Tuesday, February 25, 2014
John 2:1f On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
WATER INTO WINE
There was a wedding feast in Cana and besides inviting Mary the mother of Jesus, the bridal couple also invited Jesus and His disciples. While Jesus now was there, having accepted the invitation, it happened that there was a shortage of wine. Jesus was first notified of this predicament by His mother Mary, who expected Him to respond at once and make wine. But Jesus replied unto her that His hour was not yet come. However, at the proper time, Jesus told the servants to fill the nearby water jugs with water and give the chief butler to drink thereof. The servants did and, to their surprise, they found that the water had been changed to wine.
As a Savior of sinners Jesus did this miracle, for His only reason for becoming man was to save souls. All things, His preaching and teaching and His miracles, served this eternally planned purpose of winning and saving souls. And being mindful of this at all times, Jesus still attended the wedding and made wine. We might wonder how the Savior could waste His time with such an unnecessary pastime as making wine?
By working this miracle, Christ at the very outset shows that He is not a morose, glum, and gloomy Savior, who came to criticize or overthrow all useful customs such as marriage, or even to rob man of the good and useful gifts of nature, such as wine, or whatever else it may be. Christ shows that these temporal gifts of God bestowed upon man should be used correctly and appreciated as gifts from God. He as Savior did not come to rob us of these gifts and their correct enjoyment, but He came to save us from sin, so that wherever Jesus is present there is true joy in all of God's gifts, chief among them the forgiveness of sins! One reason why John relates the performance of this miracle is because he wants to show just this beautiful side of our Savior.
Beautiful Savior,
King of Creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I'd love Thee,
Truly I'd serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 657:1)
