The Gospel of John – Lesson 4 – John 2:1-11

1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 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 10 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.” 11What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples put their faith in him.

If you’ve ever helped plan a wedding you know there are a lot of details to be worked out. Who will officiate at the wedding? Who will be in the wedding party? Where will the reception be? Who will be on the guest list? Those who plan the wedding want everything to be just right. It would be embarrassing if some important detail was missed.

Those who planned the wedding at Cana in our Bible reading today experienced one of those really embarrassing moments. They ran out of wine. Now remember in those days they didn’t have the large selection of beverages that we enjoy today. Wine was a staple item in meals at the time. To run out of wine at a wedding banquet was a big problem. When Jesus’ mother became aware of the situation she took the problem to her son. Mary knew Jesus was no ordinary young man. He is the true Son of God and the promised Savior of the world. If anyone could help solve this embarrassing matter it was Jesus.

Jesus’s answer might seem a little unusual or perhaps even disrespectful to his mother. But Jesus had an important lesson to teach Mary. He was her son but he was also her Lord. His mission in this world was to fulfill everything needed to complete God’s plan for our salvation. Mary needed to understand that everything Jesus did was not according to her will but rather according to the will of his heavenly Father.

Mary seemed to understand this. She put her trust in her Son and left everything in his hands. Her trust was well placed. Jesus miraculously provided a good quantity of fine wine for the remainder of the wedding banquet. Why did Jesus do this amazing miracle? The answer comes in the closing verse of our reading. This was the first miracle recorded miracle of Jesus. This miracle accomplished more than provide for the earthly needs of those at the wedding banquet. Through this miracle Jesus proved that he is the true Son of God. His disciples witnessed what Jesus had done and they believed the truth about him. This miraculous sign is also recorded in the Holy Scriptures that we can also put our faith in Jesus as our Savior.

Discussion Questions

1 – How did Mary show her trust in Jesus?
She showed her trust in two ways. When she became aware of the shortage of wine at the wedding banquet she took the matter directly to Jesus. She didn’t make any demands of him. She simply told her Son what had happened and trusted he would know what to do. When Jesus didn’t immediately indicate he would help, Mary showed her trust again. She didn’t press the matter with Jesus any further. She left the matter in his hands after directing the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do.

2 – Some people have voiced concerns that Jesus provided so much wine (about 120-180 gallons). What do we need to remember when we evaluate Jesus gift?
First we need to remember that wedding banquets at that time lasted several days. We don’t know how many days were left to the banquet or how many guests were present. We can’t say that Jesus provided too much wine without knowing all the details. We also need to remember that every gift God gives us is a good gift. If people use God’s good gifts for evil purposes (such as getting drunk and disorderly) that is the fault of sinful human beings and not the fault of God.

3 – What can we learn about Jesus from this miracle?
We can first of all see that God is concerned for our daily needs. Running out of supplies at a wedding might seem like too small of a matter to bring to our Lord. Remember the words of 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.” Our Lord cares about us and all our needs, big and small. He may not always give us a miracle answer, but he will always help us in the way that is best. Also remember his goal in all things is that we believe in him as our Savior so that we may have eternal life in his name. Jesus used this miracle, and everything he does to lead us to put our trust in him.

If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to revgtobison@gmail.com.