Jesus performed about three-dozen different miracles. John records only seven of these, and he doesn’t refer to them as miracles, rather John speaks of signs. (John 2:11) In the next few days I’d like to examine these seven signs.
The first sign is recorded in John’s second chapter where we read the story of Jesus attending a wedding feast and turning water into wine.
John begins by telling us that Jesus and His disciples were invited to attend the wedding in the little village of Cana. Here’s an obvious application ... if you want your wedding to be memorable and meaningful, invite Jesus to be in attendance. Furthermore, if you want your marriage to prosper and your family to flourish, invited Jesus to come home with you!
Okay... weddings back then were often seven-day events hosted by the groom’s family. Hey dad, you better start saving early. This is gonna cost you a bundle!
And it appears that this dad didn’t start saving early enough, because before the scheduled completion of the festivities, the punch bowl ran dry.
That’s when Mary, the mother of Jesus, stepped in. “Son. This poor family is in a pickle... won’t you do something to help?” Now remember, Jesus is just starting His public ministry. Nobody, including Mary, had seen Jesus perform a miracle. He hadn’t fed the five-thousand or healed the leper. What did Mary expect Jesus to do?
Here’s what He did... He had the servants fill “six stone water jars ... each holding twenty or thirty gallons.” Obediently, “they filled them up to the brim” with ordinary water.
Next, Jesus directed the servants to dip out some of the water and take it to the head waiter. They did. The waiter tasted it and said, “Customarily the best is served first. Why did we break protocol and save the best for last?”
End of story.
Signs?
God was introducing the best that He had saved for last He had given the Old Testament kings, prophets, and priests. They were good. God was now introducing His Beloved Son... the Best!
And ... God was demonstrating His ability to transform! It was a sign.
During Moses’ altercations with Pharaoh, God had demonstrated His power by transforming water into blood! This was a commanding performance of God’s judgment. (Exodus 7:14-24)
As Jesus transformed water into wine, He beautifully illustrated God’s power to bless... to restore, revive, and renew! It’s clearly a sign of Jesus’ mission to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Jesus came fulfilling the prophecy recorded in Isaiah 61:1-3. Jesus came to “bring good news to the poor” ... to “bind up the brokenhearted” ... to liberate the “captives” ... to take something beautiful from the ashes.
In this first sign, God was introducing His Beloved Son who came to make all things new ... to transform ordinary folks into children of the King! (II Corinthians 5:17)
He can. He proved it! He gave us a sign!
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