THINK TOGETHER.
Have you ever been to a wedding? Did you enjoy it?
READ TOGETHER.
John 2:1-11. 1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9When 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 10and 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.” 11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
It shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus went to a wedding. Weddings were a really big deal in the Jewish culture back then. A wedding didn’t last a few hours, it lasted a few days. Everyone was invited too. Family, friends, the whole village. It may be that Jesus and his mother, Mary, are related to the bride or groom.
Unfortunately, the worst thing that can ever happen at a wedding, happened at this wedding – the wine ran out! Fortunately, Jesus was there to help. But Jesus’ first response is a bit strange, isn’t it? When Mary asks him to help what does he say? My hour has not yet come. What does that mean? Whenever Jesus talks about his “hour” he means the time when he will die on the cross. Jesus is saying to his mom that it is not time for him to die yet. But why would he start talking about dying at a happy wedding?
Maybe because he knows that if he does a miracle then people will begin to know that he is claiming to be God and this will lead to people wanting to kill him. Or maybe he is saying that the miracle he is about to do is a preview of his death on the cross. What miracle did Jesus do? He turned water into wine. Very good wine. The best wine ever!
Notice what Jesus did. He had the servants put water into six large stone jars. Jars that they used for the rites of purification, or for getting clean. The water used to symbolically cleanse the people of their sins (like baptism), the water of sadness became the wine of joy and happiness.
How is that a picture of the cross of Jesus? Because the saddest day in history will become the happiest day in history. The day Jesus died for our sins will be the day our sins are washed away and we can now celebrate with Jesus. In fact, the Bible says that one day we will celebrate with Jesus like at a wedding. Jesus will be the groom, and all those who believe in him will be his bride, and we will drink the best wine of his love and joy forever and ever. Like the wine at the wedding, Jesus is saving the best for last.
Because of Jesus our sadness has been replaced with joy.
With Jesus we can live forever with him in joy and happiness.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Look at wedding photos together. Was it a happy day? How did your wedding point ahead to Heaven?
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, you take away our sin and sadness and give us joy instead. Help me live in that joy today. Amen.
TLICfamily 