John 2:3-11

³When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him, "They have no more wine." ⁴"Dear woman, why do you involve Me?" Jesus replied, "My time 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." ⁹They 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. 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." ¹¹This, the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him.

Mary tells Jesus that they have no more wine. It is suggested by some commentators that she merely expects Him to offer some kind words to draw any malcontent away from the bridegroom. But others with whom I agree think Mary intends for Jesus to do something about the situation. After all, she says to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Jesus’ response is perhaps confusing, beginning first with what literally reads: “What’s it to Me?” It doesn’t sound polite. It is suggested that He calls Mary “woman,” rather than “mother,” to ensure that the focus on God’s work stays with Him and does not drift into sharing His glory with His mother. While it is right to give honor to whom honor is due, Jesus wants none of us to worship His mother for her role; all the worship must be directed to the Triune Godhead. It is also suggested that He calls Mary “woman” in light of Genesis 3:15, where it is prophesied that the seed of woman would crush the head of Satan. Perhaps Jesus is referring to Mary as that woman, and He is that seed. Consider that Jesus is saying to Mary, “I am your Son, but I’m more than that. I’m the Son. You aren’t the one who decides when I do the will of the Father. The Father decides.” And lastly, and perhaps most plainly, “woman” was a common way to address respectfully address a woman in the culture – Jesus normally addresses women in this manner (John 4:21; 8:10). Next, Jesus says, “My time has not yet come.” He suggests to Mary that He will do something about it, but it’s not because she wants Him to. And she seems to understand what He’s saying. She gets the message. She doesn’t bug Him about it. Let’s look at her final remarks:

We acknowledge that when Mary tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do, she is specifically speaking of this episode involving the wine. But, as many commentators point out, we can take this further. Rather than tell Jesus what to do, Mary says to do what He says to do. How appropriate! In all things, Jesus has authority, and when we come to Him, He doesn’t send us to His mother. Of course, Catholics love to go to the Holy Mother and enter her presence. She tells us here: I can’t do anything, but my Son can. Obey Him. Mary rightly points us to Jesus.

In v6, John describes the stone jars. Why? He is evidencing the validity of the miracle. If there were only one or two jars, it might be possible that they were carted in from some other place while no one was looking. But 6 jars (some 120-180 gallons) couldn’t have been produced on a whim. If only one jar had been changed from water to wine, the miracle could have been considered insignificant – a fluke. But all the jars were changed, and thus the miracle is not only authenticated, but also considered significant. Furthermore, the jars symbolize the old ritual of ceremonial washing, while the wine Jesus creates is a symbol of eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

Jesus’ command to fill the jars with water served to authenticate the miracle as well. The servants could be certain that they themselves had put water in the jars, and thus only by miraculous means could wine be drawn out. And Jesus commands that the master of the banquet be the first to taste the wine. And the master was amazed at the quality and commended the bridegroom for providing the best wine near the end of the banquet. Essentially here, Jesus is solving a problem while at the same time putting the people on trial. If God blesses us with choice wines, are we able to maintain sobriety? If God blesses us with abundant food, do we have the self-control to avoid gluttony? If God gives us opportunity to give generously through a vast inheritance or successful career, do we have the discipline to avoid wasting wealth on a life of luxury? Isn’t that the way it seems to work? We pray for a blessing; the blessing is granted; we take it for granted or waste it away with poor choices. When we are blessed, we need to be discerning. But let’s not get whiny about this miracle. Rejoice! Here’s why: Everything Jesus does is good. He gives us the best. He pours out blessings on His people in abundance and extravagance.

Finally, we are told that this first miracle, performed in an insignificant town at a significant event (marriage before God), served one purpose – to display or reveal or manifest His glory. We are not told that the bridegroom was ever made aware of what happened. We are not told that the master of the banquet ever found out what Jesus did. But the servants knew, and His disciples knew. They put their faith in Him. And His glory was revealed. Jesus’ glory is revealed when people believe on Him. This conclusion also fits with John’s overall theme (John 20:31).