The Water That Was Made Wine !

Jn.2:9-10, “ When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. ¹⁰ And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

As per the gospel of John, Jesus had not yet started His ministry. And He was one among the invited guests for the marriage in a house in Cana. Mary, the mother of Jesus seemed to have close connections with this house for it’s written that ‘Mary was there’ while Jesus and His disciples were invited. She played an important role in the arrangements of the things in this wedding house. A wedding house is in focus of every person connected to it in anyway. Any lack here would easily attract shame and dishonor. On the other hand, the surplus and glitter would attract honor and gladness. The lacks of one’s life attracts discouragement, while gladness comes with fullness and abundance…..

Wine was an important drink offered to the guests in Jewish marriages. It symbolized ‘happiness’. Here, wine was being offered to the guests who were attending the wedding when suddenly, Mary came to Jesus saying, “They have no wine.’ This lack was not expected, for it was a wedding house. It might have stored enough wine in store for all the expected guests. But their expected calculations got wrong somewhere & now struggled extremely with the thought of as to how to handle the crisis. It was a serious crisis for it could bring great dishonor to the household. Unexpected storms lashes against lives at times, but even that is in His control. Even before  this storm of lack lashed against this family, the One who controls the storms was present as a guest.

The wedding house was full of people, who were enjoying the feast. But almost none of them knew about the sudden pain which had gripped the hearts of the concerned family, for they assumed that all was well. But a desperate cry rose from the midst of feast of the wedding. Often, the smiles masks or covers the pains and struggles of one’s life from the eyes of the world around. The inability to share one’s struggles causes all others, even one’s own family members to assume that all is well. But the cry from the depths of one’s desperate heart cannot be stopped & it reaches the throne in heaven.

As soon as Mary knew of the crisis, she informed Jesus, not just to let Him know. She informed with a hope that Jesus would not walk away from the situation of the house without solving it. As one struggles to hide the painful or empty situations of one’s life from lives around, one can prayerfully seek prayers and counsel of someone who has faith in the Lord, and who can be trusted well to keep the matter in prayers. This household trusted Mary with their painful matter of their life, and they did well by doing so. For she soon reported the matter to the One who she knew would certainly help instead of reporting it to the guests who might have just gossiped and bring dishonor.

Though Mary was the earthly mother of Jesus, she had not yet seen any miracles done by Him till then, for His ministry had not yet begun. Jn.2:4, “ Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”  But she knew who He was, for she had experienced the virgin birth of Christ from her womb.  Our faith ought not to stand on just the miracles we might have witnessed. Instead it ought to stand on the revelation of ‘who Jesus is’.

Even though the words of Jesus seemed to sound that He would not do anything on the informed matter, Mary further went and instructed the servants to do exactly what Jesus would command them to do. She was sure that Jesus would do it. This assurance is ‘faith’ that brings in results for sure. Such living faith has often made our Lord stop and do amazing things for lives.

Jn.2:7-8, “Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.” In the time span between filling the waterpots with water and drawing some out of it, just as instructed by the Lord, the water turned into wine. Immediate, complete and willing obedience often witnesses amazing miracles. But we ought to obey not to see just the miracles. Instead our obedience ought to come from a heart that loves Him unconditionally. Jesus had asked the servants to do something which seemed to have no connection with the need of that hour. The family wanted wine, while Jesus asked the servants to fill the pots with water. But the obedience out of faith filled heart does not seek reasonable instructions. Instead it seeks to see His glory in the midst of the most unreasonable commandments. Abraham obeyed the most unreasonable commandment by offering his only son for a sacrifice. But he knew that he would see His glory, and he did see it.

The water was made into wine, into better wine. Happiness was restored. Lack was replaced by surplus. The wedding was blessed. The cry that rose from the midst of wedding feast soon turned into gladness and rejoicing. The new wine was better than the old wine.  Jn.2:11,”This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and ^[a]manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

Any crisis or storm which the Lord allows ultimately is for manifestation of His glory. We need to look upto Him, willing to approach with faith and ready to obey without questioning.

GOD bless us all.