John 2:1-11 Commentary

Every time the lectionary brings us back to this story, I appreciate the symbolic nature of Jesus’s miracle more and more. Perhaps it’s because I’ve lived another three years and had all the more time to experience the goodness of the Lord—that is, if I was curious enough to wonder where the good times came from.

It’s as though this miracle just begs us to believe that life with Jesus is more like enjoying a good wine than it is following purification rituals and rules. It starts with Jesus’s mother, Mary, mentioning to him that the wedding feast has run out of wine. Mother Mary knows that her son Jesus has the ability to make people’s lives better, so why not here at this party?

Then, instead of using the now empty wine jars, Jesus chooses to use the six stone water jars that are set apart for Jewish rites of purification. Why does Jesus choose these jars? Wine was also kept in rather large jars and we know they are empty, but Jesus chooses the ones used in a religious practice to work his miracle of abundant, high quality, blessing.

In the Gospel of John, there are a few stories that center water. There’s this one, where ritual waters are turned into party wine. There’s the encounter with the woman at the well, where a dialogue about living water leads Jesus to reveal that he is the Messiah. Similarly, at the Feast of the Tabernacles, Jesus tells anyone thirsty to come and drink of him, the living waters. And finally, there’s the beginning of that fateful night during Passover, when Jesus lovingly washed his disciples’ feet. I haven’t done an in-depth study of these stories and how they might be connected, but it does seem to me that they all point to the goodness and boundary-breaking nature of our servant-oriented God. Clearly, in each of these stories, humans are the ones who benefit from Jesus’s water works.

John the Gospel writer makes the meaning for us in verse 11: “Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” This is the beginning of Jesus revealing his glory and people coming to believe because of what they experience.

As the disciples stick with Jesus, they will witness him break and tear down the rituals and rules as he heals the sick and lame. They will watch as those same sick and lame go away rejoicing—as though they’ve just been to a great party. Like the servants who bring the wine to the steward for tasting, the disciples will know what’s happened even if others do not—they will be Jesus’s messengers, offering the “good wine” of Christ to others to taste and see for themselves. All the while, they will be experiencing for themselves that life with Jesus as their rabbi (and later on, their Messiah) is much more like enjoying a good wine than it is following purification rituals and rules.

Is this how Jesus is to us? Is this how we make Jesus seem and taste to others?

The reason any of this is possible is because of the way that Jesus fulfilled all of those purification rituals and rules. Like the waters that splashed out of the purification jars at the wedding banquet, Jesus lived above and beyond their limits. And yet, we humans didn’t see the perfection as it happened right in front of us. Like the water that went poof! and turned into wine without those standing right there even being aware of how it could have possibly happened, all we can do is wonder at the mystery and power of our God.

And then wonder in awe at how blessed we are that he tells us to drink and enjoy from his goodness. We do not need to worry about the good stuff running out. With God, there’s always more where that came from.

Textual Point

As you are probably aware, this first miracle is only recounted in the Gospel of John, and the story he pairs it with, the cleansing of the temple, occurs much, much later in the synoptic texts. By having them both here at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry, it’s as though John is setting up a both-and for what Jesus cares about: the ‘sacred’ (temple) and the ‘profane’ (wedding party).

Illustration Idea

I’m always glad with the Lord’s Supper bread and cup taste good. As a meal of thanks, reminder of our call to be agents of reconciliation, and as remembrance of all Christ has done and will do, when we eat his body and drink his blood, it helps that the sensory pleasure of the meal at least delights our taste buds in the way that the truths they represent ought to delight our souls. When the elements of the Supper taste good, we are reminded of how good the heavenly banquet will be—where there will only be the “good wine” served, from beginning to end of the party.