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Saturday 6 December 2008

John 2:1-12

Not too much is known about the nature of wedding celebrations at the time, but they could go on for several days with guests arriving at various times.

After Jesus and the disciples arrive the wine runs out. Mary remarks on the matter, and receives what seems to us a rather curt reply from Jesus. I wonder if the phrase "my hour has not yet come" is a reference to the cross, when Jesus drank the sour wine (John 19:28-30). Or in saying "what concern is that to you and me", is Jesus just saying this really isn't a problem. Just as only having five loaves and two fish was more than enough to feed the five thousand. The latter would seem to be the way Mary took it, as she instructs the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do.

Jesus commanded the servants to fill the jars with water. They may well have wondered what on earth was the point of all this, but they did it anyway. When they drew the drink out it had presumably turned into wine at that point. The steward, being oblivious to what had happened, and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the wine.

John says this miracle was the first sign. John is especially interested in what the miracles signified about Jesus. So it seems pertinent to ask what does this miracle reveal about Jesus. Some things are:

  • Jesus is not bound by the apparent lack of natural resources.
  • He can take the ordinary and change it into the extraordinary
  • Miracles will happen if we obey Him.

The miracle caused the disciples to believe in Him. However, we should note that there are a few occasions in John's gospel well people are said to believe in Jesus, but this belief is very shallow.

Capernaum seemed to serve as some kind of base point.

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