Wedding and Wine

John 2

The celebration continues. Eat, drink, cheer, and congratulations continue unabated. Joy is caught with each deep laugh and each boisterous gesture in the little Cana house. But behind the scenes and behind the cheerful glow of the oil lamps, crisis threatens in the shadows. Mary of Nazareth catches the hint of fear in the eyes of the hosts, murmuring in the corners. Her ears gather the quiet murmurs, “No wine. No wine.” No wine! Shame threatens the beginning of this new union, a cloud that will linger and cast gloomy consequences on their marriage.

“Jesus! My son—they have no wine.” She doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t really know what to expect. Her son has no wineskins stored. A carpenter does not have a treasure purse to buy more wine. But she catches the hint of fear slipping behind the scenes among the hosts. Her heart moves. And she knows the compassion of her son, she knows his character. She appeals, reaches out, not knowing what he can do. It would take a miracle for something to happen [and as far as we know, Jesus hasn’t done the miraculous yet]. Mary appeals to his compassion, not his power.

"Woman, what does this have to do with me? My time has not yet come" (John 2:4). 

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing…. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me’” (John 5:19-20a, 36).

“What does this have to do with me? This will be my first sign—I am entering my public ministry. I am about my Father’s business. I do my Father’s works. This first sign, this first work—this will be my Father’s work. I will do it on his command only.

“Yet, this is my Father’s works. It is a work of compassion—caring for a young couple starting out on their life. It is a work pointing to a God who gives generously, abundantly, of his best for his thirsty people. It shows the compassion of the Triune God.

“It is my Father's work in that it is a work of creation—my Father and I create. We created in the beginning. We still create, knitting life in the womb, creating new life. For we are life-giving. My Father’s works are to create. I and the Father are one, and I am carrying out his works on earth. Now. Here. Emmanuel.

“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3).

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Col. 1:16).

“It is my Father's work in that it is a work of new creation—pointing forward toward the Messianic banquet. Listen, Mother.” He gestures his hammer-calloused hands towards the party. Mary pauses, listens. A boisterous shout rises above the oil lamp smoke, enthusiastic gestures shadow dance in the flickering light: “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now!” Mary gasps in delight! The wedding is saved! The bridegroom is honored!

“Mother, do you see the significance? Once I have drunk my own cup of wine—the cup of wrath, the bitter cup—then you will all come to the wedding feast of the Messiah in my Father’s presence. You will drink the cup of joy because I have drank the bitter cup. And angels in heaven will rejoice, and we will rejoice in the presence of my Father, together. I will have my own wedding! My Father and I—we pull out the better wine, the more complete and perfect wine. After the wine of Judaism, the empty bottles, we will fill it with new wine of the new covenant, my blood given for you. Yes, this is my Father’s work, this is a sign pointing to the new age, the kingdom of God is breaking in through me, his servant who brings the new wine.”

In the little remote village of Cana, in the house of a young, poor couple, a miracle. Unseen by many. Unknown by many. A great wonder—pointing to the greater wonder of the Son of God in obscurity. The Light of the world in the in the flickering wedding lamps, in the flickering light of the dawning of a new age, whose own did not see him. Whose eyes were blinded to the presence of Father God doing his works in his Son.

But a third person of the Trinity was there that night, shining his light into a few hearts. “And his disciples believed in him” (Jn. 2:11). Small, flickering belief perhaps, but the Spirit was present, working. Empowering the Son with divine power, and by divine power opening up eyes to see the Son, preparing them as brides for the bridegroom. For this was the first of his signs, when the Mighty God manifested his glory (Jn. 2:11). Sign: revealing the character of God, the creating power of God, the saving new kingdom power of God, the quiet obscurity and grand glory of God. Father, Son, and Spirit present, pointing to a grand wedding in that tiny Cana night.