Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. (John 2:7-8)
At a wedding in Cana, Jesus performed the “beginning of signs” and His disciples “believed in Him” (John 2:11). But the disciples of Jesus didn’t just believe because their Master did a remarkable trick, but because everything Jesus did in this sign taught something. By a miracle, Jesus provided wine so a bride and groom would not be embarrassed on their wedding day, but He also painted a picture that teaches us about His work and our need.
In this miracle, Jesus didn’t say a word or blink an eye; He simply exercised His will. Jesus did not need elaborate ceremonies or secret words to do miraculous things. Jesus also showed that He brought a new work, more glorious than the old covenant associated with Moses. The water pots spoke of the system of Law, because they were specifically used in ceremonial purification (John 2:6). Moses turned water into blood (the law results in death), but Jesus’ turned water into wine, showing the gladness and joy of the new covenant – and it was the best wine!
Jesus also wanted people to help Him in this miracle. He could have filled the pots Himself – after all, Jesus wasn’t lazy. Or, He could have just as easily created the liquid in the pots. The servants didn’t cause the miracle; their efforts alone only made water. Yet because they obeyed Jesus, they shared in the joy of the miracle. In a sense they could say, “look what we helped Jesus do!” even though Jesus did it all.
The servants obeyed Jesus without question, even though it was a lot of work. They went on to fill the pots to the brim, meaning there would be the most wine possible. If they had been lazy and only filled the pots half-full, there would only have been half the amount of wine. Best of all, only the servants really knew how it all happened. The master of the feast didn’t really know what Jesus really did, but the servants knew, and in a sense shared in the work.
The first of Jesus’ recorded signs in John was a miracle of conversion – water changing into wine. We need to be changed. And when the disciples saw the miracle of Jesus, “His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11). They believed before, but when they saw what Jesus did, their belief was deepened and re-expressed.
Have you been changed, converted by the miraculous power of Jesus Christ? That’s where His work must start. In this picture, we need to be changed from our natural state of “water” into His glorious “wine.”
Once changed by Jesus, then take the role of the servants in this account. They humbly served Jesus, shared in His work, and knew what He did in a special way.
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