10th August 2025

Water into Wine (2) John 2:1-11 Isaiah 9:6-7 10/08/2025 - Sue Grant.

I wonder if any of you have been watching the TV series ‘The Chosen’ (on Amazon). I’m usually both sceptical and disappointed with dramas that depict Bible stories but this has caught my imagination. It is the story of Jesus’ ministry as told in the gospels and certainly for me has brought to life all those familiar stories and events. Partly by the way they have been contextualised but more importantly by the way the character of Jesus has been portrayed. Much of the narrative has been lifted directly from the gospels but where it has been interpreted for the drama (and we mustn’t forget it is a drama and there are back stories not written in the Bible), it does seem to be inspired. I have certainly found myself being AMAZED by Jesus all over again.

The Greek word for amazed is ‘thaumazo’ and it means to marvel, to wonder, to admire, to be awestruck. Today we tend to overuse the word rather than keep it for something special. In the gospels there are many times when that word is used of the response people have to Jesus, his teaching in the synagogue, his healings, his driving out of demons, his power over nature and for one centurion it was witnessing his death ‘Truly this was the son of God’.

Take a moment to recall the most amazing thing you have ever seen. Maybe its mountain scenery, waterfalls, sunset, a newborn baby – how do you capture that? It’s almost impossible, even with the best photography so capturing and conveying how amazing Jesus is with human words or even the best religious artwork or music is also virtually impossible. Einstein, an agnostic physicist said ‘I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrasemongers, however artful’. Sadly, perhaps we sometimes lose our amazement at Jesus. Challenges in life, disappointments, concerns about the state of the world, maybe plain weariness and we lose sight of who he is and what he can do.

Had we been the ordinary person in first century Palestine I wonder what we would have made of this man. I guess the thing that would have amazed us most is the miracles he performed. They were astonishing but what is also amazing and perhaps hidden within these stories is the way Jesus interacts with people, cares about them and transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

John records Jesus first miracle – turning water into wine. Perhaps strange that this should be the first one. It wasn’t a healing or an exorcism and it wasn’t calming a storm but it was a demonstration of both his character and power, and it was a sign of his glory v.11. Hold that thought. (John gives us 7 signs in his gospel that are intended to reveal who Jesus is, his divine identity and his purpose and are intended to draw people to believe in him.)

Weddings in Ancient Near Eastern culture lasted for days and all and sundry from the town or village were invited. It was a great time of celebration, music, dancing and feasting. Contrary to us marriage wasn’t just about the happiness of the couple but about binding the community together and raising the next generation. The bigger, stronger and more numerous the families of the town, the better its economy, its military security and the more everyone flourished; so a marriage celebration was a big deal.

It was the hosts duty to provide the food and wine. To run out would bring shame and dishonour (this was an honour and shame culture) not just to the married couple but the whole family. It would have been like a bad omen for the couple starting their marriage. Feel the indignity, the shame in public. Imagine how you would feel if this was your son or daughter’s wedding. This is not just a nice little story. Jesus and his new disciples were invited to the wedding, along with his mother Mary who would have understood what a big deal running out of wine was.

What prompted her to involve Jesus? This was indeed an embarrassment but should a Messiah who had come to liberate the captives get involved in the domesticity involved with partying? This was a one-time event in a small town. Hardly an emergency in the great scheme of things. We’re not told what prompted Mary to speak to Jesus but she simply states ‘they have no more wine’. She brings the problem to Jesus. He replies ‘why do you involve me?’ and follows this up by ‘my time has not yet come’. He knew that if he acted, from that moment everything would change – the clock was ticking to Calvary. If word of what he had done leaked, the crowds would flock but so would those who felt threatened and challenged by him, the Roman authorities, the Jewish leaders, scribes and pharisees. Mary appears to ignore Jesus’ response and says to the servants ‘Do whatever he tells you’. She trusts him, she comes with expectation.

Jesus responds to Mary’s prompting and trust. Maybe that tells us it’s ok to make suggestions, to ask God for things even though they might seem unimportant. Jesus is actually interested in what bothers us, in the minutiae of our lives. He says the very hairs of our head are numbered. That’s a pretty good analogy of his care and interest in us. We matter to him. He wants us to trust him and be expectant.

The story unfolds. At the wedding venue there were some giant water jars. They were used for ceremonial washing. We have seen what might have been one of them when we went to Cana where they have found such a jar, it was almost my height! Each held 20-30 gallons- that’s a lot of water. Jesus said to the servants ‘fill them with water’. The servants obeyed and then Jesus simply told the servants to draw some out.

Put yourself in the shoes of the guy who had to take a cup to the master of the feast – he must have been quaking in his boots, nervously carrying that cup. What a fool he would look if it was still water, more than that it would have been the end of his job, and who would ever hire him again? The master tastes and wow! The best grand cru no less!! 150 gallons in, 900 bottles out. Jesus turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Transformation. Miracles happen in everyday life – a wedding.

Jesus turns things round, transforms the situation. Notice 3 things. Miracles happen when Jesus is present. They demonstrate his presence. When Jesus is present anything can happen. He is closer than we think. Remember we have access to him, as his family, just like Mary. Miracles demonstrate his supernatural power but it doesn’t have to be something big, it can be an ordinary situation. He has the power to transform. Miracles often involve participation. On this occasion the servants were involved. In the feeding of the 5,000 a boy was involved. We might be needed for a miracle.

Water into wine. Why did he do it? Because he was there, because he could when no one else could and because he cared. Jesus offers the same to us.

Water into wine. What is the water you need turning into wine? We are probably all looking for a miracle of some sort be it personal or related to the unstable world we are currently living in. Jesus is with us, he is in control, he cares, he can make a difference, he can turn things around. It’s what he does.

He is AMAZING. Remember he doesn’t always do what we expect, he doesn’t always move when we want him to or think he should, he may not look like he’s coming on time but he’s never late. He may need our participation. We are co-workers with him. He chooses to work with us. He involves us in releasing his power.

There is something else I want to bring out of this passage. John says this was Jesus first sign and it showed his glory. There is symbolism in the jugs of water. They were used by the Jewish people for ceremonial washing and purification and as such had to be made from one pure piece of stone.

The jugs are symbolic of the old way. Jesus is bringing in a new way, new wineskins. The old ways, the old Jewish rituals of cleansing were passing and Jesus was bringing in a new kingdom that wasn’t going to require all those old rituals and laws. Likely at the time that didn’t dawn on those present but maybe its one of the reasons John later called this a sign of his glory. There is this deeper meaning to the miracle. With Jesus there is always more. So perhaps it was not so strange this was his first miracle. He was demonstrating the ushering in of a new way. It was a celebration of new things, the new kingdom Jesus was bringing, where purification rituals would no longer be needed because the time was soon coming when Jesus himself by his death on the cross would pay the price that we might be cleansed and purified from all sin and shame. Jesus knew even then what would be required of him and that this was the start of the journey.

Tim Keller , wrote in his book ‘ Encounters with Jesus’ - ……’Jesus sat amidst all the joy of the wedding feast sipping the coming sorrow so that today you and I who believe in him can sit amidst all this world’s sorrow sipping the coming joy’.

Miracles are always about him, not the miracle, they bring him glory. So like Mary, trust him, come with expectation.  He is with us, closer than you think so let’s be fully awake to his presence. His presence makes miracles possible, he can transform the ordinary, water into wine.

He cares, nothing is too insignificant or too small for him Be amazed by Jesus all over again, he loves you. But it’s not about the miracle it’s about him, he can turn it all around, it’s what he does. He is as Isaiah says; ‘Wonderful, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’. He is sovereign, King of Kings and he is amazing!

Addendum

Notice that the passage in John begins ‘On the third day…..’ There are various interpretations as to what this might mean in a chronological sense but perhaps John is giving us a hint of the deeper meaning of this passage. On the third day Jesus rose again signifying the beginning of God’s new kingdom.