‘The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.’ John 2:1-11(NLT)
‘Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.’ John 8:20(NLT)
‘Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. ‘ John 13:1(NLT)
‘After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. ‘ John 17:1(NLT)
‘When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’ John 19:30(NLT)
Weddings are magical. No matter who’s getting married, there’s something sacred and fairy tale-like about the whole experience.
As special and wonderful as weddings are, we’ve all been the single person at one. When I was in my early twenties, I was literally in twelve weddings. I had a variety of bridesmaid dresses and interesting hair updos. Thank goodness we didn’t have Instagram back then!
While I was always happy for the bride, I couldn’t help but look forward to the day I would be the bride. Jesus understands this longing. He put this desire in our hearts before time began. Whether you’re married or single in this present world, when you say yes to Him, you become His bride for eternity.
Over the next few days, we’re going to dive into the story of Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana. At this time, Jesus lived about 8 miles away in Nazareth and had not yet performed any signs or wonders. Many scholars believe that because Jesus, His mother, and His brothers were all present at this wedding, it was quite possibly a relative of Jesus that was getting married.
Much like weddings today, in this culture, weddings took a great deal of intricate planning and were a reflection on the family hosting them. If the host ran out of wine, it would not only be an embarrassment, but also bring shame upon the family.
If this was indeed a family member’s wedding, then we can assume that Mary, Jesus’ mother, might’ve been somewhat involved in the planning process. She seems to take responsibility for the wine dilemma. She informs Jesus that the wine had run out and, knowing who Jesus is, asks Him to save her family from shame.
Let’s look at how Jesus responds to Mary: “Why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.”
In our reading today, we learned that when Jesus said “my hour,” He was referring to His crucifixion and resurrection. He came to this earth to complete a mission: to save us from our sins so we can spend eternity with Him. On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” In other words, the hour of His death had finally come.
When Jesus responded to His mother, He was looking ahead and seeing the bigger picture. Sure, He could’ve fixed the immediate wine mishap, but He hadn’t yet covered our shame for good. This was just the beginning.
When Mary asked Jesus to get involved in this wedding, it seemed to strike a personal nerve within Him. At this point, He wasn’t even in the betrothal stage with His bride. I believe He might’ve felt frustration, heartache, or jealousy for His bride. He’s waiting for our wedding and feast, and they’ll be the celebration of a lifetime!
Trust me: our bridegroom won’t just be attending as a bystander or working miracles behind the scenes. He’ll be the Lord of the feast, the King of Kings, getting married to the love of His life—and that, my friend, is you.
Note: Information in today’s devotional is referenced from Timothy Keller’s sermon “A Wedding Party Encounters Jesus.” Be sure to check it out online if you’d like to learn more on this topic.
from Will You Marry Me?