The Wedding at Cana

Introduction
In the Gospel of John, Jesus' public ministry unfolds with a display of divine power and compassion. Chapter 2 marks the beginning of this journey, where Jesus, prompted by his mother, performs his first miracle. This event, the transformation of water into wine, showcases Jesus' ability to manifest the miraculous and sets the stage for the teachings and transformative acts that would define his ministry. This initial miracle introduces the narrative of redemption, grace, and spiritual revelation in the Gospel of John.
 
Background
A wedding celebration in Jesus’ time could last as long as a week.  It was truly a festive celebration.  The usual festivities consisted of a procession in which the bridegroom’s friends brought the bride to the groom’s house and then a wedding supper; the festivities lasted seven days. The Mishnah ordained that the wedding of a virgin should take place on Wednesday[1] There was no religious ceremony that precedes the celebration.  The groom would wear his best outerwear and go to the bride’s parents' house.  Friends, musicians, and torchbearers accompanied him if it was nighttime.  He received his bride from the parents, and a celebration followed (signing a contract or document did occur).  In the evening, the bride was escorted to the nuptial chamber by her parents, and the groom by his companions or the bride’s parents. The festivities resumed the following day and continued for the remaining days. It was a festive time, and the community celebrated it.  The groom paid for the festivities and was expected to provide enough food and drinks for the whole party.  To run out of supplies would be an embarrassment.  It was even possible for legal action to be taken against a family if they failed to provide enough food and drink for their guests.
 
John 2:1 – 12
 
The Wedding
Jesus and his disciples attended a wedding in Cana. Most likely, it was a wedding for a relative of Jesus (apocryphal teachings suggest that Mary was the groom's aunt) or a close friend. Jesus and his disciples were also in attendance. The disciples who attended with Jesus were perhaps the five Jesus had previously called: Andrew, Philip, Peter, Nathanael, and the unnamed disciple (John?).  It is reasonable to believe that Mary could have overseen some organizational aspect of the wedding since she was concerned about the wine running out.  The supply of wine may have been her responsibility, or she could have just been concerned about the bridegroom and did not want to see him embarrassed or humiliated.  Whatever the reason, she went to Jesus with her concern and let him know the wine was gone. 
 
 “Jesus’ Mother” Among Arabs today, the “mother of X” is an honorable title for a woman who has been fortunate enough to bear a son. John never calls her Mary.[2]
 
According to theologian D.A. Carson, “Wine in the ancient world was diluted with water to between one third and one tenth of its fermented strength, i.e. something less strong than American beer. Undiluted wine, about the strength of wine today, was viewed as a ‘strong drink’ and earned much more (disapproval).”  
 
Jesus’ mother comes to him with her concern about the wine shortage, and there are several possible reasons why she went to him.  First, her husband (Joseph) was probably dead by this time (since we don’t hear anything from him after the time Jesus taught in the temple at age 12) so Jesus was the head of the household and was the one making the money in the family as a carpenter.  She figured he would go out and use his resources to buy more.  Second, she knew Jesus was who he claimed to be, the Messiah, the Son of God, and she was asking him to do something supernatural.  I mean, she was his mother.  Third, she was worried that this would come back on her, and she was only complaining to Jesus; she was just passing on the sad news that she didn’t do her job right.  Of these three possibilities, the second could be the most plausible, but certainly, all three could also be true.  Mary knew her son was God's divine Son and God would do great things through Him.  She was the chosen virgin to give birth to the Savior of the world.  He was the Messiah; certainly, He could do something about the wine shortage.
 
At first glance, Jesus’ response to his mother seems harsh and disrespectful: “Dear Woman, that is not our problem.”  This was not a rebuke or a disrespectful response to his mother. He wasn’t giving an embarrassed teenager response.  Instead, “woman” is a form of address; in Koine Greek, it is a way of speaking politely to a female person. In John 2:4, Jesus uses this word to address his mother courteously.  In some ways, it could be synonymous with the word “Ma’am”.  When he says, “This is not our problem” or “What business is this of mine?” or “Why are you involving me?” he may be saying lovingly, to his mother that he is not under human authority (including his mother), any person’s agenda or will would sway Him into doing something (being a Genie of sorts) that God didn’t foreordain.  This isn’t a form of rebellion against his mother. He is only stating a very important truth; his only bidding is to do ONLY the will of the Father.  From this point on, Jesus began distancing himself from her.  I can’t believe how difficult that would have been for Him or for her to accept.  However, Jesus couldn’t allow himself to be so closely attached to his human mother because his bidding was to do all the Father had told him.  From a human standpoint, it is hard to imagine, but from an eternal perspective, it was necessary.  She, like anyone else, needed to come to him for salvation.  She had no special privileges, and Jesus certainly wasn’t distancing himself out of callousness; his distancing was for her good.  In the light of the cross, this distancing was necessary.  As a mother, she is obedient and trusting of her son as she tells the servants to do what he says.  She trusted Jesus was going to take care of things.  D.A. Carson writes again, “In short, in 2:3 Mary approaches Jesus as his mother, and is reproached; in 2:5 she responds as a believer, and her faith is honored.  She still does not know what he would do; but she has committed the matter to him, and trusts him.”  
 
The result of Jesus performing this miracle of turning water into wine has a significant truth about God.  So many commentators, theologians, preachers, and Christians focus on the symbolism of the water and the wine or the alcohol content of the wine, and I believe they miss the point of this miracle.  Not only does Jesus provide wine for the wedding guests, but he also supplies them with the finest of wine (the best) and provides an abundance.  Here, we see God’s grace in action.  Did Jesus do this for Mary?  Did he do it for the guests?  or did he do it for the groom?  I don’t think he did this specifically for any of these people, but they indeed were recipients of his blessing and grace.  The purpose of this miracle was to reveal his glory so the disciples would believe in him and glorify God.  It wasn’t so much about taking care of the guests; it wasn’t about being obedient to his mother. It was about showing His glory so his followers would believe and testify to who He is.  It’s ultimately about God’s glory and grace.  We see so much grace in this account as Jesus says, “I am not under any human authority, nor will I be used as a Genie to give you what you want.  But because God wants to be the source of all your joy and because of my Father’s great love for humanity, I will do as you ask.”
 
Conclusion/Application
So, what can we take with us today on this special day where we celebrate mothers?

1. Jesus’ mother was a remarkable woman.  Even the savior of the world had a mother, and she was blessed among all women. According to the angel Gabriel, she would give birth to the Messiah, and she was chosen because she was blessed among all women.  What an honorable title to have as a mother. She was the mother of God in human flesh.  As remarkable and blessed as she was, however, she still needed to have her own faith.  Jesus was not going to give her special privileges.  Like everyone else, she needed to trust Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Thus, we can conclude that everyone needs to have faith.  Each person must place their faith in Jesus and trust him personally to be his/her Redeemer, Lord, and Savior.  There are no exceptions.  God does not honor or show favorites; you are responsible for your faith… the faith of your parents, church, or other relatives will not save you.  If Mary is no exception, you and I will not be.
   
   
2. Everything Jesus did was to show the glory of the Father.  God delights in giving good things, but he doesn’t always give them for our benefit… He gives good things for His glory.  In this wedding account, Mary was concerned that the wine had run out.  The groom would be embarrassed, the people could be angry, and Mary could ultimately look bad because she had shirked her responsibility (if not her, someone was going to be blamed for the shortage).  Jesus says, “Humans cannot tell me what to do because I am doing ONLY the will of the Father.  However, because the Father loves you and wants to be the source of joy in every person's life, I will take care of the issue… ONLY so I/God can be glorified, and people will believe.”  Jesus’ sole purpose in life was to show the glory of God and draw others into his presence. 

Today, we celebrate the remarkable women in our lives, including Jesus' mother, Mary. We can draw parallels between her faith and our spiritual journeys. Just as Mary needed her own personal faith in Jesus, separate from her esteemed role as the mother of the Savior, we are reminded that our faith cannot be inherited or borrowed from others. We are called to develop our relationship with God, grounded in faith and obedience.
 
Additionally, as we reflect on Jesus' actions at the wedding at Cana, we are reminded that the purpose of our lives is to glorify God. As we receive blessings and honor the mothers who have nurtured and shaped us, we are called to recognize that these blessings are ultimately meant to point back to the goodness and glory of God. In honoring our mothers, we honor the God who created them and sustains us all.
 
As we celebrate Mother's Day, let us express gratitude for the mothers in our lives and recommit ourselves to living lives that magnify God's glory. Just as Jesus' actions brought joy and honor to the wedding party, may our lives reflect God's character and draw others into His presence, ultimately bringing honor to His name.
 

[1] Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel according to John (I–XII): Introduction, Translation, and Notes, vol. 29, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 97–98.

[2] Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel according to John (I–XII): Introduction, Translation, and Notes, vol. 29, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 98.

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