Jesus' disciple, John, writes about a wedding which he and the other disciples attended. Jesus and his mother, Mary, were also there (John 2:1-12).
Mary noticed a problem developing in the serving of dinner. She noticed the lack of wine and asked Jesus if He could help. At first Jesus hesitated, but when Mary asked the servants to do as Jesus asked, He went ahead and performed his first miracle. He asked the servants to fill the six stone waterpots with water, those used for Jewish purification rites. When the servants complied, He turned the water into wine for the wedding.
Christians tend to get involved in discussions as to why Jesus and his mother would be so concerned about having enough wine for a wedding. Many of us refuse to touch alcoholic beverages and often attempt to prove that the wine may not have been fermented. Whether it was or whether it wasn't is completely irrelevant to the reason behind the miracle.
It was Jesus' first miracle, and it was the most important. Its importance was not because of the physical act of changing water into wine, but because the miracle portrays the reason for Jesus' entire ministry.
The Jews washed with water as an outward sign of cleansing from sin. They worked very hard to obey the laws of Moses, but often became self-righteous in thinking they did all the right things. Jesus said, "Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt.5:20).
The secret of Jesus' ministry is shown in his turning the water into wine. Water represents cleansing from sin, wine represents the blood of Jesus which is needed to do it. We are righteous only because of Jesus' death and resurrection; we can't do it by our own efforts. We drink the cup at our communion services to remind us of the fact. This act of communion of his blood with ours is the Christian's purification rites.
The same disciple, John, later wrote, "Who is he that overcomes the world? Only he who believes Jesus is the Son of God. This is the One who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood and it is the Spirit who testifies" (I John 5:6 NIV).
We must follow Jesus' instructions to have our waterpots filled and ready, as did the servants. This means we must recognize our own inability to keep God's laws and be willing to accept the redemptive power of Jesus' blood to make us righteous (Eph.2:9). The New Testament law of love is the new wine created by Jesus.
The six waterpots for purification rites remind us of our need for purification from sin. Jesus does this by filling us with the new wine of His Spirit, the wine which gladdens the marriage feast of the Bridegroom and his Bride--Jesus and His church. Jesus came to give us this new wine.
© 1999, Doreen Palmer