Crisis to Celebration | John 2:1-11

INTRODUCTION

John has written his gospel for one purpose: John wants his readers to understand that Jesus is the Son of God (apologetic reason) and he also wants his readers to believe in Jesus (evangelistic reason).

John 20:31

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Chapter 1 – Verbal Testimony Of The Followers Of Jesus.

• John 1:1-18 – The testimony of John the Apostle regarding Jesus.
• John 1:19-35 -The testimony of John the Baptist.
• John 1:38:49 – Andrew, John, Peter, Philp, & Nathaniel testifying about Jesus.

Chapter 2 – Testimony Of The Words & Works Of Jesus.

• Public ministry of Jesus; Ch. 2-12
• Private ministry of Jesus; Ch. 13-17
• Death & Resurrection; Ch. 18-21

A supernatural miracle:

John 2:1-11

¹On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,²and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³When 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.” ⁵His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” ⁶Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. ⁷Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, ⁹and 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. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰and 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.” ¹¹What 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.

Jesus creates wine out of nothing. He is the creator God. The New Testament records around 34 specific miracles of Jesus. This is an unique miracle by which Jesus chose to inaugurate his ministry. Compared to all the rest it seems to have the least to do with any serious human need.

I am reminded of how John the Baptist on one occasion and at the end of his life was in prison for his testimony and for his prophetic witness against the king, king Herod for his illegitimate marriage to his brother’s wife, Herodias. John was having doubts about Jesus and he sent some of his messengers to Jesus to see if he really was after all the one who was promised to come.

Luke 7:22

²²So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

Those are the ones Jesus chose to highlight to John the Baptist.

This passage presents a peculiar irony with respect to the particulars of this miracle, Jesus turned water into wine.

1. The Party: Wedding Party.

John 2:1-2

¹On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,²and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding

You may remember earlier in this series how we saw John chapter 1 & 2 parallels Genesis 1 & 2. They both begin with in the beginning. They both stress creation and refer to the work of the Triune God involved in creation.

There is also a 7-day chronology. Genesis 1 has creation taking place in 7 days and so does John 1 & 2 have a 7-day chronology.

• Day 1: John 1:14; 15-28. The word becomes flesh. The ministry of John the Baptist testimony to the incarnation.
• Day 2: John 1:29-34
• Day 3: John 1:35
• Day 4: John 1:40-42. Verse 39 makes it clear that the last day is finished.
• Day 5: John 1:45
• Day 7: John 2:1

Genesis 1 and 2 ends after the creation with a wedding of Adam and Eve when God is the master of ceremonies blessing this wedding.

You might wonder about the second Adam and his opinion about marriage. In John 2, we get this stunning affirmation of marriage. Jesus and his disciples are engaged in a wedding and even celebrating and contributing to the celebration.

Weddings were the most significant celebrations in the ancient world. One lesson is that Jesus loves marriage and thinks weddings are something deserving of celebration.

God ordains marriage.

The fact that our Lord did His first miracle at a wedding emphasizes the sanctity of that covenant. Weddings matter. Public covenant matters. The ceremony matters. People are not married who just live together. People are married who make public covenant before God and before people.

Marriage between a man and a woman is a condition of life designed by God, ordained by God, and authenticated in an open, public covenant. It is the highest and noblest and best of all human relationships. Marriage is the best gift that God can give to humanity in general without regard to whether they know Him at all.

Any society that honours marriage will be blessed temporally. It will prosper. It will be safe. It will be secure. It will know peace. It will have a minimum of crime. On the other hand, any society that fails to honour marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman for life, is doomed to chaos, turmoil, evil and judgment. Where marriage for life is not honoured, immorality abounds.

Wedding Customs

Jewish people emphasized joyous celebration at wedding feasts, hence music would be important there as in other banquet settings. Bridal processions, like funeral processions were important.

As one mourned with the bereaved at a funeral, one celebrated with the groom (or bride) at a wedding. Most rabbis concurred with the importance of joy at a wedding banquet.

Jesus is not against meetings and parties. By the way, Jesus is not uncomfortable with having fun. Parties are okay you are following in the steps of the master who was sometimes condemned by those self-righteous for his party going, but Jesus knows how to have fun and affirms the goodness of this marriage that he is participating in.

APPLICATION

Let’s celebrate weddings joyfully, yet with caution. Avoid the burden of excessive spending; prioritize generosity over lavishness. Be mindful of the resources spent. Share joy without flaunting wealth. In the spirit of love, let’s cherish moments and refrain from wasting food, embracing a responsible celebration.

Transition:

The sheer quantity of wine is astonishing. Six stone water jars the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from 20 to 30 gallons; 682 litres around 2 to 3 thousand glasses of wine. Why did Jesus on this occasion offer water now transformed into wine?

BACKGROUND

Wine was a standard part of daily life in the ancient Mediterranean world. Seven or more Galilean cities and villages were heavily engaged in wine production, which constituted one of Galilee’s primary industries.

Let me just remind you of the fact that wine and the juice of any of those fruits were subject to fermentation because there was no refrigeration. So everything fermented and developed alcohol. In the first-century village, quenching your thirst with water was dangerous because water was not purified. But to quench your thirst with fermented wine was dangerous because you could get drunk and that was a sin. You didn’t want to be sick and you didn’t want to sin. So the way they dealt with that is that they diluted the water, or they diluted the wine with water, one part wine, down to three parts water, and sometimes up to 10 times. And they did that so they could drink the water because it had been purified, and they could drink the wine and it wouldn’t make them drunk because it was diluted. That is why they had the master of the banquet, who would taste and approve the wine. Judaism viewed drunkenness so unfavourably, that those responsible for Jewish festivities as public as weddings must have worked to minimize such behaviour.

Jesus does not promote alcoholism.

The Scripture Views Drunkenness Unfavourably.

Some people are forever scarred by the abuse of alcohol by a parent or other loved one, a husband or a wife that destroyed a marriage in large part because of alcohol.

The Bible recognises alcohol abuse as an all-consuming, life-dominating problem.

Isaiah 5:11

Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine.

The Bible recognises that some people live to drink and they drink to live. Their lives are caught up in this slavery. This is not God’s intention for us.

Proverbs 23:20-21

Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.²¹ for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

It marks the ruin of lives and careers in the Biblical world every bit as much as now. An alcoholic’s life span is shortened on average by 10 to 12 years compared to other equivalent populations.

Proverbs 23 starts off with 6 questions to see if you have a problem with drinking.

Proverbs 23:29-30

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?(depression) Who has strife? (outbursts of anger) Who has complaints? (endless problems, medical problems) Who has needless bruises? (fall, accidents) Who has bloodshot eyes? (vision impairment, blurred vision) ³⁰Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.

Proverbs 23:31-35

³¹Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! ³²In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.³³Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things.³⁴You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. ³⁵“They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?”

Despite all those negative consequences, many are helpless with respect to this craving. The Bible is aware of all of these issues. What then is the response to it?

Ephesians 5:18

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,

The spirit here a capital ‘S.’ Not alcoholic spirits. Be filled with the Spirit who is meant to control your life top to bottom, inside and out, and don’t allow anything else to compete with the exclusive Lordship of Jesus Christ over that which he purchased at the price of his own blood, namely your body, your soul, your heart, your mind all who you are.

2. The Problem: The Wine Ran Out

John 2:3

When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

This is a colossal social embarrassment because if there was anything that the bridegroom had spent a year trying to prove is that he could take care of his bride. He had to build her a house; he had to acquire everything that was necessary. He had to demonstrate his ability to take care of her for the rest of her life. Her father was handing her over to him. This is a problem. Maybe he can’t plan. This is what all of you fathers who marry off your daughters fear. Is this guy going to be able to make a living? Is this guy going to be able to take care of you?

John 2:3-4

³When 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.”

My hour has not yet come.

This is so critically important. The years of compliance, the years of submission, the years of obedience are over. He is finished with His mother’s business and He is now doing His Father’s business. He says from here on, as we’ll see in John 14:31, “I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”

“My hour has not yet come.” We’re going to see it in chapter 7, 8, 13, & 17. This is a phrase that in its fullness looks at the cross, the hour of His death and resurrection.

John 2:5

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

We have a Saviour who can deal with any situation.

When the wine was over, Jesus’ mother asks him to attend to the need of the moment and surely one lesson is that we have a Saviour who can deal with any situation. She confidently told the servants do whatever he says. We make the request and it is up to him in his sovereign goodness and will to do it.

Jesus, by contrast, valued the honour of his friend more highly. Public opinion was important at weddings, and one who ran out of wine would be shamed, probably for years to come. Jesus rescues his host’s honour by providing wine. Although a life was not at stake, Jesus valued human need more highly than contemporary scruples concerning ritual requirements.

This is a marvellous example of how the Lord wants us to depend on him even about mundane things. Praying for healing for cold is okay to bring to the masters attention. You don’t have to wait for some war to ask God to bring peace, just some troubled relationship you can ask for his peace it is okay. You can even ask for God’s help to find a parking spot on at City Harvest, I do it all the time and sometimes the Lord answers and sometimes he teaches me patience. We can bring even small matters of our life to the Lord’s attention and just leave it up to him.

Faith of Jesus’ mother

Although Jesus makes clear that his mother cannot command Jesus’ favour simply by virtue of her relation to him, her faith becomes the catalyst for his action.  Jesus’ mother is a model of faith and discipleship.

3. The Providence

John 2:6-10

⁶Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. ⁷Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. ⁸Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, ⁹and 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. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰and 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.”

Wow, water turned into wine. There are no grapes, no vines, no seeds, no sunlight, no water, no earth, no harvest, no crushing, no fermenting. Jesus just produced wine out of water. This is the best wine ever produced in the world. Jesus bypassed nature because he is God.

Nobody knew about the miracles except the servants who served. Well, the party was back in full bloom.

4. The Purpose: The Glory of Christ.

John 2:11

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.

You look at this miracle and realise this is all about the glory of Christ. It is not just about wine or even about weddings, it is about Jesus. All of the signs in the gospel of John all about Jesus.

• Turning Water Into Wine; John 2:1-12
• Healing the Nobleman’s Son; John 4:46-54
• Healing the Paralyzed Man at the Pool; John 5:1-11
• Feeding of the 5,000; John 6:1-15
• Walking on Water; John 6:16-21
• Healing a Man Born Blind; John 9:1-12
• Resurrecting Lazarus; John 11
• The culminating miracle: Jesus is raised from the dead.

When Jesus fed the 5000 he said:

John 6:35

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.

Likewise when he heals a man born blind. John 9:5 I am the light of the world.

When he raised Lazarus from the dead that is just a sign and then he says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies and however lives and believes in me will never die.”

The signs are pointing to the glory of Jesus.

Then all you need to do you provide the stone vessels and the water and the rest is to the master.

Jesus can transform the material universe with his glory.

We have a vision here of the glory of Christ with respect to even more significantly Jesus’ ability over the material universe.  Jesus is the word of God the incarnate. He spoke the universe into existence and he can change water into wine like that.

Jesus can transform the us with his glory.

The transformation that he can accomplish in your life is also as dramatic inside and out. Yes he can change what you think about this or that. Your opinions, your attitudes make you a little more content and whatever. He can also change your personality. He can transform you into a new creature.

ILLUSTRATION

The pew here tells the story of not great saints but sinners saved by the grace of God. There was a family who used to attend church around 15 years ago. The brother had a serious alcohol problem. He started drinking in his childhood but even to his 40’s he was continuing the habit. He starts and ends his day with alcohol. Slowly the glory of the Lord transformed him. Today is sober for more than 5-6 years and joyfully serving and worshipping the Lord.

APPLICATION

His glory can transform us. Jesus can change you. I don’t care what is wrong with you? what issues you have? What are the scars you bring out of your past? Christ can heal it and change us inside and out. God washes us, justifies us, sanctifies us, fills us with his Spirit and gives us salvation. He transforms us.

Consider the dramatic difference between the old and the new. God used Moses to bring water out of a rock. God used Jesus to bring wine out of stone vessels.

God used Moses to provide a ceremonial cleansing of water (Leviticus 14) that only touches the outward surfaces. Jesus could pollute those ceremonial cleansing vessels of stone because you know what they are not going to be needed anymore. We have a better cleansing, a deeper cleansing in the blood of Jesus Christ the sacrifice made once for all that now makes us new and fresh and clean with a new start today in the Saviour.

Conclusion:

So now we’re seeing the purpose of the gospel of John. “These things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing have eternal life in His name.” That’s the purpose. That’s the purpose.

He manifested His glory,

John 1:14

“We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John wrote that and John first began to behold that glory right there at the wedding of Cana because he was there, he was there.

Let me give you three groups of people in John

1. Those who believe in Jesus.

John 2:11 Jesus did this sign at Cana and his disciples believed in him.

2. Those who do not believe in Jesus.

John 12:37

Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.

Both groups saw the same sign.

3. Those who would not openly acknowledge their faith.

John 12:42-43

⁴²Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

All of you are in one of these groups. You believe, you don’t believe, or you believe and you’re not willing to pay the price to come to Christ.

We have this gospel to celebrate and brothers and sisters when you are with the bridegroom it is a time to celebrate if there ever was a time.

LIFE APPLICATION

Embrace The Transformative Power Of Christ In Your Daily Life.

Just as Jesus turned water into wine, allow His grace to turn challenges into opportunities for growth. Seek personal transformation, trusting that through Christ, you can overcome obstacles and become a new creation.

Jesus Is The Solution For Any Life Situations

Embrace the truth that our Saviour cares about every aspect of our lives. From major concerns to minor details, entrust them to God, recognizing His sovereign goodness and the power of prayer.