Jesus Changes Water to Wine

John 2:1-11

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him."

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In a day where obtaining 15 minutes of fame is often top priority, it's easy to feel lost in the crowd, invisible, and unimportant. Perhaps that's why reality TV and social media is such a hot commodity. It's prime opportunity for those wishing to be seen.

I honestly don't know how anyone survives life without a heart's knowledge that God sees, loves, and is with them every second of every day because there are times in life that we are just plain alone. For example, have you ever had a day where you felt totally invisible? I've never figured out what triggers this but I've had days where it felt as though everyone from the store clerk to close acquaintance doesn't see or hear a thing I do. I speak and no one responds, as if totally invisible. It doesn't happen often but when it does it drives me nuts. I suspect these times are magnified by moods, hormones, or spiritual warfare designed to tear me down, so I ride them out on the coattails of God. Using Him as my divining rod I cling to the knowledge that though others may not acknowledge me (whether real or in my imagination), He loves me and is with me no matter my day's circumstance.

Upon reading today's passage I'm uplifted by the way it magnifies the insignificant. As friends and family of the crowd focused on the bride, groom, and the wedding celebration, who would guess God was about to reveal His glory to those on the periphery. A few profound subtleties include the fact this wedding miracle occurred in Cana, a rather obscure location which just so happened to be Nathanael's birth place. (John 21:2) Remember Nathanael was the one so stunned that the Messiah could come from despised Nazareth. Surely he would not have expected Jesus' first miracle to be performed in his hometown, at a wedding, through the hands of servants. Then there's the fact this glorious first miracle occurred in the background, inside six stone water jars standing off in a distance. According to verse 9 the first to be enlightened to this miracle where the servants who had obediently filled the jars with water. Imagine what they must have thought once realizing the water they had added to the jars had become the very best of wine. No doubt the sounds of the festive occasion around them dimmed dramatically as they commenced absorbing the miracle at hand.

Everywhere you look in this story the hand of God was at work where you'd least expect. No one could have predicted a more nebulous location or time for the Messiah's first miracle, let alone who He'd perform it through. God simply overlooks no one and uses even the smallest of beings to do His will and witness His majesty. This seemingly odd and backward way of working out His will may come across as odd or foreign, but it is highly affective. Note in verse 11 that upon witnessing this sideline miracle "his disciples put their faith in him." The unexpected, unexplainable, and unpredictable glory of God at work in lives of every day folk like you and me. Isn't it a relief to know we are not invisible or forgotten but rather loved by the God of the universe? If no one acknowledges us today, we know we're loved by a God too great for description, the great I AM. Let's rejoice and give Him the praise!

Application:

When was the last time you felt lost or forgotten?

Pinpoint one way in which God made His loving presence known to you in a time of loneliness.

How can you share with someone you know the truth that they are loved and valued by God?