Of all the miracles that Jesus did, turning water into wine at the wedding-feast in Cana (John 2:1-11) is the odd miracle out. Why? Jesus healed the sick, drove out demons, fed thousands in one shot…twice! He calmed life-imperilling storms, and raised the dead! Incredible life-altering, life-saving miracles! But this first one, at a wedding-feast, he saved a party’s hosts…from embarrassment! And it seems only his disciples (and maybe the servants) knew what happened. An odd way to inaugurate Jesus’ miracle-working ministry!

When I was in seminary, I knew a veteran who had landed in Normandy with the Allied forces in WWII. He was “in my congregation”, but sadly, not redeemed. He was convinced, however, that, in a month of catastrophic winds and waves, God had miraculously calmed the weather enough to allow the Normandy invasion to proceed. “God is involved in the big things, not everyday life,” he insisted. “Small fry like us, he doesn’t really bother with.”

Christians often have a similar attitude. We only pray for God’s miraculous intervention in big things, when everything is going desperately wrong, when our lives and livelihood are under threat. The fact that Jesus was willing to miraculously intervene to save his relatives (apparently) from embarrassment shows that even the little things in our lives are important to him.

“But just how willing was he? When his mom told Jesus about the wine fiasco, he said, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me?’“ (John 2:4). True; but then he went ahead and did the miracle anyways! What’s happening?

In full, Jesus said, “Woman, what has this to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” Jesus became incarnate for one specific purpose: to redeem sinners. Anything which didn’t help that goal had nothing to do with him. So why did he change the water to wine? To bring sinners to salvation!

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. (John 2:11, NIV)

John regularly uses the word “sign” rather than “miracle” (“miraculous” isn’t in the original). It’s a good word, since it makes clear what his miracles were: signs pointing to Jesus, saying, “There’s salvation!” The disciples had been literally following Jesus; but because of this sign, they now put their faith in him. Miracles are like emergency “EXIT” signs during a fire: don’t stop to admire the pretty sign, run for the exit!

“In that case, why didn’t Jesus show the sign to everyone there? He had a big audience for most of his other miracles.” But with those audiences, not everyone was willing to put their faith in Jesus; in fact, in spite of the signs, they demanded more!:

Some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign.” (Matthew 12:38-39)

Yes, some people are saved when they encounter Jesus’ glory in a miracle; but generally, the proof only follows after we’ve trusted him, as it was with these disciples. As Jesus said to Thomas after Jesus’ own resurrection, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 21:29)

Believing is seeing!

-Andrew

Prepare your heart for Sunday by reading the passage and listening to the songs we’ll sing.