A Wedding at Cana                                                                                                             B - 5

 

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.  Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’  ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’ 

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.  Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’  So they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, ’Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

John 2:1-11 (NIV)

 

A Wedding in the days of Jesus was a big deal, as it is these days, except the celebration lasted days instead of hours.  And it was of vital importance that every detail was planned carefully, down to the detail.  And plenty of prime wine was an absolute necessity.  Think of the last wedding you attended and wonder if the main entrée was in short supply.  And some guests didn’t even receive their meal.  Ouch!  Same then but even more was at stake!

So for the mother of Jesus to bring the fact to Jesus that the wine was about to run out was of great importance.  A calamity was about to happen.

Jesus seemed to want to avoid the whole mess, but Mary, His mother, knew Him.  And knew what He could do.

His instructions to help in this situation were not to those putting on the wedding; they were through a quiet talk with the servants, probably in a back room somewhere, a storage room, out of sight.  He didn’t want to call attention to Himself.  And the water became wine.

Notice even the person in charge of the wine, the wine steward, didn’t even know where the new wine came from.  In fact the only people who witnessed the events were servants.  It was a “stealth miracle”! 

Why keep this quiet?  Perhaps to avoid even the hint at a possibility of a wine shortfall.  Jesus wanted all eyes to be on the newly married couple.  He cared for the couple as well as those producing the event!

 

1) What would have been in the mind of Jesus when He became aware of this impending embarrassment?

2) Why not make this widely known?  Why keep all of this a secret?

3) Why does the story tell us Jesus only spoke with the servants?  Why not bring in at least the entire family and tell them what He was doing?

4) It seemed that the plans of Jesus were changed when He heard of this impending crisis.  Why would He change His plans?

5) What was the quality of the brand-new wine?  And what can we learn from this?

6) How much wine was made, and what can we learn from this?

7) Do you believe if YOU were the bridegroom, He would bail you out of trouble?

8) If you were the bride or groom, what would Jesus say to you and do for you?