“They have no wine…….Whatever He says to do, do it”  John 2: 3,5

“Fill the waterpots with water….Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast”. John 2:8

“I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit…..”  John 15:5

Often called “the first miracle” and indeed it is Jesus’ first recorded miracle, I find there is so much happening here in addition to the miraculous changing of the water into wine.  So let’s get started.

First, because I think it is a foundational value to virtually every aspect of our lives and our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Son, Jesus Christ; let’s start with faith.  We see a tremendous amount of faith demonstrated in this story.  Who demonstrated tremendous faith?  Let’s take a look at Mary, Jesus Mother.  After Jesus’ birth, we know very little about His childhood.  We know that he minded His earthly father and mother.  We also know that Mary experienced many miracles associated with Jesus’ birth.  What we don’t have any record of or idea about is whether Jesus performed any miracles growing up.  Yet here they were at a wedding feast and an urgent need had arisen.  We don’t know how Mary became aware that the wine had run out.  We don’t know why she had a sense of urgency to rescue the bride groom from the embarrassment of having a wedding feast that had not prepared to have enough wine.  However, she became aware and felt compelled to act.  It is clear that Mary had faith in her Son.  It is also clear that she had a deep knowledge of the special nature of her Son.  We know that because, upon learning of the critical shortage of wine, she first turned to her Son for a solution.  Please take careful note of how she approaches Jesus and the way she makes the request.  Now a mother of an earthly child, might tell that child to go to a merchant and purchase some more wine.  If she wasn’t sure of how to fix the problem; she might communicate some high anxiety about the situation.  Mary does neither.  First she comes, in faith, to make the need known to her Son.  Second, although not knowing specifically how Jesus was going to correct the situation; she has no doubt, she has perfect faith that indeed Jesus is going to act to salvage the wedding feast.  She commands those servants standing by; to do whatever Jesus tells them to do.  She has complete faith that Jesus will act and that whatever action He comes up with, it will solve the problem; perfect faith.

Now we might expect her to have that faith; after all she knew how Jesus came to be in her womb and the sacred aspect of Him.  Yet we also see faith on the part of the servants.  Mind you, these are not Jesus’ or Mary’s servants; they are the wedding grooms servants.  We’re not told how much they’re clued into the urgent nature of the situation, so initially how anxiety filled they might be.  So there are these large waterpots sitting by, large enough to hold 20-30 gallons. But they were empty at the time and Jesus tells the servants to fill them with water.  One figures they might be puzzling to themselves: “Okay this is a little strange but maybe we’re washing them out for some reason”.  However, Jesus then tells them to dip a cup into one of the waterpots and take it to the master of the feast!  Now take a step back for a moment.  Jesus had not told them to take a sip of the water, now turned into wine.  He had not told them that he had changed the water into wine.  He simply told them to dip a cup into the waterpot and take it to the master of the feast.  You need to understand, the master of the feast was like a modern day wedding planner on steroids.  You see these wedding feasts were extremely important affairs that could last for a week and have every important person in the entire area show up.  So the master of the feast had significant responsibility and thus significant power.  And now these poor servants are walking up to the master, who might already be severely peeved at this point, with this cup of water?  One imagines they might have been extremely hesitant and perhaps trembling; but scripture tells us they obeyed Jesus and in faith took the cup to the master.  Imagine the surprise all around as they watched the expression on the master’s face as he tasted this most perfect wine and being so amazed at its perfection, grilled the bride groom about where it had come from and why it was only being served now instead of at the beginning of the feast where it belonged!

I also want to touch on humility and humble service.  In this case the example of perfect humility is perpetrated by none other than Jesus Himself.  Remember, this is God come to earth; the only Begotten Son of His Father God, Creator of all things.  This is the Messiah, Savior for all time.  By Jesus’ reaction to His mother’s request, we glean a sense that Jesus was not expecting to perform a miracle that day.  Yet Jesus knew His Father’s laws.  Jesus knew that to obey His Father’s laws and His will; to honor His Mother, was the only right thing to do.  So instead of telling her to see to fixing the problem herself; Jesus humbles himself and carries out His mother’s wishes.

So what do we take from this?  How does this impact us if we’re not at a wedding feast?  Much indeed.  First, Jesus was there.  Jesus excepted the invitation to be in fellowship at that wedding feast.  Jesus is willing and ready, to come wherever He’s invited.  He wants you and I to invite Him into wherever we find ourselves today.  He will show up.

Second, our worldly resources will fail us.  Again understand these wedding feasts weren’t spur of the moment gatherings.  They took lengthy and meticulous planning.  Yet with all their planning and preparation; they still ran out of wine.  Today, we plan, we store, we strive, we learn, yet with all we do, it will not be enough; something will happen, we will fall short.  Jesus Christ invites us to come to Him in faith.  Jesus Christ promises us that, as we come to Him in faith; He will supply.  In fact Jesus Christ wants something different.  He doesn’t want us to never rely on our earthly plans, resources, intelligence, ingenuity, power, physical attributes, none of that.  Jesus Christ wants us to rely solely and souly on Him as branches, rely on the vine for all their sustenance.

Additionally we must understand this blessing; what Jesus Christ supplies far exceeds whatever we can find for ourselves.  The new wine that Jesus supplied to the wedding feast was far superior to anything worldly the master of feast had ever tasted.  Also understand this;  Jesus supplied wine in this case, something physical and tangible.  Jesus Christ by His Love and Grace will save our souls, but He will also supply our physical and intellectual needs and the blessings that He supplies in these areas are far more precious, more perfect than we can obtain without Him

Finally, there’s the wine.   Too much earthly wine is not a healthy thing.  It clouds our judgement and too often causes us to loose control in harmful ways.  Yet, there is never such a thing of having too much of the wine of Jesus Christ.  As we partake of Jesus Christ’s wine, we not only will, but should loose our control, humbling ourselves to coming under Christ’s control.  So Dear Sisters and Brothers the lesson for us is to drink in faithfully, completely and often the wine of Jesus Christ and experience the wonders and blessings that we will experience as a result.

Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank You for the amazing, grace filled Gift of salvation which is Your Son Jesus Christ.  We thank You that Jesus Christ will accept our invitation, no matter our circumstances to come to us and fulfill our urgent needs.  Help us to become the branches of His vine that we might drink in deeply and daily, being washed clean by His most precious blood and bear glorious fruit for You that brings praise to Your Most Holy Name.  We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen