Ancient Words: Miracles of Jesus, Water to Wine
The wedding at Cana must have been a large spectacular event. The record in John 2 states that Jesus performed his first miracle here, to display and make known his glory to his mother, the servants, his disciples and all in attendance.
In Paris, France, the Louvre Museum contains a painting of the wedding scene and all the people depicted in this artwork, make this painting the largest of all paintings in the museum. On another large scale, Moses performed his first miracle in Egypt and turned the water of the Nile into blood; Jesus in turn with his first miracle, instructs the wedding servants to fill 6 stone water jars to the brim and out comes the finest and best wine for the guests to drink. One could not drink water turned blood or death would come in Egypt; however, everyone at the Cana wedding could drink of the water turned to wine as Jesus, the new wine of the age, invited all to drink.
Consider for a moment this supernatural happening. The stone jars held 20-30 gallons each which equals about 680 liters. To bottle 680 liters in .75 liter portions would take about 1,000 bottles of wine. Furthermore, the amount of grapes needed to make grapes for 1,000 bottles of wine would equal 3,240 pounds. One needs an acre of land, planted with mature grape vines (4-5) years, a harvest of 15 pounds of grapes from each vine, convert the grapes from the vineyard to wine with the ancient wine-making process, and deliver the best or aged wine (4-5 more years) for the enjoyment of the wedding guest. Jesus just suspended all of this wine-making process. He suspended the laws of agriculture; the laws of planting, harvesting, and processing. Jesus displayed his full power as Son of the Living God by suspending the laws of the universe. He did not touch the stone jars, he did not place his hand in the water; Jesus simply commanded the jars be filled to the brim and once drawn from the jar the sweetest and best wine came forth for the master of the banquet and now for all of the wedding guests to enjoy.
The event is unfathomable. This event is unmatched. Jesus would perform about 37 other miracles in his 3 year ministry—each one spectacular like the miracle at Cana. How much more does the world need to know about Jesus to understand he is the Son of God? Faith is to believe in the miracles of Christ, to stand in awe of his power and majesty, to follow this Son of Man because he truly is the Son of God! Jesus spoke of living water a short time later in John 4 as he, the one who provided drink for many in Cana, ask the Samaritan women for a drink from the well: John 4:10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
John 2:9-10 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 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.”
Scott and Jane Johnson minister with East Faulkner Church of Christ and BRG Bible. Bible questions can be sent to [email protected].
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Mr. Potato Head Church
When I was young I had a Mr. Potato Head! I loved that toy, but I don’t think I played with it right. Other kids got a kick out of placing the different body parts in the wrong places to create some weird creation.
Not me. Even though I had imaginary dogs and a vivid imagination. when it came to Mr. Potato Head there was no fooling around. The eyes, arms, nose, mouth, ears and yes even the mustache had to be in the proper place. Sometimes my cousin or friends would put an ear in place of the mouth or switch the nose or mustache to mess with me. Not sure why, but this used to really upset me and I would quickly perform reconstructive surgery to bring him back to health.
Mr. Potato Head is a lot like the body of Christ. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12:12 -14:
“12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”
He continues , “18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
Regardless of your place in the body of Christ know that your part is a vital part! Use your place and part to the glory of God! Without your part, the body wouldn’t be complete!
Captain Jason Perdieu is corps officer of the Salvation Army of El Dorado.