Scripture

This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Observation

Jesus and His disciples are invited to a wedding celebration in Cana in Galilee. The wine runs out, and Mary, Jesus’ mother, tells Jesus. She then instructs the servants to do whatever He tells them to do.

Jesus tells the servants to fill with water the jugs used for ceremonial washing. They do this, and when the water is sampled it is found to have been changed into wine, in fact the best wine.

This is the first sign in which Jesus showed His glory.

Application

In the first chapter, the story is about people testifying about Jesus. Now the focus changes to be about signs and glory.

Jesus revealed His glory through changing water into wine. That is, the miracle pointed to the fact that Jesus is God, not just a human religious leader.

Wine is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, for the joy and peace that come from the presence of the Spirit in us. Jesus is the one who gives the Holy Spirit to His disciples.

The wine is literally new wine and is a sign of the new things that God is doing in His kingdom.

Turning water into wine without the benefit of grapes is truly a miracle, and shows that Jesus is the Lord over creation.

All of this takes place at a wedding, the symbol of God’s ongoing love and commitment for His people.

Jesus is Lord of all creation. He is the giver of the Holy Spirit and the bringer of God’s Kingdom.

The disciples believed in Him as a result of this sign. Perhaps they previously accepted that Jesus is the Messiah, a human being anointed by God for the restoration of Israel. But after this, they believed in their hearts that Jesus really is God’s Son.

Prayer

Lord, you take the ordinary things of life and make them extraordinary. May my life today be a sign of your glory. Amen.