John 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

The First Miracle

Today, weddings are all about the bride and showing off her beauty. They celebrate two becoming one. In Jewish culture, the event still represented two becoming one, but the focus was on the man and his family. The man’s family held a banquet that could last up to a week. This was generally a festival for the whole village. If anything went wrong, shame fell on the family. Jewish culture, unlike ours, is not built on right and wrong, but on honor and shame.

John 2:2-3 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

A major faux pas was about to transpire. If the man’s family ran out of wine, it would ruin the wedding. The marriage would be shamed, and the family would be shunned. This would not only affect the family and the marriage, but also shame the children. At the time, wine was also a symbol of joy. Running out would symbolize a joyless marriage. There could also be legal ramifications, with money having to change hands to keep the marriage solvent.

Calling this a major event is an understatement. But remember that Jesus and His disciples were invited and were celebrating with the groom and bride. This shows how much they valued Jesus and felt honored to be invited. Would Jesus allow this embarrassment to take place? Would He step in and help this family? Of course, we know that Jesus would at the behest of His earthly mother.

John 2:4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

When we read this text, we can almost say this was a rude way to respond to His mother. But this was the first miracle, and Jesus’s ministry had officially begun. Mary, like everyone, now had to ask Him, in His Godly being. He was her God and her Savior. He then referred to His hour. He brought her mind to the fact that He came to sacrifice Himself for the sins of man. This is why the response was so odd. This was not disrespect; showed her God’s love and let it was showing her the love of God and letting her know He was the Righteous One.

We will cover this more tomorrow. But the question this event poses to us all is: Do we view Jesus as a loving God who has sacrificed Himself to save us from the penalty of our sin?