Seven Miracles - Pt 1

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. (John 2:6-11 ESV).

The Gospel of John is unique. John begins in a different place historically and continues to use a different approach to conveying the truth of God’s redemptive plan in Jesus. He also has unique content compared to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). A part of that unique content is the use of seven miracles to clearly portray Jesus as God and Redeemer. In the next few days we’ll look at each of these in some detail. My hope and prayer is that this will have huge effects in the way you see this great gift of God. When God gives us eyes to see the glory of Jesus, his beauty and greatness and worth, that seeing is the laser beam, as it were, along which great grace streams into our lives. It takes us to a place where we can have the grace to love, the grace to rejoice, and grace to possess our eternal life now. You should not miss the last verse in our reading today. John recalls, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” So here John puts the focus again on seeing the glory of Christ. His disciples saw his glory, and they believed on him. The glory of Jesus is the key component in our faith. So, John puts a great premium in helping his readers to see Jesus’ glory as it is revealed in his works. And he wants us to receive the grace of believing. So it would be perfectly in accord with John’s intention if we ask, “What is the glory of Christ revealed in this story of the wedding of Cana?” I see at least three answers: the glory of an obedient Son; the glory of an ultimate Purifier; and, the glory of an all-providing Bridegroom. I will spend more time on each of these in the coming days. However, today I hope you will recognize these positions and the difference they can make in your daily life.