Day 15 – Cana: A Quiet Miracle Saves the Day

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His  disciples had also been invited to the wedding.” (John 2:1-2)

There are two facts that are key in this story of Jesus turning water into wine. Number 1 – Mary expects her Baby Boy to do something about the wine shortage. No doubt she has been waiting for a long time to let the world know her secret about her Son. She wanted everybody to know that He was not just some ordinary child. That He was the “Son of the Most High” who will one day establish a kingdom that would never end. But that appears to be secondary to the wine problem at the wedding in Cana. The wine ran out before the wedding was over.

Her request is “My son, do something about this,” in other words she was saying “You have the power to do something about this problem.” Use Your power to solve this problem. I don’t know, but was she expecting Jesus to work a miracle? If so, she could hardly be faulted for wanting others to know the truth about her Son Jesus.

Secondly, we see in this miracle the reticence of our Lord. He does not create wine, which would have been a greater miracle to create wine out of nothing. After the work was done He allowed the servants to announce it. Jesus during His earthly ministry was always conscious that His hour (the time for suffering) had not yet come. He would not reveal Himself unnecessarily nor was He willing to create a public stir. So, He did not create wine, He just simply turned water into wine. But He does make a public display like later as he fed the 5000. The first miracle adds to the joy of the wedding but does not distract from the purpose of the day.

Question, did the newlyweds know the wine was out and that Jesus had turned water into wine allowing the wedding to go on? Perhaps they did but we don’t know for sure. Did they become followers of Him that saved their wedding feast? Don’t know that either. But we do know that this miracle benefited everyone who was at the wedding. They drank “good wine” even if they did not know who made it possible.

Mary does live long enough to see her wish come true as many came to believe in her Son Jesus. The first miracle for now brings joy to a wedding feast. And to those who understand and believe in Him, a “quiet miracle” saved the day at Cana. It is a harbinger of much more to come.

Thank you for giving me that joy that can never be taken away. Continue to open thou my eyes to behold Your wonderful works small and great. Amen.