"On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
John 2:1-5, ESV
Turning water into wine is Jesus' first recorded miracle in the Gospel of John and, if we were honest, I bet most of us would have to admit to breezing past this miracle in search of a "more miraculous" one a few chapters later.
When we think "miracle," we think of the blind regaining their sight, the lame walking for the first time, the dead coming back to life...but a better beverage for a bridal party? That often falls low on our "miraculous" list.
And yet...
Miraculous it was.
At that wedding, on that special day, Jesus - amazing, powerful, incredible Jesus - literally changed the molecular substance of one liquid to make it into another without lifting a finger.
He reached inside (with only His words!) two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, and somehow morphed them into wine, which takes years to age if created properly.
Mark Aubert of Aubert Wines in Napa, California said: “Great wines always are made from vineyards that have a great exposure and aspect to the sun; usually hilly sites are the norm. The vineyard needs to be meticulously cared for, and the pedigree of vine stock or clonal material usually is heritage and usually originates from the great vineyards of France.”
Celia Welch, another wine maker, adds, “You have to do everything perfectly.”
The best wines are allowed to sit, for at least a year, to develop taste and aroma.
And here, in John 2, we find Jesus making the “best wine” within minutes…by simply saying, “Pour water in these jars and serve them!”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
John 2:6-10
From This...
To this...
When I looked at the simplicity of the water molecule and the complexity of red wine - I am reminded that I serve a God who can do anything.
I am also reminded of His ability to transform.
Not just wedding wine...
But situations...
Relationships...
People.
Like Saul (persecutor of the church) to Paul (leader of the church) ...
Or Timid "Deny-You-Know-Jesus" Peter to Bold "Preach-In-The-Streets" Peter...
The Bible is full of these types of stories...
So are the church pews on Sunday mornings.
We stand as evidence - our God is an awesome God.
My prayer for you today is that this often-overlooked miracle would come alive to you and infuse you with an overwhelming dose of hope! I pray that you too would read it and be reminded of a God who changes thing - a God who transforms.
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