Water into wine: the wedding at Cana and Jesus’s first sign
Jesus’s first miracle in John’s Gospel did not happen in a temple or a crowd of sick people. It happened at a wedding, when the hosts were about to be embarrassed. For couples and families, it is one of the most loved stories in the Gospels.
The wedding
John 2 records that there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited. Weddings in that culture could last several days, and running out of wine would bring shame on the families. When the wine ran out, Mary said to Jesus, “They have no wine.”
Jesus replied, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” The words sound abrupt in English, but “woman” was a respectful form of address.
Mary and the jars
Mary did not argue. She said to the servants: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” Her words are often quoted as a simple summary of discipleship. There were six stone water jars for Jewish purification rites, each holding two or three firkins, a large quantity. Jesus told the servants to fill them with water, and they filled them to the brim.
The best wine
He told them to draw some out and take it to the governor of the feast. The governor tasted the water that had become wine and, not knowing where it came from, called the bridegroom: “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine… but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” John writes: “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”
Meaning
Christians have seen many meanings in the story: Jesus blessing marriage, the abundance of God’s provision, and the new joy of his kingdom replacing old rituals, symbolised by the purification jars. The story is often read at Christian weddings, including in Ghana and Nigeria, as a sign that Jesus is welcome at celebrations and cares about ordinary family concerns.
The governor of the feast did not know where the wine came from, but the servants who drew the water knew. The miracle was first understood by the people doing the humble work, a detail that preachers often love to point out.
