Jesus’ First Miracle: Water to Wine Lesson 2.5

Jesus’ First Miracle

When and Where? Immediately after Jesus called his first disciples, he journeyed to Cana in Galilee. Cana was just a small insignificant town; nothing special. Why would Jesus pick this place for his first miracle?

When and Where? John tells us that this happened on the 3rd day of the week. For Jews, that is Wednesday. We also know it was Wednesday because Jewish brides always got married on Wednesdays. What was significant about the 3rd Day?

The Problem Embarrassingly, the host of the wedding had not provided enough wine to satisfy and provide for all of the guests. Jesus stepped in, not just to meet a need, but to teach us a lesson about ourselves. In order to understand the meaning of Jesus’ miracle though, we must understand the significance of the water pots.

The Water Pots 1. They were empty. 2. They were made of stone. Emptiness is the fundamental problem in this story. Man has an empty spot inside him that can only be filled by Christ. (what kinds of things do we use to try and fill our emptiness?) 2. They were made of stone. The pots were made of the same cold, hard material that covers the heart of an unsaved person. (Ezekiel 11:19)

The Wine Many people question whether Jesus turned the water at the wedding into fermented, alcoholic wine. 2 Wine Theory: theory that suggests there were 2 different types of wine that existed in Israel “grape juice” unfermented “real wine” fermented

The Wine The Greek word (οἶνος) for “wine” in this passages is a generic term for all kinds of wine except shekar which means “strong drink”.

The Wine Though there are many negative references to wine in the Bible Ephesians 5:18 - And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Proverbs 20:1 - Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. 1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Corinthians 6:10 - Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

The Wine There are also a some positive references to wine in the Bible. Numbers 15:5, 28:14; Exodus 29:40; Lev. 23:12-13 – wine as a drink offering Nehemiah 13:12 – Judah brought tithe of wine 1 Timothy 5:23 - Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. Ecclesiastes 9:7 - Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

The Solution Mary asked Jesus to fix the situation. He responded by saying, “What does this have to do with me?” In the Greek, this is better translated as, “What do we have in common?” meaning, “Your concerns and mine are not the same.” Mary was concerned with purely earthly matters (there was nothing to drink); Jesus was concerned with heavenly matters (glorifying himself and God). He performed the miracle, not for Mary, but to “manifest God’s glory.”

The Servant’s Responsibility 1. Bring the water pots to Jesus. 2. Fill the pots with water. Each one held 2 or 3 “Firkins” (primary Greek unit of measurement for liquid). 1 Firkin = 8 7/8 gallons (how many total gallons of wine?) 3. Take the wine to the governor of the feast. The Governor’s job was to preserve order, keep people laughing, assign seating, decide how much water went into the wine, and how much each person was allowed to drink.

The Results When we partner with Jesus in his work, 3 main things result: 1. Souls are saved and lives are filled with joy! 2. New life begins (Just like Jesus’ ministry began and lives were changed, so our lives are changed when we join Jesus in his ministry on earth). 3. God’s glory is made known (John 2:11**). Eph. 5:18 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”

Why Did Jesus turn Water into Wine?