Weddings are fun—for all who attend but have nothing to do with the planning and implementing the plan.  Until the last guest leaves, the bride and groom are wary, nervous, unsettled, concerned for every detail being perfect.  Most hosts want to appear that they have it all together in front of their guests.  Who doesn’t want to be known as a host of great parties?  But the purpose of celebrating the marriage of two people who love each other, vowing to live together in holy matrimony forever, can be lost in the details.

Jesus attended a wedding with the His newly formed group of disciples—and his mother. Yes, only a few days from inviting men to join Him in His work, they attend a wedding.  Since Jesus’ entire family and his disciples were invited, Jesus’ mom must have known the hosts of this wedding well.  They may have been related in some way.    We don’t know for sure of the connection, but we do know it concerned her that they might run out of wine with the threat of humiliation for planning poorly. 

Jesus’ mom also knows her son well and knew that He could help.  We moms are fixers, right?  So, Mary jumps into action behind the scenes to save the party from embarrassment.  Jesus tries to tell her, this isn’t the time, but being Son of Man, out of deep respect for his mother, he complies with her request to help the hosts.  It occurs to me that Jesus is following the commandment of God, “Honor your mother and father” at this point.  I’m sure Jesus consulted with His Father in heaven before performing this first miracle.  So, Jesus, Son of God, honors his mother’s request.

“Whatever he tells you, do it.”  Mary tells the servants not to question but to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. They obey.  The celebration goes on.  (Camp on this thought.  Take all the time you need.)

John—God’s Love

John 2:1-12, The Message

^1-3 Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.”

⁴ Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.”

⁵ She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”

^6-7 Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim.

⁸ “Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did.

^9-10 When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!”

¹¹ This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

¹² After this he went down to Capernaum along with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and stayed several days.

THINK ABOUT IT…

“…you’ve saved the best till now!”  The host’s affirming words to the bridegroom leap off the page for me this morning.  Think about it friends, “The Best” has come to save the world!  The celebration of the coming of the Lord has just begun.  Jesus gives the wedding party a first glimpse of His glory.  The servants were the first to see and recognize His power.  Isn’t that so like Jesus?  The lowly servants are the first to see His power?  And for his new friends, his disciples, they reached a new level of belief just watching Him work!

What takes our belief to higher levels? 

Do we look for the glory of God each day?  (God is always at work!)

Are we in awe of Jesus power at work in us?

Do we tap into His power available to us to do what He invites to be and do?

Do we ask God each day for what He wants for us to do? 

Whatever He tells you, do it…Do we?

God sent His Best. Yes, The Best saved the wedding day, but His real mission is to seek and to save the lost, to bring Light to dispel darkness and to show who God really is with how much love He has for His created.  In the image of God, we were created. We are created to worship God in intimate relationship.  The Best will provide the Way, represent Truth and give Life to all who believe.  Yes, The Best is yet to come.  Stay tuned to this gospel of John!

Lord,

Thank you for stories of you, your family, your friends in common, human, cultural celebrations that show you are in all of life.  You truly delight in all the details of our lives by the evidence of this event’s miracle.  You are God.  You are always at work in us and all around us.  Help us to see your glory at work all day long today with grateful hearts!  Thank you!  Thank you for Your Presence!  You are the Best!  There is no one like you.

In Jesus Name, Amen