His Honor - John 2:1-12 (part 2 of 2)

Jesus as the Host (vv. 6–12). The first miracle our Lord did was not something that everyone saw. Mary, the disciples, and the servants knew what had happened, but no one else at the feast did. John 11 tells us about His last miracle, which was a public event after a funeral. His first miracle was a quiet event at a wedding.

Each of the six stone waterpots could hold about twenty gallons. But we don't know if all the water in the jars turned into wine. The servants could only change what they took out and served into wine. The man in charge of the banquet praised the new wine so much that the groom's family was very happy to hear it.

The phrase "the beginning of miracles" makes the stories about Jesus performing miracles as a baby or young child false. They are just made-up stories that are based on superstitions, and anyone who believes in the Bible should not believe them.

The miracle did something for His followers. It showed how great He was (John 1:14) and made their faith stronger. Miracles alone are not enough to prove that Jesus is the Son of God (2 Thess. 2:9–10), but the fact that He has done so many miracles should be enough to convince them of His divinity. The disciples had to start somewhere, and as they spent more time with Jesus, their faith grew stronger.

But this miracle is definitely more than just meeting a need and saving a family from social embarrassment. The gospel of John, unlike the other three, tries to show the deeper meaning—spiritual meaning—of our Lord's works, so that each miracle is like a "sermon in action." We need to be careful not to "spiritualize" these events so much that they lose their historical context. At the same time, we shouldn't be so tied to history that we can't see "His story."

First of all, John didn't use the word "dunamis," which means power but He used the word "simeion" which means a "a sign." What is a sign? Something that points to something bigger than itself. People had to believe in Jesus and the Father who sent Him, not just in what He did (John 5:14–24). This is why Jesus often preached a sermon after a miracle and used that sermon to explain the sign. In John 5, the healing of the paralyzed man on the Sabbath led to a message about Jesus being God, "the Lord of the Sabbath." The feeding of the five thousand (John 6) led naturally into a sermon on the Bread of Life.

What do you think our Lord would have said if He had given a sermon after turning the water into wine? He probably would have told the people that the joy of the world always runs out and can't be found again, but the joy He gives is always new and always satisfying. In the Bible, wine is a sign of happiness (see Judg. 9:13; Ps. 104:15). The world gives you the best at first, but once you are "hooked," things start to get worse. But Jesus keeps giving us the best things until we can enjoy the best things with Him for all eternity (Luke 22:18).

Our Lord would definitely have a message just for His people, Israel. In the Old Testament, the nation is described as "married" to God but breaking her marriage vows (Isa. 54:5; Jer. 31:32; Hos. 2:2ff.). All of Israel had left were six empty waterpots when the wine ran out. They could hold water for washing from the outside, but they couldn't clean or bring joy from the inside. In this miracle, our Lord filled what was empty, brought joy to what was disappointing, and gave something internal to what was only external (water for ceremonial washings).

When John said "the third day" (John 2:1), he might have been hinting at the resurrection of our Lord. Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead (John 2:19) made all of these blessings possible.

It is interesting that Moses' first miracle was a plague that turned water into blood (Ex. 7:19ff.), which is a sign of judgment. The first miracle of our Lord was about grace.

This miracle also teaches us how to serve God in a practical way. The servants did what Jesus told them to do, which is why the water turned into wine. The feeding of the five thousand (John 6), the healing of the man born blind (John 9), and the raising of Lazarus (John 11) are all examples of signs in John's gospel that show how people and God can work together. We are helping Him do a miracle when we give out bread, wash away mud, or roll away the stone.

The servants knowing where this special wine came from is important (John 2:9). When Jesus healed the nobleman's son (John 4:46–54), only the servants knew what was going on. We are not only His servants; we are also His friends, and we know what He is doing (John 15:15).

People drank wine back then, but we shouldn't use this miracle to say that people should drink alcohol today. A man who liked to drink once told me, "Jesus turned water into wine!" I said, "If you use Jesus as a role model for drinking, why don't you follow His example in everything else?" After that, I read Luke 22:18 to him. This verse makes it clear that Jesus is not drinking alcohol in heaven right now!
​
Sincere Christians today think about verses like 1 Corinthians 8:9; 10:23, and 31 before deciding that drinking alcohol is a good idea. The story of the drunk coal miner who changed his life and became a vocal witness for Christ comes to mind. One of his friends tried to trick him by asking, "Do you think Jesus turned water into wine?" 
​The believer said, "I sure do!" "At my house, He has turned wine into furniture, nice clothes, and food for my kids!"

Lastly, it's important to remember that Jews always mixed water with wine, usually in a ratio of three parts water to one part wine. The Bible doesn't say you have to completely avoid alcohol, but it does make a big deal out of it and warns against getting drunk.