A sign posted in a hospital reads: "Our doctors are at their best when you are not". The turning of water into wine described by John in Chapter 2, is a sign and a miracle that teaches the demonstration of God's best in our worst. Verse 11 reads: "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him." A sign is something that indicates the presence or existence of something else. Vital signs like blood pressure, body temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate etc. are important signs of health. Almost every product we buy has warning label. Many of them are required by law to educate consumers. This sign that Jesus performed indicates God is at His best when we are not. It is a sign that says that God's power is made perfect in our weakness.
The Gospel of John is full of symbolism and allegory. There are many signs one could learn from from this miracle. The story opens with the words: “On the third day. . ” On the third day after what? If we read the first chapter we understand that it is the third day after he was baptized in Jordan by John the Baptist. It was a sign of His death and burial in the tomb for three days that will be followed by the joy and celebration of resurrection on the third day. "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should." (Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12). Baptism is a sign of dying to self and raising to life and joy.
This miracle is a sign to teach the world that life can take a quick turn when everything seems to have been going well. Without notice, good life, health and happiness can suddenly turn into desperation and sadness. After Jesus and his disciples arrive at the wedding, Jesus’ mother approached Him and said, “They have no more wine.” I don't know if she expected Jesus to perform a miracle, but she was saying in effect, “The arrival of you and your disciples has caused a problem. Please send some of them to purchase more wine.” Not having enough hamburgers for a summer cookout might be an embarrassing moment for a modern-day host. However, to run short of wine at an ancient Jewish wedding feast would represent a social catastrophe that would severely damage a family’s reputation for years. It was the responsibility of the groom’s family to ensure there was enough food and drink for all the guests. It was apparently a small need, but of great consequences due to the timing. If something is not done, all will be embarrassed. Some commentators even say that there could be law suits possible in such cases. Regardless of what she thought, Mary knew that Jesus was able to handle the situation better than anyone else. And so, she tells the servants: “Do whatever he tells you.”
It was also a sign that our ordinary life experiences can turn into an extraordinary event of revealing God's glory. The water outside was placed to observe the Jewish customary law to wash the feet of the guests. Jesus showed here that grace can transform the customary practices into means of grace. God's grace is free and always better than the law. The water did not just appear to be wine; it was transformed into wine — the best wine. Some people have trouble believing this miracle. Actually, turning water into wine is something that God does every day. As I was traveling in northern Washington state to Canada, I passed several vineyards. I could literally look out the window and see God changing water into wine. The rain falls on the ground, and as the vine draws the water up to the branches, it is transformed into the grapes. No science can explain the process that takes place inside the plant. All ingredients like water, sugar, color and other components are combined in specific ratios. When that juice goes through the natural process of fermentation it will become wine. God is in the business of changing lives and situations. The people were changed and all who witnessed believed in Him. Jesus did not come to give us information about God; He came to transform us into God’s children. He did not come to bring new ideas; He came to make people new.
It was as sign that says that God’s ending is always the best. The situation that was sad and nervous transformed into one of gladness and celebration. The host of the celebration did not even know what happened in the background. Jesus not only transformed the water, but also the vessels. Those outside clay pots became the honorable wine jars inside. God knows what is happening in our lives when nothing makes sense to us.
God knows our weaknesses and understands our frustration and despair. God is at His best when we are not. The scripture offers assurances of comfort that God's presence is with us. The master of the banquet 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” (John 2:10). Jesus saves the best till last. The world puts its best up front and things go downhill from there. But when Jesus shows up things go from good to best. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). The best that the world has to offer now is only a hint of what is yet to be. The difference will be as it is wine to water. "Better is the end of a thing than its beginning." (Ecclesiastes 7:8)
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