Water into Wine

Of all the miracles Jesus could have chosen to begin with, he chose this one. Not raising the dead, not walking on water, not feeding thousands, but quietly providing wine for a wedding that had run out.

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

John 2:11

There are many dramatic miracles recorded of Jesus. He raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead. He walked on stormy waters to reach his disciples. He healed the paralyzed man let down through a roof. He fed five thousand with a few loaves and fish. Yet the Bible tells us that this, the turning of water into wine, was the very first miracle he ever did. This was the miracle he used to introduce himself to his disciples, to manifest his glory and cause them to place their faith in him.

And that raises a question. Why would Jesus choose something so ordinary, a wedding simply running short of wine? It was not even a life-and-death crisis. In fact, the very people the miracle was done for did not ask for it and did not even realize it had happened. Why is this the sign that revealed who Jesus is? To answer that, we need to understand a little about a Jewish wedding, and a little about ourselves.

A wedding that ran dry

A typical Jewish wedding took at least a year to prepare, from the time a couple was engaged until the feast itself. When the day finally came, the bride and groom were escorted to the groom's home, and the wedding party began a festive celebration that lasted about seven days. It was to this seven-day feast that Jesus and his disciples were invited.

But something went wrong. Perhaps this couple was not wealthy. A wedding to which Mary was invited was most likely not a high-society affair; it was probably a humble, lower-class celebration. And so, of course, the wine ran out.

And friends, we are like that couple, like that family. We are poorer than we like to admit and, in a real sense, bankrupt. We do not have what it takes to make it in life on our own. We are wounded personally, emotionally, socially, in our marriages. Why? Because of the effects of sin: our own sins, sins committed against us, and the brokenness all around us. Perhaps this is why, somehow, they invited Jesus into their celebration, for it is often the poor and needy who invite Jesus in, knowing he is willing to draw near to the lowly.

You will run out of wine

The biggest thing you can do for yourself is to recognize your own poverty, your total bankruptcy apart from God. Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount that only those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy will ever experience the kingdom of God. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

So of course the wine ran out. And here is the truth we must all face: it does not matter who you are; you will run out of wine. It does not matter how much you treasure a relationship; it will run out of wine, because we are all poor and needy. It does not matter how wonderful a man seemed when you married him; one day the marriage will run out of wine. It does not matter how much money you think you have; one day that money will run out of wine too.

What do I mean by running out of wine? I mean this: nothing on earth is able to give you lasting, abiding joy, because we live in a fallen world. Sooner or later it will run dry. This whole world has run out of wine. And perhaps you are reading this having run out of wine on many fronts. If so, there is very good news: the Lord of the feast, the Lord of the wine, is standing at your celebration tonight.

The hour he was thinking of

There is a detail we often miss. When Mary came to tell Jesus the wine was gone, he answered, Woman, what have I to do with thee? My hour is not yet come. Most of us assume he meant his hour to begin performing miracles. But that cannot be right, because he immediately went and performed one.

So what hour did he mean? He was speaking of his hour to provide wine for the whole world, a wine that would never run out. Throughout the Gospel of John, whenever Jesus speaks of his hour, he is speaking of the cross. The hour is come, he said, that the Son of Man should be glorified. Father, save me from this hour; but for this cause came I unto this hour. His hour was his going to the cross, to pay the price, to take on the sin of the whole world, to answer for our poverty so that we would never run dry again.

As Jesus sat at that wedding watching the celebration unfold, he was thinking about a greater wedding, and about what it would cost him to bring it to pass. He had you in mind, and what it would cost him to save you, to deliver you from shame, from sadness, from despair. This is why the true wine he provides is his own life poured out. He has gone ahead to bring about fresh wine, new wine, even better than the first, the wine that brings endless joy to the world. The Lord has come to fill your dryness.

How to receive the wine

Notice that Jesus did not perform this miracle because the guests asked; they did not even know they needed it. In the same way, this wine was provided for you two thousand years ago, and many still do not know a mighty miracle has already been done for them. But a few learned how to access it, and you can too. Let me show you three simple steps that mirror the story.

First, invite Jesus. Only those who realize that by themselves they are nothing, that they are truly bankrupt, know to invite Jesus in. He says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him. Remember, he said that not to unbelievers but to believers. Many of us have shut Jesus out of certain areas of our lives, thinking they are too small to bother him with, waiting until we have a major crisis before we call on him. But that is not the attitude of someone who knows they are bankrupt all around. Invite him into your home, your heart, your family, your finances, every day and everywhere.

Second, ask him. It is not enough to have invited Jesus; we have to give him access, and asking is a sign of faith. Prayerlessness is a quiet way of telling God that we can handle things ourselves. So refuse the pride that leads to prayerlessness, and ask him boldly to come into every situation you face.

Third, listen for his instructions. Mary told the servants, whatever he says to you, do it. His wine is already flowing, but we access it by obedience, and obedience begins with listening. Before you can do what he says, you must be able to hear him. So pray, Lord, open my ears to hear you speak, and help me to do whatever you tell me.

By making this his very first miracle, Jesus was declaring who he is: I am the Lord of the feast. I am the Lord of your joy. I am the one who has come to fill this world, and your life, with the best wine, the wine that never runs dry. Whatever has run out in your life, he has gone ahead of you to bring something better. Invite him in, ask him, and do whatever he tells you, and watch him turn the water of your ordinary days into the wine of his endless joy.