Words about the Word - Tom Chandler
“When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’” (John 2:3)
After Jesus was baptized and had begun his work of saving sinners like you and me, he was invited to attend a wedding. Jesus, along with his mother and a few of his disciples, accepted the invitation.
In those days, as it should still be today, a wedding called for a great celebration. At the very first wedding, when God brought the bride Eve to her groom in the Garden of Eden, Adam cried out with joy, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!”
In the same way, in Jesus’ time on earth, the groom was responsible for hosting a celebration worthy of the great blessing he was receiving from God, a party that reflected his own joy. The wedding feast was extravagant and expensive; it could last as long as two weeks. But this particular celebration was going to be cut short. “…the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’”
No boats were going to sink in a storm, no one was going to starve, no sick children were going to die if Jesus didn’t provide more wine. But it did mean an early end to the joy of the celebration. There would be disappointment and embarrassment, people would gossip about the groom. The bride would likely shed a few tears that her perfect day was ruined.
This isn’t about the alcohol that might or might not be in the wine. The Bible is clear: getting drunk is a sin. This is about the joy of the celebration.
In the Old Testament wine is a symbol of abundant blessing from God. It is even associated with the coming of the Messiah. “The mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it.” (Amos 2:13) Running out of wine would be like running out of wedding cake before all the guests were served.
Jesus provided wine in a very interesting way. Without telling the groom or any of the other guests, he took six huge stone water jugs, that were used by religious people to follow the ceremonial law, and turned them into vessels of God’s grace. The water in those jugs became new wineskins for the finest wine anyone at the wedding had ever tasted. Because of Jesus, the party not only continued, but the joy of the celebration increased.
When Jesus’ disciples saw this miracle, the Bible says they “believed in him.” God’s will for the wedding party that day was that it would continue. God’s will for you today is faith in Jesus Christ. Without faith, the boat in the storm will capsize; you will spiritually starve; you will die in your sins.
One day, when Jesus returns to this earth in glory, there will be another wedding feast. Jesus himself will be the groom who hosts this celebration for his bride, the church. The wine and the delicious food will never run out. The party will never end. Nothing but joy…forever. That is God’s will for you!
