken in the bible.
So today I encourage you to bring to prayer your desire to do everything Jesus wants you to do — today.
Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments” John 14:15.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” James 1:22.
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you” Luke 6:46?
“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’” John 14:23.
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