Apostle Dr. Peggy Elliott

Chapter 1 of John details what was going on that led up to Jesus turning water into wine.  On the third day: John continued the story from the previous chapter that noted happenings on a particular day (John 1:19-28), on the next day (John 1:29-34), the next day after that (John 1:35-42), the following day (John 1:43-51) and now on the third day.
So, on the third day, Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding.  Most would not even consider the notion that Jesus loved to socialize with the ‘folks.’  There are stories throughout the bible that tell us Jesus was welcomed to a few social events.  His presence did not hinder the social atmosphere. In the Jewish culture of that day a wedding was the best party of all.  At the weddings, food and wine was to be in great supply for the guests.

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And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”  This was a major social mistake and could shame the couple for a long time. A wedding was supposed to be the best party of all, and for a host to fail in providing adequate food and drink was a great dishonor. Was this couple going to have to live in shame and disgrace the rest of their lives?

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We don’t know exactly why Mary brought this problem to her son Jesus. Perhaps she eagerly anticipated the day Jesus would miraculously demonstrate that He was the Messiah. When people saw that Jesus was the Messiah it would also vindicate Mary, who lived under the shadow of a pregnancy and birth that many people questioned. It wasn’t wrong for Mary to sense that the time had come for her Son to enter public ministry. She knew He had been baptized by John and confirmed with a heavenly sign at His baptism. Mary knew He endured temptation in the wilderness. She knew Jesus had been publicly introduced as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), and had begun to gather disciples to Himself. “Woman, what does your concern have to do with me?” Jesus spoke to His mother with a term of respect, but He did not call her “mother.” Jesus wanted to emphasize that now, at the beginning of His public ministry, He now had a different relationship with Mary.  Mary told the disciples to do whatever he told them to do.

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Jesus told the disciples to take the waterpots and fill the them with water: But He knew that if the servants shared in the work, then they also shared in the blessing. The servants did not do the miracle. Because of their obedience to Jesus, they shared in the joy of the miracle. They were to fill the pots to the brim. This means that the miracle would be fulfilled in the greatest measure possible. 

ke it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine he did not know where it came from. The master of the feast called the bridegroom. 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!”

Draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast: This took faith on behalf of the servants.   Yet in faith, they obeyed the word of Jesus.

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Jesus insisted that the miracle be put to the test, immediately. He didn’t command that the water made wine first be served to the guests, but to the master of the feast. Test it, by the proper authority.  The servants who had drawn the water knew the greatness of the miracle. 

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 We are not told how Jesus performed this miracle. Therefore, we must assume that the transformation took place in the waterpots, but it also could have happened in the actual serving of the wine. Yet according to the record, Jesus did not say a word or perform a ceremony; He simply exercised His will and the miracle was done.

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What can we draw from this first miracle Jesus performed?  Jesus still works miracles today.  We cannot see the process that God uses to conduct miracles.  We must just think God that He is still in the miracle working business!